The 21^st century has been defined as the “Asian century”, a new global phase after the European and the American centuries. We invite scholars working in a range of disciplinary fields including literature, linguistics, history, and cultural studies to submit proposals pertaining, but not limited, to the following research questions: What is Asia from a cultural point of view? How has Asia represented itself in its diversity and/or to different cultures? How has Asia represented other cultures? How have other cultures represented Asia? How have contacts between Asia and other cultures shaped the continent? What is the role of postcolonial and decolonial approaches in enhancing our understanding of Asia and its entanglements? 

Cagliari, Sardinia - Italy, March 2024

Presentation

The 21st century has been defined as the “Asian century”, a new global phase after the European and the American centuries (Mahbubani 2022). If “the future is Asian” (Khanna 2019), Asia’s role as the leading continent calls for a radical rethinking of Western political and cultural epistemic categories, prompting scholars to build on the emphasis placed by Chakrabarty (2000) on “antihistorical collective memory of the past” applied to Asia.

We invite scholars working in a range of disciplinary fields including literature, linguistics, history, and cultural studies to submit proposals pertaining, but not limited, to the following research questions: 

• What is Asia from a cultural point of view? 
• How has Asia represented itself in its diversity and/or to different cultures? 
• How has Asia represented other cultures? 
• How have other cultures represented Asia? 
• How have contacts between Asia and other cultures shaped the continent? 
• What is the role of postcolonial and decolonial approaches in enhancing our understanding of Asia and its entanglements? 

Fields of inquiry may include China, the Islamic World, Japan, South and Central Asia, and their relationships with Europe and the Americas.

Submission guidelines

Abstracts of max. 300 words and bios of 100 words should be sent to Alessandro Achilli (alessandro.achilli@unica.it)

by 12 June 2023.

Working languages are English and Italian. Accepted participants will be notified by 10 July 2023. We plan to publish the contributions presented at the conference in an open-access edited volume with a quality publisher in late 2024. Essays will have to be submitted by 27 May 2024. 

We look forward to welcoming you in the heart of the Mediterranean, sunny Sardinia!  

Scientific Committee 

Alessandro Achilli (University of Cagliari)– Fiorenzo Iuliano (University of Cagliari) – Emma Lupano (University of Cagliari)– Angela Daiana Langone (University of Cagliari)– Giuliano Mion (University of Cagliari)– Tiziana Pontillo (University of Cagliari) – Valentina Serra (University of Cagliari)