The Forth International Conference on Nordic and Baltic Studies of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies will be held from

May 24-26, 2013

Ovidius University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania

Empire-building and Region-building in the Baltic, North and Black seas areas

Aims of the Conference:

Conference general topic description:

Conference general topic description

After centuries of nation-building, the world has entered a period of region-building searching for cultural encounters, social and economic development and political cohesion and stability. Today large part of Europe is involved in the European integration project. Nevertheless, the current global economic crisis has also generated debate regarding not only the future expansion of the EU, but the viability of the European project itself, and states involved in the European integration scheme or those pursuing their integration seem to deepen their ambitions. The EU integration has become the primary conceptual and normative model in the global proliferation of regional integration, but in the course of the last two decades other regional initiatives, associations and structures – in the political, economic, cultural, environment, security etc. fields – have emerged in Europe, especially in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and Black Sea regions. In this context, sometimes regional agendas intersected with the European ones. The Euro-sceptics generally match the EU construction with the empires of modernity and look at the EU enlargement as an empire-building strategy. Thus, it is essential to reflect on empire-building and region-building and seek for the conceptual and empirical similarities and differences between the strategies employed in the process. However, we encourage not only the inter-regions comparisons and analyses, but also the intra-regions analyses in the most diverse fields – education, art, culture, media, security, environment, international politics, economy etc. While the Baltic and North Sea areas are generally considered pioneer regions in the development of regional integration and identity, the Black Sea Region is often regarded as a laggard in terms of regionalization and region-building. This conference aims to address problems such as the relation between the EU integration framework and the Baltic, North and Black Sea regional structures; the historic development of these regional initiatives and/or organizations and the relations among them; the interplay between empire-building, region-building, national/nationalist, cultural construction discourses present in these regions, comparisons between the three regions.

In this respect, the conference will address themes such as: The empire-building, region-building, national/nationalist, cultural construction discourses present in these regions The historic development of these regional initiatives and/or organizations and the relations between them; Political, cultural and diplomatic relations between Baltic and/or Nordic states, on the one hand, and the Black Sea countries, on the other The relations between the EU integration and different Baltic, North and Black Sea regional structures; Education and leadership in the context of regionalisation in the Baltic Sea and Black Sea areas Education and leadership: between tradition, challenges and perspectives Educational projects: bridges between the Baltic Sea and Black Sea area Linguistic unity and diversity in Scandinavia and the Baltic state Nordic and Baltic identity through cultural diversity Inter- and intra-regions comparisons Selected papers presented at the conference will be published in the journals:

• Revista Romβna de Studii Baltice si Nordice / The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies: http://www.arsbn.ro/RRSBN.htm - deadline July 1, 2013

• Valahian Journal of Historical Studies: http://www.valahianjournal.info – deadline September 15, 2013; In addition, the possibility of publishing a thematic volume at Cambridge Scholars Publishing is also envisaged. Conference Schedule and Deadlines:

• Proposals for panels and roundtables (approx. 500 words): October 15, 2012

• Abstracts for individual papers (approx. 300 words): November 15, 2012

• Notification of Acceptance: December 15, 2012

• Publication of the Conference program: March 1, 2013

• Conference: May 24-26, 2013 Organizing Committee: Honorary Chair of the Organizing Committee: H.E. Dr. Vladimir Jarmolenko, The Ambassador of Lithuania in Bucharest, Honorary President of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies (others to confirm); The Organizing Committee (others to confirm): Assoc. Prof. Dr. Silviu Miloiu, The President of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies (Romania) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Florin Anghel, The Vice-Rector of Ovidius University of Constanta (Romania) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laura Ghorghiu, The Vice-Rector of Valahia University of Targoviste (Romania) Dr. Bogdan Schipor, "A.D. Xenopol" Institute of History of Iasi, The Chairman of the Nordic Section of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies (Romania) Lecturer Dr. Emanuel Plopeanu, The Dean of the Faculty of History and Political Sciences, Ovidius University of Constanta (Romania) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gabriel Ghorghiu, Valahia University of Targoviste (Romania) The Secretary of the Organizing Committee Elena Dragomir, University of Helsinki (Finland) The webpage of the conference: http://www.arsbn.ro/conference-2013.htm

Past conferences

http://www.arsbn.ro/conferences.htm

http://www.arsbn.ro/conference-2011.htm

http://www.arsbn.ro/conference-2012.htm

Contact information:

For further assistance, please contact the organizers of the conference at:

Address: Dr. Silviu Miloiu, Valahia University, Lt. Stancu Ion St., No. 33, 130105 Targoviste, Romania, Tel. (004) 0724403094, Fax (004) 0345 819714, E-mail: conference (at) arsbn.ro

Keynote speakers (others still to confirm):

Prof. Dr. Leonidas Donskis, European Parliament Website: http://www.donskis.lt