Final call for papers
CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
An international conference at the Institute of Sociology,
Nicolaus Copernicus University
Toruń, Poland
25 - 27 August 2010
Extended deadline for abstracts: 31st May 2010
Keynote speakers:
Prof. Janine Wedel, George Mason University, author of the Shadow Elite: How the World's New Power Brokers Undermine Democracy, Government, and the Free Market (Basic Books, 2009) (confirmed)
Prof. dr Andrzej Górski, Vice-President of the Polish Academy of Sciences, organizer of an International Conference ”Conflict of Interest and its Significance in Science and Medicine", Warsaw 2002, (confirmed)
Conflict of interest (COI) is usually understood quite broadly as a social phenomenon related to corruption, lobbying, nepotism, patronage, clientelism or the activity of informal networks of power. What are the current expressions of conflicts of interest in various spheres of social life in Central and Eastern Europe - politics, economy, science? What approaches to COI social sciences should apply? Why does COI often remain an unexplored issue? In what ways are scientists, including social scientists themselves, involved in various conflicts of interest, such as „rent-seeking‟ activities?
Although diverse examples of COI are studied by social researchers from Central and Eastern Europe who tend to agree about its ubiquity and importance in post-communist CEE countries, the questions mentioned above remain often unanswered. The aim of our conference is to fill the gap and ask about the many faces of COI and the role it plays in different areas of social life in post-communist countries.
We encourage researchers from various disciplines of social, political, and economic sciences, as well as legal scholars and historians to contribute papers, both empirical and theoretical, on the above mentioned issues. Also practitioners from institutions dealing with conflict of interest are welcome.
We want to provide enough time to discuss each of the papers. Therefore, the presentations will last about 30-40 minutes each (including discussion). The contributions will be published after the event in a peer-reviewed conference proceeding.
Besides the lectures of invited guests (see above) and participants‟ presentations a discussion panel on combating conflict of interest in practice will be organized. The discussants at the panel will be:
Prof. György Schöpflin, Member of the European Parliament, formerly Jean Monnet Professor of Politics, University of London (confirmed)
Prof. Antoni Z. Kamiński, former President of Transparency International Poland, author of ”An institutional theory of communist regimes : design, function, and breakdown“(San Francisco, Calif.: ICS Press, 1992.) and ”Korupcja rządów : państwa pokomunistyczne wobec globalizacji” (confirmed).
Grażyna Kopińska, Director of the Anti-Corruption Program, Stefan Batory Foundation (confirmed)
Deadlines
Abstracts (of no more than 250 words) should be submitted using a registration form on the website www.coi.conference.umk.pl until 31st May 2010. Decisions on abstracts will be made by 15th June. Papers should be submitted by 7th August to make them available for all participants. Full versions of the papers should be sent within one month after the conference in order to be considered for publication in the edited volume.
We strongly encourage young researchers to propose papers for presentations or posters. We also welcome participants attending the conference without presenting a paper themselves. Additionaly one or two parallel sessions in Polish may be organized, if necessary.
Conference fees
100 € (400 PLN)/50 € (200 PLN) for graduate/PhD students (including conference folder, coffee breaks, lunch sessions and official dinner).
Organizers
Department of Group Interests at the Institute of Sociology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland
Polish Platform of Homeland Security, represented by the Faculty of Law of University of Białystok
Organizing committee
Prof. dr Andrzej Zybertowicz, former Security Policy Advisor to the President of Poland; Institute of Sociology Nicolaus Copernicus University
Prof. dr Emil Pływaczewski, University of Białystok, Faculty of Law; main coordinator of the Polish Platform of Homeland Security
Dr Radosław Sojak, vice-dean of the Faculty of Humanities, NCU
Dr Piotr Stankiewicz (secretary of the conference), Department of Group Interests, Institute of Sociology NCU
Accommodation
We have pre-booked rooms for the participants at a mid-range hotel close to the the conference venue (about 40-50 euro per room). The address and booking instructions can be found on the website, as well as links to other recommended hotels. We also offer cheap accommodation in a student dormitory.
Conference venue
The conference will take place in Torun, a charming city with a medieval old town, ruins of the Teutonic Knights' castle from the 13th century and many gothic churches, which creates a unique, unforgettable atmosphere. The conference venue is located in the heart of the historical city centre. Institute of Sociology NCU has been the organizer of the 7th Conference of the European Sociological Association, which took place in Torun in September 2005.
Contact:
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Piotr Stankiewicz (secretary of the conference): Tel. + 48 56 611 36 44, fax. + 48 56 622 4765
Institute of Sociology, Nicolaus Copernicus University
Fosa Staromiejska 1a, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
More info: www.coi.conference.umk.pl
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