First Annual Conference of the Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (Regensburg, Germany) “Nature and the Environment in East and Southeast Europe: Historical and Economic Perspectives”

The Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS) invites the submission of paper proposals to be presented at its first annual conference, to be held on June 27-29, 2013, in Regensburg (Germany, Bavaria). The IOS was founded in 2012 as a merger of the former Institute for East European Studies (Osteuropa-Institut) and the former Institute for Southeast European Studies (Südost-Institut). The IOS research profile is unique in combining the expertise of historians and economists working on East and Southeast Europe.

The theme of the first annual conference of the IOS is motivated by the fact that environmental issues in East and Southeast Europe do not receive the attention of policymakers that is warranted in view of the severe ecological problems. To unlock the situation, the roots of societal and individual attitudes towards nature and the environment in the region in past and present have to be explored. Historical analysis can give a genealogy of today’s problems and discuss past patterns of human appropriations of, and accommodations to the environment. Economists analyze the economic dimensions of environmental questions and evaluate concrete policy measures. The aim of the conference is to bring together both disciplines in order to arrive at a better understanding of the relationship between politics, society, economy and the environment. Such knowledge should ultimately help to improve environmental policies in East and Southeast Europe.

Submissions should primarily address – but are not restricted to – one of the following four major conference themes:

1) “Nature” and “Environment”: Interdisciplinary Concepts and Disciplinary Understandings
2) From Exploration to Exploitation: Patterns of Human Appropriation of Nature and Environment
3) From Deforestation to Green Growth: Actors and Institutions of Environmental Change
4) From Pollution to Protection: Changing Attitudes towards Nature and Environment

The conference language is English.
The IOS will cover travel and accommodation costs of the invited conference participants.

The abstract of the paper must not be longer than 300 words. Please also include a short biographic note (one paragraph) and your institutional affiliation, as well as your contact details. The deadline for the submission of paper proposals is December 16, 2012.

Please sent your proposal as an e-mail attachment to conference2013@ios-regensburg.de