Second Conference on Bengal Related Studies for Students and Young Scholars, October 27/28 2012 in Halle (Saale), Germany

The South Asia Seminar of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, with the support of Bengal Link e.V. and the Arbeitskreis Neuzeitliches Südasien of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Asienkunde e.V. (DGA), is pleased to host the Second Conference on Bengal Related Studies for Students and Young Scholars. The committee welcomes contributions from graduate and postgraduate students as well as young scholars still working on their career qualification. The aim of the conference is to provide an inter-disciplinary venue for students and young scholars who focus on the Bengal regions in their studies.

The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg is one of the two German universities where research on the Bengal regions, Bengali language and culture has been an integral part for a long time. After the emergence of numerous studies on the Bengal regions disciplines other than South Asian Studies (e.g. Social Anthropology, Sociology, Development Studies, Urban Planning), the conference organisers realised the necessity of giving students and young scholars an option to discuss their various topics and research approaches among each other across disciplinary borders, and of building up an interdisciplinary network for Bengal Related Studies. After the success of the first conference in 2010 the organisers are very much looking forward to hosting the second one.

There is no overarching theme. Any topic from the humanities and social sciences is welcome as long as the region of study is either Bangladesh or Bengali speaking India. Each participant will be given 20 minutes for a presentation followed by 10 minutes of discussion. We invite abstracts (max. 300 words) from graduate and postgraduate students and young scholars at any stage of their career. Please send your abstract along with your affiliation details and a short CV till April 30th, 2012 to Carmen Brandt (details below). The committee will inform the applicants until May 31st whether their papers have been selected for presentation or not.

The conference will begin with an informal dinner on Friday (October 26th). Since the conference committee is aware of the fact that students are often financially strained, the cost for the participants will be kept as low as possible, and proposals for individual financial support will be considered.

Contact: Carmen Brandt, MA
Email: carmen.brandt@suedasien.uni-halle.de
Postal address: Südasien-Seminar, Orientalisches Institut, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
Homepage: www.suedasien.uni-halle.de

Partners in organising the conference: Bengal Link e.V. (www.bengallink.org) & Arbeitskreis Neuzeitli-ches Südasien of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Asienkunde (www.asienkunde.de)