Call for Presenters: Japan Past & Present: Reimagining a Global Field

We are pleased to announce that Japan Past & Present (JPP) will hold an international symposium on May 29-31, 2025 on the theme of Japan Past & Present: Reimagining a Global Field, to be hosted at Waseda University. As a part of JPP’s mission to provide equitable access to scholarly resources for research and teaching, and to help realize an increasingly diverse and inclusive future for the field of Japanese humanities, we invite applications from scholars around the world to contribute to an event that will enhance our understanding of the local histories and realities that make up this global field.

We seek contributions from panels of specialists active in a variety of area studies disciplines across the globe to explore the history and state of the field of Japanese humanities in their region. These presentations will serve as a starting point for a series of discussions about how to promote greater collaboration and provide transregional support for scholarship and education in the Japanese humanities. This symposium will be an important opportunity for mutual learning about the unique and shared challenges fellow scholars and students face in contexts across the globe, and to consider collaborative solutions.

Proposed panels may cover a broad region (e.g. Latin America, Southeast Asia), or focus on a specific country or even a particular discipline as a case study that reveals broader issues. Presentations are intended to help a global audience of colleagues understand the different contexts within which scholarship and education in the Japanese humanities are being undertaken around the world, and may include topics such as: the emergence and development of the Japanese humanities, the present state of the field and particular challenges scholars in it face, undergraduate and graduate education and training, recent initiatives to support Japan/Asian Studies, funding or educational resources and their distribution, and other relevant subjects. 

The symposium will include time for discussion to promote our global networks of Japan specialists. The panels/papers presented may be adapted for publication on the Japan Past & Present website. The Yanai Initiative will cover the cost of travel and accommodation for accepted speakers. 

Requirements:

• Panels should feature 3 presenters.

• Presenters may be at any stage of their career.

• Applications may be submitted in English or Japanese.

• Papers may be presented in either English or Japanese.
  

Please submit the following materials to admin@japanpastandpresent.org:

1) Application form containing:

• Panel Title

• Panel Abstract (250-300 words; for Japanese, 500-600 characters)

• Name, Institution, and Current Position for each presenter

• Proposed Paper Titles for each presenter

2) CVs (2 pages max)

• One for each presenter

Deadline:

• November 1, 2024, 11:59pm PT

• November 2, 2024, 15:59 JT

We look forward to your submissions! Please direct any questions to Paula R. Curtis, Operations Leader: admin@japanpastandpresent.org.

Timeline:

• Nov 1 - Deadline for submissions

• Nov 1 ~ Dec 1 - Review period

• Dec 1 - Notification of accepted papers

• Dec ~ Feb - Travel arrangements made