Call for Papers
Creative China: 2nd International Symposium on Comparative Sinology
International Center for Comparative Sinology
China University of Mining and Technology
Symposium to be held June 7-10, 2017 in Xuzhou, China
Please send an abstract or summary of your contribution, as well as a brief biographical note (total 1-3 pages) to tisselle@yahoo.com. Deadline: October 1, 2016 (you will be notified of acceptance within 1 month and the complete works must be handed in by March 1, 2017). Late proposals may be considered.
Contributions can be of original artistic creations and/or scholarly works.
Please only send proposals for work that has not been and will not be published elsewhere; all participants should be interested in publishing in our collective book and willing to do the necessary work in revising according to ours and the publisher’s comments.
This symposium will bring together scholars from around the world to discuss China in a comparative and interdisciplinary way, with particular attention to the fusion of Chinese and other cultures with regards to various art forms: theater, dance, visual arts, writing, poetry, and also architecture, fashion, or even mathematics, philosophy, science, medicine, martial arts, horticulture…. China’s influence on art and various forms of expression will be examined in light of how China has participated in shaping the world beyond, as well as hybrid traditions within China. Some guiding questions include: How adaptable are Chinese forms of expression, and what is the meaning behind them? How has China shaped and been shaped by other cultures? How do paradigms of Chinese thought act upon the world, notably through aesthetics? What is the specificity of Chinese expression and how does it blend (or not) in its own ways? What is China’s place in the global melting pot of artistic and cultural expression? Diaspora communities and marginal movements outside of China, famine literature from around the world, women’s and youth literature and popular culture are among additional topics of interest. The broader questions of the influence of artistic and literary forms on real life, culture, society, and individuals can also be explored, in addition to any topic outside of the main areas of inquiry which involves the study of China, preferably from the angle of another culture. The goal is to bring together original, dynamic, thought-provoking work of high quality, representing a wide range of voices.
In 2015, we held the First International Symposium on Comparative Sinology, also in Xuzhou, and published a book containing the contributions: China from where we stand: readings in comparative sinology (ed. Kate Rose), Cambridge Scholars Press, 2016. We plan to publish a second book with the contributions from this symposium.
We offer meals during the symposium for all participants, transportation to and from the airport or train station, social events (last time, participants did Tai Chi together in the mornings), publication in our book, and hotel accommodation is free for those whose contributions have been approved for our book. Distinguished participants from top universities may be eligible for free airfare or other compensation.
We are also interested in collaborating on future projects with international institutions, including exchanges of students and scholars, translations and other publications, including collaboration in publishing (or co-editing) the book from this symposium and or hosting it together.