CFP: ESCAS 2025 Regional Conference – “Moving Central Eurasian Studies ever further: Orthodox vs Unorthodox approaches” (12-15 June 2025)

Note the Extended Deadline: 5 January 2025 and new dates (12-15 June 2025)

ESCAS 2025 Regional Conference – Jan. 5 Extended Deadline

Please direct all inquiries regarding the conference to escastudies@protonmail.com.

12-15 June 2025 (note the new dates): Tashkent and Samarkand (Uzbekistan)

12 pre-conference workshops (publications, careers) and official opening (Tashkent)

13 official opening and sessions (Tashkent and on the train to Samarkand – we will book two whole coaches for all participants at no additional cost, included in the registration fee, travel is 2-3 hours so time for one session and social gathering)

14 Panel sessions (Samarkand)

15 Panel sessions (Samarkand)

Extended Call for Proposals

The European Society for Central Asian Studies (ESCAS) invites proposals for individual papers, panels, and round-table discussions for the 20th ESCAS Conference, to be held in Uzbekistan. In keeping with our ESCAS traditions, the conference will adopt a nomadic format, taking place in collaboration with Tashkent State University of Economics across multiple cities. This format will provide participants with opportunities to engage in diverse academic environments and network with colleagues across disciplines.

ESCAS aims to serve as an inclusive academic platform for scholars with a focus on Central Eurasian studies, broadly defined as the region stretching from Turkey and the Caucasus to Afghanistan. This year’s theme is deliberately broad to encourage a wide range of submissions, reflecting ESCAS’s commitment to multidisciplinary exploration.

We invite contributions from the following fields, but not limited to:

Humanities: Archaeology, literature, history, cultural studies

Social Sciences: Sociology, political science, international relations, human geography, anthropology, public policy

Economics: Economic geography, development studies

Law: Legal studies, policy analysis

We also welcome cross-Disciplinary Research: Anthropology, environmental studies, socio-economic transformationsand encourage non-traditional approaches and papers that bridge social sciences with life sciences or exact sciences (e.g., medicine, engineering, environmental science).

We aim to make the conference a showcase for research on Central Asia, fostering collaborations, institutional exchanges, and career development for young and mid-career researchers. Accordingly, we welcome proposals addressing the broader Central Eurasian region, including but not limited to: Turkey, The Caucasus, Post-Soviet Central Asian Republics, Xinjiang, Mongolia, Afghanistan, adjacent regions of Russia, China, Iran, and South Asia as well as comparisons with other parts of the world, where relevant

Submission formats

The programme will feature a range of activities, including:

Academic Presentations and Panels

Roundtables

Book Discussions

Professional Development Workshops

Submission Guidelines

Please send the following to: escastudies@protonmail.com (Backup Email: escascentralasia@gmail.com NB messages from mail.ru are filtered by protonmail so make sure you write to our gmail as well)

Deadline: 5 January 2025

1) Individual Presentations

Submit a 300-word abstract and a short biographical statement.

2) Complete Panels (3-5 speakers, discussant and chair). If you are unable to identify a discussant or chair, we can assist in allocating one for you.

Panel proposals should include:

A panel title

An abstract of up to 400 words

Short biographies and contact emails of the convenors, discussant(s), and chair

3) Book Discussions

Submit a 300-word abstract including the name of the presenter and 2 to 3 discussants.

The book must have been published in 2024 or later.

Format for submissions: Add “Book Discussion” followed by the book title and author (e.g., Book Discussion: Title by Author).

4) Roundtables

Submit a 400-word rationale and the names and biographies of all participants.

Roundtables should include:

1 chair (we can identify one for you if you cannot find them

3 to 5 speakers

Additional Information

We are preparing a comprehensive programme that will include:

Professional training sessions (targeting Central Asian scholars)

Research networking opportunities

Keynote speech by Prof Timur Dadabaev (University of Tsukuba)

Cultural activities in the historical city of Samarkand

After the conference, we encourage you to explore other incredible destinations in Uzbekistan such as Bukhara and Khiva. There will also be optional excursions to Nur Ota and Bukhara (we will put you in touch with trusted contacts and agencies if needed). An information package will be provided to help plan your travels.

Language of the Presentations

The primary language of the ESCAS Conference is English and Individual paper proposals must be delivered in English.

Proposals for presentations in other languages are welcome and encouraged as long as the session is ready out of the box (it includes all speakers already and you take care of it). For panels, roundtables, and book discussions conducted in a language other than English, please: Indicate the working language in brackets after the title (e.g., [Uzbek], [Russian]); Submit the abstract in English followed by the abstract in the non-English language.

Travel Support

To encourage the participation of early-career researchers with limited institutional support, ESCAS is pleased to offer, with support from Socio-Lab (Kazakhstan), Dublin City University (Ireland) in the frame of the Horizon Europe programme:

1) Up to 8 Travel Grants. Maximum of €250 each (NB: Travel to Samarkand is included in your registration fee)

2) Free Accommodation. Available for a limited number of participants in both Tashkent and Samarkand.

3) 10 travel grants (200 USD) for Kazakh scholars connected to Socio-Lab

To apply for travel support, please submit, along with your abstract, a short motivation letter explaining: a) Your current circumstances (why your institution cannot support you); b) an estimate of your expected travel costs.

Note: Priority may be given to scholars from the region, but applications from all are welcome. If you have the possibility to apply for funding through your institution, we encourage you to do so, as this will allow us to assist scholars without any support.

Additional Contributions

If you wish to contribute in other ways (such as offering a cultural tour, delivering a training session, or hosting a research discussion), please let us know in your submission.

For any questions or clarifications, feel free to contact us. We look forward to your participation!

Please direct all inquiries regarding the conference to escastudies@protonmail.com.