CfP: Knowledge Transfer Between Modern East Asia and the West: A Global Perspective on History, Knowledge, and Thought in Modern Korea (International conference)

Date of event:   30/11/2021 − 30/11/2021

Conference duration: 22-23 April 2022
Deadline: Tuesday, 30 November 2021
Notification of acceptance: Monday, 20 December 2021
Organized by: Ca’ Foscari University, Venice, Italy

 

The Second International Conference of “East and West in Korean Studies” Project

 

The Department of Asian and North African Studies at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice invites applicants for the Second International Conference of “East and West in Korean Studies” Project to be held at Ca’ Foscari University from April 22th to 23th, 2022.

Modern Korea has undergone dramatic changes in various areas. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the waves of modern knowledge were brought from the West to East Asia. Consequently, the acquisition of “new knowledge” became the most important mission for governments, scholars, activists, and even businessmen. At the same time, these contacts, engendered by diverse agents (e.g., peoples, policies, books, and objects), crossed, blended, and reconfigured the ostensible boundaries between Asia and the West.

This conference focuses on the crossing of knowledge in modern Korea and the West. Korea, the late-comer of this modernization and westernization, was eager to join this wave of knowledge transfer during this turbulent period. Although currently scholarship has assumed a unilateral transfer of knowledge from the West to Korea, the exchange of knowledge was in fact bilateral. This conference will touch on these mutual exchanges. Accordingly, it will offer a new perspective on the history of knowledge in Korea, detailing its direct and indirect absorption of modern knowledge through relations with neighboring countries and the West.

The conference aims to promote interdisciplinary approaches and dialogue from a transnational perspective, drawing on the insights of scholars from various fields (e.g., history of knowledge/economy/religion and cultural studies). Proposals may focus on various research methods and approaches, including studies on material objects; historical sources; and the transmission of ideas, skills, and techniques.

The conference organizers are calling for submissions on a range of subjects that may include, but are not limited to:

  • Cross-cultural and historical interactions between Korea and the West
  • Korean books, objects, and artifacts in Western library/museum collections and vice versa
  • Koreans who studied in the West and vice versa
  • History of education (schools, institutions, and associations)
  • Asian studies in the West / Western media coverage of Korea
  • Westernization of Korean society, culture and customs / New cultures and technologies
  • Manufacture and import-export trading companies / Modern business corporations
  • Knowledge of women
  • History of concepts and translation issues

Submission guidelines
Submissions should include: abstracts of 300 words; up to 5 keywords; a short biographical note (up to 100 words); and personal details (e.g., occupation, affiliation and contact information [address, telephone number, email]). Proposals in MS-Word format should be submitted by 30 November 2021. Applicants will be notified by 20 December 2021. The conference will be conducted in English. For more information and/or to submit an abstract, please contact: eastandwest.korea@unive.it. A full paper for a 20-minute presentation should be submitted by 18 March 2022. Selected papers will be published in 2023 in an edited volume on cultural exchanges between Korea and the West.

Logistical Information
Funding for travel and accommodations (up to 3 nights) is available for confirmed speakers. The conference may be held using a hybrid approach, utilizing both in-person and online sessions.

 

Full CfP in PDF