BACS is pleased to announce that the 2007 Annual Conference will be held in conjunction with the Centre for Chinese Studies at the University of Manchester on 6-7 September 2007. We thank the Centre for Chinese Studies and the University of Manchester for their generous support. We will be joined in Manchester by our sister organisation, the British Chinese Language Teaching Society, holding their second BCLTS International Symposium. BACS / BCLTS delegates will also be invited to a Manchester Public Lecture on China organised by the University and City Council on the evening of the 6th September.

THEME
The conference theme emerged from a ‘China Rising’ discussion. After decades of underestimating China’s contribution to world culture and its place in the world, in the last few years we have witnessed a Zhongguo re ‘China craze’, certainly in Europe. We are now also seeing the start of a counter-reaction with some people claiming China is over-hyped, that it lacks creativity and that the impressive progress China has made in recent years is all down to Western investment and models.
What has China’s contribution to world culture been? Does China offer alternative models? Are we witnessing a paradigm shift in the 21st century? Is our discourse on China capable of capturing the immense complexity and challenge China presents? Are we still trapped in modes of understanding that belong to the past and hamper our ability to comprehend the China of today?
These are the kind of questions the theme seeks to address, critically evaluating the claims of both traditional and contemporary China to creativity and originality.

PARTICIPATION
The BACS Annual Conference welcomes international and UK based participants, both members and non-members, to offer papers or just attend the conference. There will be distinguished keynote speakers in plenary sessions, specialist panels and postgraduate student sessions. Full details and the application form for attendance will be available on the BACS website at http://www.bacsuk.org.uk

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Proposals for papers are now invited. You are invited to submit individual paper abstracts or panel proposals. The working language of the conference will be English.
Normally, individual papers will be allotted 30 minutes (20 minutes presentation plus 10 minutes for discussion). Panel proposals should be for a 1-2 hours session.

Abstract submissions for papers should include:
1. Title of the paper
2. Full name, gender and affiliation of the author(s)
3. An abstract of 250-300 words
4. The first author’s postal address
5. The first author’s email address
6. The first author’s telephone number

Panel proposals should include the name and contact details of the panel organiser, the names of the paper givers and abstracts of the papers

Submissions should be sent as an email attachment to the Honorary Secretary Dr Norman Stockman at secretary@bacsuk.org.uk

DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:
Wednesday 31 May 2007.

DATE OF NOTIFICATION:
Friday 15 June 2007.