The tradition of English and American studies in Portugal has long been supported by the dynamics of academic associativism, in which APEAA’s peer network stands out, involving national and international institutions, and establishing continued interactions with research centres. At a time when political and cultural paradigms are on the verge of crisis and/or change, it is of the utmost importance to revisit the theoretical and pragmatic frameworks that sustain (and constrain) our research practices.  Thus, this conference aims to provide a forum to discuss how Anglo-American scholarship, with its vocation for plurality and innovative interdisciplinary proposals, may progress. We also want to build strategies of cohesion among our peers in order to better disseminate our contribution to the interpretation and the fruition of meaning(s), valuing a plurality of cultural and aesthetic manifestations.

Academy as Community: English and American Studies in Portugal and Europe

Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon

9-10 May 2013

Argument

The tradition of English and American studies in Portugal has long been supported by the dynamics of academic associativism, in which APEAA’s peer network stands out, involving national and international institutions, and establishing continued interactions with research centres. At a time when political and cultural paradigms are on the verge of crisis and/or change, it is of the utmost importance to revisit the theoretical and pragmatic frameworks that sustain (and constrain) our research practices. Indeed the Humanities are currently facing challenges caused by the increasing encroachment of a utilitarian scientific discourse based on evidence and logics, at the cost of musing and creativity, as well as the menace of austerity politics that undervalue the investment in culture and memory. Thus, this conference, held in collaboration with ULICES (University of Lisbon Centre for English Studies), aims to provide a forum to discuss how Anglo-American scholarship, with its vocation for plurality and innovative interdisciplinary proposals, may progress. We also want to build strategies of cohesion among our peers in order to better disseminate our contribution to the interpretation and the fruition of meaning(s), valuing a plurality of cultural and aesthetic manifestations.

Because it is at the heart of the Humanities to find new ways of reading and alternative narratives, in the contemporary context we need to consolidate and explore paths to engage with the communities at local, national, and transnational levels.

This congress will be structured into plenary and parallel sessions, roundtables and also poster presentations.  Since the integration of younger scholars is paramount to renew our institutions, we make a special call for graduate and post-graduate students to propose posters (maximum size A1= 841 x 594 mm / 33.1 x 23.4 in) with their ongoing research projects, which will be exhibited, presented, and discussed during the conference. Since the dialogue among professionals working in varied learning and research environments is essential to foster vital connections as well as the dialogue between the academy and the community, we will organize roundtables to encourage debates on associativism, and on research methods and trends within the Anglo-American fields.

Plenary speakers

• Fátima Vieira,
• Jonathan Culpeper,
• Teresa F. A. Alves,
• Winfried Fluck

Submission guidelines

We invite submissions of

i) 300-word abstracts for 20-minute papers or

ii) posters, on topics that might include but are not limited to:

• Anglo-American studies and transdisciplinarity: literature, translation, culture, arts, language(s) and discourse
• Anglo-American Studies in Portugal
• English(es) in the World
• Politics and the Humanities in Anglo-American Studies
• Geopolitics and cultural hegemony
• The collapse of the career system in the teaching profession
• PhDs in crisis
• Evaluation and quality assessments
• R&D, grants and scholarships policies
• Ratings and ratios in the educational system
• Methods, strategies, and tools to face current pedagogical challenges
• Crisis and imagination in the 21st century
• Cooperation vs. competition
• Editors, publishers, writers, and the reading public for academic research
• Engagement with the wider community
• Criticism, scientificity, and creativity
• Economic and societal impact of Anglo-American studies
• New practices and sites of academic networking (blogs, wikis, FB, Twitter...)
• New models of publishing, distributing and accessing academic research
• Professional development of early-career researchers
• Research policies in Southern Europe
• Multitasking in academia: research projects, teaching, public and media engagement

Working languages: English and Portuguese.

Publication

The organization plans to publish a selection of papers  in two possible peer-reviewed journals: Op. Cit. (APEAA) and Anglo Saxonica (ULICES).

When sending an abstract or poster proposal, please provide:

• full title of paper, or poster;
• 5 keywords;
• full name of author;
• institutional affiliation;
• e-mail address;
• brief bio (max. 5 lines);
• audiovisual requirements.

300-words abstracts should be sent to: academycommunity13@gmail.com

Deadline for abstracts: 31 March 2013

Notification on the acceptance of abstracts: 9 April 2013

Organizing Committee

• Alexandra Assis Rosa
• Ana Cristina Mendes
• Diana V. Almeida
• Fernando Barragão
• Jean Page
• Luísa Flora
• Margarida Vale de Gato
• Rita Queiroz de Barros

Scientific Committee

• Teresa Cid
• Isabel Fernandes
• Luísa Flora

Sponsors

• ULICES — University of Lisbon Centre for English Studies
• FLUL — Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon

Furhter information: http://apeaa2013.blogspot.pt