Student Conference "Useable Pasts" 4-5 Feb, St Petersburg

The Second History Student Conference of Higher School of Economics

USABLE PASTS

February 4-5, 2016

National Research University Higher School of Economics, Saint Petersburg

deadline for registrations 15 January

History undergraduate and graduate students  are welcome to submit paper proposals for the International History Student Conference ‘Usable Pasts’, organized by Department of History,  National Research University Higher School of Economics, Saint Petersburg.  It is a part of International Students Forum to be held in NRU HSE, Saint Petersburg on 4-5 February 2016.

The conference aims at exploring the dynamic field of history featuring both the efforts of various disciplines in dealing with the pasts and interdisciplinary approaches within the discipline of history.  The conference embraces a broad variety of research themes, which deal with material objects in history and their meanings within the framework of heritage and memory studies on the one hand, and the politics of circulation of historically formed discourses of identity and legitimacy in present-day society, on the other hand.

-- historical memory and historically-informed discourses of public politics, identity politics nationalism, cultural heritage and nationalization of the past,

-- comparative history of the imperial pasts, imperial diversity and imperial legacy;

-- symbolic representations of history in post-imperial and post-colonial societies,

-- studies of collective trauma and historical justice,

-- cultural, natural and industrial heritage, including public museums, media space, use of nature in
historical narratives and memory;

-- history in interaction with other disciplines: environmental history, history of science, technological history, urban history, economic history, history and law.

The conference will take place in Saint Petersburg on February 4-5, 2016.

The working language of the conference is English.
 
The application should be in English and consists of an extended abstract of the paper (no more than 800 words including references) and an application form.

You can register for the conference, fill the form, and load extended abstract of your paper here:
http://www.hse.ru/pasts/expresspolls/poll/166849955.html
before January 15, 2016
 
You are very welcome to ask questions, sending your queries to the address:
usable.pasts2016@gmail.com
and to Alexandra Bekasova (abekasova@hse.ru)

Conference Report - Natural Resources, Landscapes and Climate in Russia and Neighbouring Countries

A report (in Russian) is now available from the conference

 

Natural Resources, Landscapes and Climate in Russia and Neighbouring Countries

which was held in St Petersburg 26-28 November 2015 and jointly organised by the National Research University Higher School of Economics, St. Petersburg, and the Network.

http://sh.spb.hse.ru/chr/news/1708518https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4774445939931750905#editor/target=post;postID=263479237229677136099.html

Congratulations to Dr Alan Roe on completing his PhD!

We offer our heartfelt congratulations to network member Dr Alan Roe on the successful completion of his PhD:

"Into Soviet Nature: Tourism, Environmental Protection, and the Formation of Soviet National Parks, 1950s-1990s"

Read Alan's dissertation abstract.

New book on environmental crises in Central Asia released

Environmental Crises in Central Asia: From Steppes to Seas, from Deserts to Glaciers has just been published by Routledge as part of its Studies in Environmental Communication and Media series.

The editors are Professor Eric Freedman, the Knight Chair in Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University, U.S., and Professor Mark Neuzil of the Department of Communication and Journalism at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, U.S.

The multidisciplinary book explores an array of environmental challenges in a strategically crucial part of the globe, including the impact of climate change on glacial melt, desertification, deforestation, destruction of biodiversity, hazardous wastes, water quality and supply, energy exploration, air and pesticide pollution, and environmental diseases.

Those challenges cross national borders and may affect economic, political and cultural relationships on a vast geographic scale at a time when the region’s governments are burdened by limited economic resources, weak civil society institutions and political authoritarianism.

The book emphasizes the reality that environmental conditions don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re influenced by science, politics, history, public policy, culture, economics, public attitudes and competing priorities, as well as past human decisions. In the case of Central Asia, such Soviet-era decisions include irrigation systems and physical infrastructure that are now crumbling, mine tailings that leach pollutants into soil and groundwater, and abandoned factories that are physically decrepit and contaminated with toxic chemicals.

Thus it draws on research in the social sciences, natural sciences, media studies and health by scholars and practitioners in Central Asia, Europe and the United States.

Essays and photos from Lake Baikal

The Network fieldtrip to Lake Baikal took place on 25 July – 4 August 2015. The group met in Ulan-Ude and visited various places on and around the lake including the Barguzin Nature Reserve (Russia’s first Zapovednik), the Ushkanyi Islands (home to the nerpa – the endemic  Baikal ringed seals Pusa sibirica), Olkhon island (with its important Buriat sites), finishing up in Irkutsk. Several workshops were held and local experts were involved.

Visit the Baikal page of our website for a full itinerary, reflective essays from participants, photos and more.

Network conference in St Petersburg 26-28 November 2015

The Network is organising a joint conference together with the National Research University Higher School of Economics, St. Petersburg, on 26-28 November 2015, entitled:

Natural Resources, Landscapes and Climate in Russia and Neighbouring Countries

View the Conference programme

Conference Report "The Environmental History of Northern Siberia: Future Directions of Research"

A report (English translation) and accompanying documents (in Russian) are now available from the following recent conference:

The Environmental History of Northern Siberia: Future Directions of Research

Conference held at Surgut State Pedagogical University, Surgut, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, Russia, 15-16 October 2015