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5th EAST ASIAN REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN ALTERNATIVE GEOGRAPHY (EARCAG)
Seoul, Korea, 13-16 December 2008
Following four successful conferences between 1999 and 2006, the fifth East Asian Regional Conference in Alternative Geography (EARCAG) will be held in Seoul, Korea, 13-16 December 2008. The aim of the conference is to provide a forum for scholar from all parts of the world to discuss and debate critically urban and regional issues in East Asia.
Themes
There are two main themes in this conference. The first main theme is “Searching for a ‘Globalpolis’, as a progressive urban utopia, in the era of globalization.” Cities in East Asia have become increasingly globalized for the last decade. Along with the spread of neoliberal variant of globalization, the global(izing) cities in East Asia have faced increasing numbers of problems associated with growing spatial and social inequalities, dissolution of existing urban communities, increasing inter-ethnic or inter-cultural tensions, etc. As a way of finding resolutions to these problems, we suggest to imagine a progressive and alternative urban utopia, which we call a “Globalpolis”. Under this theme, we can tackle the following issues.
- Flows, networks and transnational urbanism
- Critical evaluations of the discourses of global city, creative city, innovative cities etc.
- Humanistic visions for “Globalpolis”
- Urban historicity and cultural heritage
- Power, identity and the city
- Critique of neo-liberal urbanization
- Alternative urban governance
- Social activism and civic space
- Gentrification, urban (re)development and mega urban project
- Urban environment and sustainable cities
To be added…
The second main theme is “Re-imagining the national territories in East Asia.” Existing territoriality of the national politico-economic communities in East Asia have been increasingly challenged by growing movement of capital, people, knowledge and goods across national boundaries. At the same time, however, nationalistic sentiments and national identities have been strengthened due to recent geopolitical changes in this region. What has happened in the East Asian nations and states in terms of their territorialities in relation to the increasing transnationalization of social, political, cultural and economic activities? Under this theme, we can address the following issues.
- Historical and geographical construction of national territoriality
- State, power and national territories
- Transnationalism and reorganization of national territories
- Spatial and scalar restructuring of the state
- Decentralization and the changing nature of center-local relations
- Nationalism/transnationalism and landscape
To be added…
In addition to these main themes, this conference aims to question and contextualize every issue in the development of critical and alternative geography in East Asia. Examples of other relevant issues are:
- Political economies of development
- Global economic changes and uneven regional development
- Globalization, agriculture and rural development
- Critical geopolitics in East Asia
- Globalization and regionalization in East Asia
- Innovation, cluster and agglomeration economy
- Nature and environment
- Gender and spaces of difference
- Geographies of social movement
- History of geographical practice and thoughts
- entrepreneurial city and place-marketing
……
The above list is just for illustration, not limitation. We strongly encourage the participants to mobilize your geographical imagination beyond them.
Papers and organized sessions are welcome from everyone, geographers and non-geographers alike, from any disciplinary areas.
Date
13 ~ 15 December, 2008: Parallel Sessions
16 December, 2008: Field trip
Venues
This conference is hosted by Seoul National University (13-14 December, 2008) and the University of Seoul (15 December, 2008).
Keynote Speakers
To be selected soon.
Steering Committee
Byung-Doo Choi (Deagu University, South Korea)
Chu-joe Hsia (National Taiwan University, Taiwan)
Jinn-yuh Hsu (National Taiwan University, Taiwan)
Fujio Mizuoka (Hitotshbashi University, Japan)
Toshio Mizuuchi (Osaka City University, Japan)
Wing-Shing Tang (Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong)
Jim Glassman (University of British Columbia, Canada)
Bae-Gyoon Park (Seoul National University, South Korea)
Local Organizing Committee
Bae-Gyoon Park (Department of Geography Education, Seoul National University)
Byung-Doo Choi (Department of Geography Education, Daegu University)
Kyoung Park (Department of Digital Economics, Mokwon University)
Seong-Paik Lee (Department of Philosophy, University of Seoul)
Hyun-Jae Lee (Institute for Humanities, University of Seoul)
To be added…
Registration
Those wishing to attend this conference must register by 30 August 2008. The registration form will be attached in the 2nd call, which will be issued by the end of March 2008.
Abstracts
Those wishing to present a paper are invited to submit by E-mail the TITLE and ABSRACTS (ca. 500 words) by 30 August 2008. The recipient of the email will be announced in the 2nd call.
Organized Sessions
Those planning to organize a SESSION or SESSIONS must contact Dr. Bae-Gyoon Park ([log in to unmask]) by 31 July 2008, with title and description of the session(s) and the names of prospective presenters.
Official Language
The official language of the EARCAG is English. All the papers are to be presented and discussed in English, except for the closing session on the last day of the conference, in which the translation services for English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese will be provided.
Registration Fee
Participants from South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore
US$100 (faculty) US$50 (student)
Participants from Rest of Asia, East Europe, Latin America and Africa
US$60 (faculty) US$30 (student)
Participants from North America, West Europe and Japan (G7 Group)
US$120 (faculty) US$60 (student)
The fee includes two receptions, lunches during the conference, coffee breaks and a conference packet with conference proceedings. Field trips must be paid separately.
All the fees listed here are provisional and subject to change. The payment details will be announced in the 2nd call.
Accommodation
To be announced in the 2nd call.
Field trip
To be announced in the 2nd call.
Important Deadlines
Organizing paper session 31 July 2008
Registration 30 August 2008
Submission of abstracts 30 August 2008