Appel à contributions - Third International Conference on Lao Studies (14-16/6/2010)

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Third International Conference on Lao Studies
July 14-16, 2010
Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, THAILAND
http://www.laostudies.org/conferences

The Center for Research on Plurality in the Mekong Region, http://www.plurality.net  Khon Kaen University http://www.kku.ac.th and the Center for Lao Studies in San Francisco http://www.laostudies.org are pleased to announce the Third International Conference on Lao Studies (ICLS) to be held on July 14-16, 2010 in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The main objective of this conference is to promote Lao studies by providing an international forum for scholars to present and discuss various aspects of Lao studies.

RATIONALE
The Lao PDR and areas of neighboring countries where the Lao people reside are situated in the center of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), encompassing parts of Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Lao people play a pivotal role in regional cooperation among the GMS nations. With the rapid changes due to the regional economic cooperation of the GMS and emerging globalization, the Lao people face diverse challenges in social, cultural, economic, and environmental aspects. This conference will provide a forum for scholars who are interested in Lao studies to explore, share, and synthesize experiences and knowledge on Lao culture and society.

THEMES
In the age of globalization and GMS regional cooperation, the Lao people are in transition to a new phase of modernity and are facing an array of new economic possibilities, cultures, and ways of life. These changes can be opportunities as well as challenges for the country.
The Third International Conference on Lao Studies intends to explore diverse impacts of regionalism and globalization on Lao society: how they affect identities, cultures, and social patterns; how the society and people cope with current and emerging challenges; and how the Lao people living in the Lao PDR and other GSM countries contribute to the global and GMS development.
The conference will include invited Lao Studies scholars and researchers from all disciplines and intellectual perspectives to share paper presentations, panel presentations, exhibits, performances, and cultural activities. The following groups are classified as a part of the Third International Conference on Lao Studies: 
- All ethnolinguistic groups of Laos (e.g. Mon-Khmer groups, Hmong-Mien groups, Lao-Tai groups);
- Lao Isan and other ethnic Lao groups in Thailand (e.g. Lao Song, Phuan, Phu Tai);
- Ethnic Lao living in Cambodia;
- Cross-border ethnic groups in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Burma, and Cambodia (e.g. Akha, Hmong/Miao, Khmu, Iu Mien, Lao Phuan, Tai Lue, Tai Dam, Tai Daeng, Shan); and Overseas Lao (e.g. Lao American, Lao French).

The following topics related to the aforementioned groups will be included:
- Art, Literature and Music
- Buddhism
- Lao Legacy and heritage
- Ethnic Groups in Modern Economy
- Gender and family Transformation
- Lao people in the GMS regional cooperation
- Lao people in the Regional/Global Economy
- Sustainability and Quality of Life
- Border Trade and culture
- Isan Regionalism
- Modernity and Traditional architecture
- Modern Education
- Changing Livelihood
- Environment and Health
- Research Methodology for Lao Studies
- Language and Linguistics
- Rural Development
- Other topics

PROCEDURES and TIMELINES
1.    Please submit abstracts in English before 31 January, 2010
2.    To submit abstracts electronically, send preferably a Microsoft word file (document) in an e-mail attachment to 2010laostudies@gmail.com
3.    To submit abstracts by mail, send preferably a Microsoft word file (document) on a CD along with printed copy to:

The Third International Conference on Lao Studies
Center for Research on Plurality in the Mekong Region
Building HS 03, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Khon Kaen University
Khon Kaen 40002  THAILAND
Tel/Fax: +66.43.203.215
http://www.laostudies.org/conferences

4.    The program committee will review abstracts and send an acceptance letter with scheduling information and other instructions for submitting final abstract statements and full versions of papers
5.    Abstracts of panels, and individual papers and full versions of conference papers will be collected for distribution at the conference. The final versions of abstracts should be submitted not later than March 31, 2010. Full papers are requested by April 30, 2010.

ORGANIZED PANELS
Organized panels, composed of 3-4 scholars presenting formal papers and 1 or 2 discussants that can be scheduled into one-and-a-half-hour time slots are also invited. Panel organizers are requested to supply the following information:
- Title of the panel
- Conference theme(s) related to the panel
- Name, institution, address and email of the panel organizer
- Name, institution, address and email of each paper presenter
- Names, institutions, addresses and email of the panel discussants 
- Abstract (250 words or less) describing the panel as a whole
- Title of each paper and abstract (250 words or less) for each paper

INDIVIDUAL PAPERS
Individual papers will be grouped into coherent panels. The papers must include the following: 
- Title of the paper
- Name, institution, address and email of paper presenter
- Abstracts (250 words or less) with identified keywords.
- Related conference theme(s).