Call for papers: NAJAKS 2010: Bridging Japan and Korea

• Call for Papers (NAJAKS website) The 8th NAJAKS Conference: Bridging Japan and Korea August 19 -21, 2010 Helsinki, Finland Japan and Korea have long historical relations of interaction and entanglement. However, recent history has been overshadowed by the Japanese colonial rule of Korea (1910-1945), Korea’s partition (1948) and the Korean War (1950-1953). It is only in the post-Cold War context that the attempts at the reconciliation of political, historical and cultural issues on various levels – governmental, semi-governmental, academic, civil, popular and grass-roots – have become possible in Japan and Korea. The political, social, cultural as well as other issues related to Japan and Korea are by no means peripheral or particular on the world map. On the contrary, they raise a number of critical questions concerning, for example, modernity, colonialism, post-colonialism, militarism, the nation-state, the Cold War and the post-Cold War era. The histories of Japan and Korea are entangled in complex and ironical manners not only within East Asia but also in the larger modern world order. Therefore, the studies on Japanese and Korean experiences, their interrelation, tension, conflict and attempts at reconciliation provide a vantage point to examine critical issues that are relevant for broader subjects as well. We invite abstracts from scholars in various stages of their career and students, among others. The presentation topic does not have to be exactly on the theme. Broadly related topics are also welcomed. Keynote Speaker is Professor Seungsook Moon, Vassar College, USA. There is no conference fee, however, participants are responsible for their own travel costs and accommodation. The conference consists of six sections and conveners are indicated below with e-mail addresses: 1. Social and political sciences (Antti Leppänen, antti.leppanen[a]gmail.com) 2. Cultural studies and anthropology (Mikako Iwatake, mikako.iwatake[a]helsinki.fi) 3 History (Mikako Iwatake) 4. Literature (Miika Pölkki, miika.polkki[a]helsinki.fi) 5. Linguistics (Jeong-Yong Kim, jeong-yong.kim[a]helsinki.fi) 6. Teaching Japanese and Korean languages (Jeong-Yong Kim) Please send an abstract (500-800 words) with a brief biography or CV (maximum 1 page) in an e-mail attachment to the convener by March 10th, 2010. We will inform applicants about our decision around March 20th, 2010. For further information, please contact Mikako Iwatake, University of Helsinki. Categories at del.icio.us/hunjang: academic ∙ Koreanstudies