The European Union Center at the University of Illinois invites participation in its 12th Illinois EU Studies Conference, scheduled to take place during the afternoons of Wednesday, April 20 through Friday, April 22. We particularly encourage proposals that might speak to the theme of this year’s conference: “Sustainable Europe.” This theme can be understood to incorporate a number of streams of research and teaching, informed by questions such as:
- What ideas, technologies, or practices might be at the forefront of creating a more ecologically sustainable European space? Which offer new possibilities for the social sustainability of the project of European integration?
- How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed understandings of European space formed through different varieties of mobility? How has it transformed the spaces that shape life in Europe, and how are communities responding to these changes?
- How are new initiatives of social inclusion and support for diversity addressing long-running grievances or feelings of exclusion from the project of European integration?
- How do initiatives of a common EU foreign policy take aim at sustaining “Europe” through the management of issues and affairs outside the borders of the EU?
- What threats to the sustainability of the European project, perhaps even generated from within the EU including new inventions or innovations, warrant greater attention from scholars and/or policymakers?
- How do educators of all levels teach the topics of sustainability and Europe in their classrooms?
This signature annual conference serves as a great opportunity for scholars and college instructors with interests in EU studies to share current research in an intimate setting, connect with one another and explore solutions to shared challenges, and learn about other opportunities that the EU Center at the University of Illinois sponsors. Proposals may be on research and teaching about any topic relevant to EU studies from scholars, college instructors, and graduate or advanced undergraduate students. A select number of presentations on pedagogy will be considered for a proposed feature in the “Campus” section of EuropeNow, published by the Council for European Studies. A select number of presentations on research in progress will be considered for publication in the European Union Center Paper Series.
This year we plan to organize our conference in a hybrid format (mix of online and in-person), taking the following possibilities into account. Please indicate your preference(s) on the registration form.
- Interest in traditional research presentations (15 minutes each). We encourage proposals that make use of visuals and other means of audience engagement. Accepted proposals will be grouped into sessions of no more than three participants, possibly matched with a discussant (90 minutes maximum).
- Interest in roundtables (no more than three participants, 60 minutes maximum).
- For graduate students only: five-minute dissertation presentations (maximum of twelve accepted, 120 minutes allotted during the conference).
- Graduate and advanced undergraduate student-only sessions (please indicate on the online form)
- Virtual participation or in-person (please indicate on the online form)
The European Union Center is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. Please write to eucenter@illinois.edu to request disability accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.
A final program with keynote speaker and invited sessions will be announced by March 15. Updates on the conference will be posted at https://europe.illinois.edu/news-events/signature-events/eu-studies-conference. Colleagues with a current interest in the EU and issues involving Europe are also invited to join us without being obliged to present.
Proposals and registration for participants who would like to present are due to our online form by February 15, 2022.
Notifications of acceptance will be sent by March 1. Confirmations of attendance for presenters are due March 31. Those who do not wish to present but would like to attend the conference must register by April 6, 2022.