CFP: “The Soviet Experience in Armenia and Its Legacy – 2” International Academic Conference

When: June 13-15, 2023

Location: Yerevan, Armenia

Language: Armenian and English with simultaneous translation

Organizers: The Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Armenia and Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

Proposals due to March 23, 2023

The Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia and the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn are organizing a conference dedicated to the Soviet experience in Armenia and its legacy, which will be held in Yerevan, Armenia on June 13-15, 2023.

The conference will seek to analyze the impact of seventy years of Soviet rule in Armenia between 1920 and 1991. It will explore the trajectory of Soviet Armenian society, including but not restricted to critical developments and turning points in politics, the economy, and culture. Preference will be given to papers that tackle the key theoretical and methodological concepts that help elucidate the Soviet experience in Armenia. The overall aim of the conference will be to analyze political, social, and other dynamics within Soviet Armenia, using applicable theoretical tools and methodologies established by specialists studying the broader Soviet world. Conversely, the analysis of the Soviet Armenian experience can also be used to critique and challenge these frameworks. The papers can also explore the ways with which Armenian society in the homeland and the Diaspora is handling the legacy of the Soviet era since Armenia regained its political sovereignty and independence in 1991.

The first part of the conference was held in October 2022 at the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The second part will be held in Yerevan, Armenia.

Submitted papers should be original work. Papers that have previously been published or presented at other conferences will not be accepted. Scholars researching the Soviet experience in Armenia and its legacy are invited to submit their applications (title, abstract of up to 300 words, and a short bio) by March 30, 2023, through the following link: <https://forms.gle/fvtTmBEomqReaEHUA>

The organizers request that applicants from Armenia should submit both the abstract and the bio in two languages – Armenian and English. The main languages of the conference will be English and Armenian, with simultaneous translation provided. Exceptionally good papers can be accepted in Russian or French, provided that the participant also submits, prior to the conference, a detailed English summary or a full English translation of his/her paper. The English version of the paper will be distributed among those attending the conference.

Accepted papers will be announced on April 10, 2023.

The organizers expect that invited speakers, especially with appointments in established universities or research centers, seek funding for travel from their respective institutions. Applicants who have no means to obtain outside assistance should also submit to the conference organizers a request for travel assistance. All invited speakers will be provided with accommodation and meals during the length of the conference.

In case of additional questions, please reach out to the organizing committee at <iae.anthropology@gmail.com>.