CFP: Energy and Power in Russia and Eurasia (conference)

The Honors College at the University of Houston, in collaboration with UH Energy and the American Councils/U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship Alumni Development Fund, invites paper abstracts for a one-day interdisciplinary conference, Energy and Power in Russia and Eurasia. From the oil boom in Baku more than a century ago, to the pipelines crisscrossing Russia and Eurasia today, energy and global politics have long gone hand in hand. Enormous energy resources in the region are critical factors in how countries throughout Eurasia relate to one another and to the rest of the world. This conference seeks to explore the historical and contemporary significance of energy in Russia and Eurasia in all of its dimensions, and to consider questions relevant to its future. The goal is to create a dialogue across disciplines about the topic, and to connect academics, students and industry people with expertise and interest in the region. Professionals who work in the global energy industry centered in Houston, and who have experience with Russia and Eurasia, will be invited to attend and actively participate in the conference.

We welcome academic papers that explore the theme from different disciplinary approaches including (but not limited to) political science, technology, geology, international affairs, history, literature, and cultural studies. Post-docs, graduate students and advanced undergraduate students may apply. Please submit an application that includes the items listed below to energyconference2018@gmail.com by January 24, 2018. Applications will be reviewed and applicants notified of their acceptance status by February 1, 2018. All-day conference will take place on Saturday, February 24, 2018.

Stipends to offset travel costs will be available to participants coming from outside of Houston.

Papers might address topics such as the following:

Politics in the Commonwealth of Independent States

Energy and the Cold War; Energy and the Russian Empire

Technological obstacles, technological advances

Foreign interests in Eurasian energy, past and present

Arctic oil and gas exploration

Russian/Soviet resource economies

Putin's pivot to Asia

Representations of energy in art and literature

Human and environmental health

Public and/or popular perceptions of the energy industry

Applications should include the following information:

1) Name

2) Affiliation

3) Title (e.g., grad student)

4) Curriculum vitae (two page max)

5) Title of paper

6) Paper abstract (300 words)

7) Where you would come from to attend