Call for Papers – Hmong in Comparative Contexts Conference
Recently, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Minnesota have jointly established the “UW-UM Hmong Studies Consortium” (see below for more information). The Consortium will be organizing its first conference, titled “Hmong in Comparative Contexts”, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on 4-5 March 2011. Focusing on critical scholarship, the conference will consider the Hmong and their interactions and relations with other ethnic groups, especially those in Asia but also the Hmong diaspora in other parts of the world, including the United States. This concept reflects recent theoretical trends in critical scholarship, including an increasing interest in reconsidering ethnic geographies and associated boundaries in Asia, and examining new ideas put forward by those engaged in advocating and examining new ideas related to “Zomia”.
The vision of the conference organizers is to gather a group of scholars interested in critical Hmong studies and related ideas. This includes bringing together well-established scholars as well as those beginning their careers. Graduate students are also encouraged to actively participate in the conference. Participants will not be required to pay any registration fees for attending, but will be expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs. Dr. Christian Culas, a prominent French scholar of the Hmong in Asia presently residing in northern Vietnam, will be the keynote speaker.
Scholars within the social sciences and humanities are encouraged to submit individual abstracts not exceeding 250 words, or ideas for panels not exceeding 400 words. Submissions should be sent to Ian Baird at [log in to unmask] and should be received no later than December 1, 2010. Acceptance of abstracts and panel ideas will be confirmed by January 15, 2011.
The UW-UM Hmong Studies Consortium
The objective of the consortium is to promote critical Hmong studies in a range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. With funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, the emphasis of the consortium will be on developing academic activities and projects on the Hmong of Asia and on topics with transnational significance within the Hmong diaspora. In pursuing these scholarly objectives the consortium will also encourage comparative research and study of the Hmong and their relations with other ethnic groups and the major states within the geographic area that is increasingly being designated as "Zomia." The consortium will concentrate initially on two major projects: 1) convening a bi-annual conference on critical Hmong studies (the first in Spring 2011); and 2) collecting and archiving resources on Hmong studies at the two major repositories at UW and UM.
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