"Baltic Sea in Exchange. Transformations between Conflict and Cooperation", Interdisciplinary and International Conference, 7-9 July 2022

Alexander Drost Announcement
Location
Germany
Subject Fields
Area Studies, Cultural History / Studies, Geography, Diplomacy and International Relations, Maritime History / Studies

This conference focuses on the study of transformative processes in the Baltic Sea region. In the context of climate change, political radicalization and economic crises, the societies of the Baltic Sea region must jointly cope with fundamental change. This affects both technologies and accepted practices, as well as established systems of meaning and values. These have emerged over centuries of interaction and integration and contribute to a shared problem and conflict management. It is one thing to develop renewable energy, sustainable economic models and transportation systems, but it is another thing to implement them and ensure their acceptance as transformative processes in the Baltic Sea Region. At the same time, environment and achievements are at stake, challenging health and public services in rural areas as well as threatening the cultural heritage of the entire region. Innovative ideas and approaches need not only be developed, but also recorded, translated and communicated. Complex transformations have left their mark on many fields of research. We invite scholars to the following sections to share their observations and findings and to discuss them in an interdisciplinary forum. The conference seeks to understand transformative processes and develop overarching questions in relevant fields of research.

In the section "Shared Cultural Heritage" we discuss new approaches to cultural heritage using case studies from different backgrounds, including unintentional cultural heritage of military and political occupations, cultural landscapes, cultural canons or their re-semantisations.

The section "Energy Transformation" aims to shed light on the ambivalent position of "Nord Stream 2" in the context of renewable energies. Additional topics cover sustainable energy supply to rural areas and a unified energy market in the Baltic Sea region. We encourage contributions from legal and sociological perspectives.

In the section "Security Architecture" we focus on changing political, military and infrastructural situations and welcome contributions on the NATO-Russia conflict, military manoeuvres and the role of national security interests in the Baltic Sea Region.

In the section "Rural Areas", we invite case studies on innovations/best practice examples of public services in rural areas. We are interested in health care management, entrepreneurship and financial management as well as issues of policy mobility.

In the section "New Nationalisms", we discuss history constructions, gender narratives and minority discourses of new-nationalist movements and actors. We give special attention to the politics of memory, national minorities (politics), as well as gender and language.

In the section "Sustainability Transformation" we focus on transformative behavioural change, the shift towards sustainable economies and maritime pollution. We also include topics on conflicts of use, sustainability policy, and sustainability psychology.

In the section "Patterns of Land Use" we welcome contributions on how turning points change land use, such as after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, Chernobyl, or the Ukraine conflict.

Panel and paper applications (titles, abstract (300 characters), short CV) via email to ifzo@uni-greifswald.de. Deadline is 10 November 2021.

Contact Information

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Baltic Sea Region Research (IFZO) combines research competencies on the Baltic Sea region at the University of Greifswald and offers an innovative research environment to international visiting researcher.

In the IFZO research network "Fragmented Transformations. Perceptions, Constructions, Constitutions of a Region in Transition", seven interdisciplinary research groups identify and study transformation processes relating to new understandings of cultural heritage, the energy transition, the change of security architecture and public services, the emergence of new nationalisms, sustainability transformation and land-use in the Baltic Sea Region.

Contact Email
ifzo@uni-greifswald.de