IX ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT INTERNATIONAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCE

CALL FOR PAPERS

IX INTERNATIONAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCE
ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT AND TRAVELERS THROUGH YUCATAN

Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
November 19th-24th, 2018

The Peninsular Center for Humanities and Social Sciences (CEPHCIS) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), in collaboration with Humanities Coordination of the UNAM and the Humboldt State University of California, are pleased to invite the national and international academic communities for the call of papers of the “IX International and Interdisciplinary Conference Alexander von Humboldt and Travelers Through Yucatan”, which will take place in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico between 19th and 24th of November 2018.

The main objective of the conference is to encourage the academic interdisciplinary debate around the prominent figure of Alexander von Humboldt and the travelers who toured the Yucatan from the first explorations of the Spanish conquerors to our present days. The debate includes both the social, physical and natural sciences, as well as, the humanities.

The importance of the figure of Alexander von Humboldt in the studies on America cannot be denied. From his arrival to the New Continent and his observation and recording of the natural, social, archaeological and cultural reality, he defined not only areas of knowledge concerning the broad regions of America, but also a new way of conceiving knowledge. Crossing disciplinary boundaries, Humboldt enriched the natural sciences with aesthetics, and the latter with science, and it is from this early moment in the nineteenth century, in this mixture of the norms of the scientific knowledge with those of artistic sensitivity, that the American space and identity are reconfigured. The “IX International and Interdisciplinary Conference Alexander von Humboldt and Travelers Through Yucatan” invites to reclaim and revitalize the rich heritage of the interdisciplinary dialogue that propelled Alexander von Humboldt on his journey through America. 

TOPICS
General
    Alexander von Humboldt
    Travelers between Yucatan and Europe
    Travelers between Yucatan and America
    Travelers between Yucatan and Asia
    Travelers between Yucatan and the rest of the world

Science and aesthetics
    Travels and archaeology
    Travels and ethnography
    Travels and politics
    Travels and history
    Travels and literature
    Travels and philosophy
    Travels and sociology
    Travels and natural sciences
    Travels and ecology
    Travels and medicine

Genres
    Travel literature
    Travel anthologies
    Travel journals
    Travel letters and chronicles
    Theoretical approaches to the genre

Types of Travels
    Discovery travels
    Conquest travels
    Missionary travels
    Diplomatic travels
    Political travels
    Scientific travels
    Journalistic travels
    Aesthetic travels
    Space travels

Other topics
    Traveling women
    Travels and the construction of the other
    Emigration, exile, immigration
    Graphic representation of travels (drawings, paintings, engraving, photos)

COMPLEMENTARY SESSIONS
    Estudiantina. This session is dedicated to the dialogue regarding travel literature among students from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Humboldt State University, Autonomous University of Yucatan and University of Delaware.

    Fictions and poetry. This session is dedicated to reading texts of fiction and poetry from contemporary authors who have written travel literature.

LANGUAGES OF THE CONFERENCE
    Spanish
    English
    French
    Maya

PARTICIPATION MODALITIES
    Presentations by participants
    Participants in the complementary sections
    Guests

The event is open to specialists, professionals and graduate students and to all those interested in the themes covered by the Conference.

Participants interested in reading a paper, please submit title,  a maximum of five keywords and an abstract (200 words approximately) by May 29th 2017. Furthermore, include your complete information (name, affiliation, area of specialty, email address). The email address to submit the information is humboldtyucatan2018@gmail.com.

    The papers can be presented in Spanish, English, French or Maya.
    The reading of the papers should not exceed 20 minutes (8 pages, double-spaced, 2000 words approximately). 

Note: the Organizing and Scientific Committees will be selecting papers to be considered for publication in a book. 

DEADLINES
    Abstract submission: May 29th 2017.
    Abstract acceptance: August 28th 2017.
    Registration  fee: February 12th 2018.
    Late registration fee: April 12th 2018.

REGISTRATION FEES
Registration fee (by February 12th 2018)
    Students: USD 30.00
    Participants with papers: USD 200.00
    Participants in the complementary sessions: USD 150.00
    Guests: USD 100.00  

Late registration fee (by April 12th 2018)
    Students: USD 30.00
    Participants with papers: USD 250.00
    Participants in the complementary sessions: USD 200.00
    Guests: USD 150.00  

Further guidelines on fees will be provided in an upcoming circular.

WEBSITE
The website of the Peninsular Center for Humanities and Social Sciences of the UNAM is:
http://www.cephcis.unam.mx/
Access to the IX Conference website will be available by September 2017.

CONFERENCE PRESIDENT
Dr. Carolina Depetris
Peninsular Center for Humanities and Social Sciences
National Autonomous University of Mexico

CONFERENCE VICE-PRESIDENT
Dr. Fernanda Valencia Suárez 
Peninsular Center for Humanities and Social Sciences
National Autonomous University of Mexico

CONTACT
The official Conference email is: humboldtyucatan2018@gmail.com