September 26-28, 2024

Athens, Greece

Deadline: March 15, 2024

Following three successful international conferences (2016, 2018 and 2022) Hellenic American University announces the 4th International Europe in Discourse Conference. This Conference too aims at exploring Europe through all its constitutive dimensions, history, culture, geography and values. The objective is to create an international and interdisciplinary platform for discussion on how Europe is understood and constantly shaped through aspects that can be theoretically approached and empirically identified. EID IV also remains faithful to the conviction that there should be a dialogue between those who talk about Europe and analyze it and those who “do” Europe and shape it. The Conference is therefore an open call to political analysts, communication experts, diplomacy and security experts, public leaders, historians, economists and policymakers from a variety of fields to engage with the Conference themes and submit a contribution along the formats accepted.

Background

In line with the previous Conferences, Europe in Discourse IV sets to analyze Europe by looking at history, geography and values and from there reflect on Europe’s multiplicity. Addressing the issue of multiplicity in Europe cannot escape addressing European identity. European Union’s history, identity and overall orientation has been largely determined by its position, geographical, cultural, religious. Since the end of the Second World War, the dominant doxa was that the world would inexorably be led to its unification and homogenization. “The World is flat” declared Thomas Friedman; Richard O’Brien diagnosed “the end of Geography”. However, the economic and political evolution of recent years show the return of Geography and the overpowering dimension of history. Fragmentation and diversification rather than unification and homogenization are the rules. It is not clear what will be the shape of the new world which will emerge from this reversal during the coming years. In what fragment of the world will Europe belong? Could Europe take the form of a “Common European Home” as imagined by Michael Gorbachev? Or, on the contrary, will Europe be a major component of a transatlantic entity, divided by a new iron curtain from Russia? Where will the Eastern Mediterranean be situated? Will it be unified under the influence of a strong European system or divided by the competition of external powers? 

Geography holds a central role in Europe in Discourse IV; security aside, borders are key to the issue of identity: they define who we are by setting us apart from what we are not. Space can be seen and correlated with European identity in three ways: a) in the context of enlargement, space has been constantly re-negotiated and re-claimed by the European Union resulting in the inclusion of new members, b) in the context of  economic processes of globalisation, common EU policies and technological advancement, space has been reduced between nation states and c) in the relations that Europe forges with neighboring territories (Africa, Eastern Mediterranean and the Global South). During the last two years, the context of the debate about Europe has changed considerably. The return of war in Europe, which seemed unthinkable before, is now a reality. The Russian aggression not only destabilized the international system but also reintroduced the question of the European space. What is the limit of Europe to the East? Is it an issue of values or of geopolitical ambitions? What are the essential components and solidarities of the European whole? Should the German rearmament reassure or disquiet? In this renewed debate, historical and geographical discourses find a prominent place. Their extensive use by the two opponents in the new European war, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, shows their importance. The geographical perspective, therefore, allows us to reflect upon the interrelation and intersection of space and identity-making. At the same time, geography has been linked to identity in the sense of an indefinite extension of borders, and the concept of a ‘limitless Europe’ which triggers an identity crisis. 

Values continue to hold a key role in Europe in Discourse Conferences to understand European identity necessitates tracing those core values it draws upon. It is often these values that are invoked in institutional communications to appeal to the peoples of Europe, and it is these values that serve as an antidote to any grievances against European Union. From functional values such as transparency to more overarching ones like democracy most actors in the European sphere mobilize values in an instrumental way. However, in certain occasions, core values of the EU are referred to as “global” and belonging also to non-Europeans. At the same time, we need to look back and ask: What exactly is Europe’s true wealth? The contours of Europe have been carved out on the basis on similarities and differences, often including references to Europe’s heritage of classical Graeco-Roman civilization. Christianity, Enlightenment, and Democracy form key determinants from where the European edifice draws its legitimacy, traditions and legacy. Reason, science, humanity and progress, all of which demand a positive commitment to Enlightenment values are part of the European’s values base. Does the European Union exert normative power by drawing legitimacy from its values basis? To what extent are these values reflected in texts? Can Europe continue to hold the role of the affluent, democratic, value-resilient corner of the globe?

Conference Themes

The Conference invites contributions from a variety of fields which explore Europe across all dimensions that shape it. Contributions may be based on theoretical accounts, a variety of methodologies, ethnographical approaches, case studies and other analytical tools to discuss European identity shaping across all aspects.

• European values: from continuity to change 

• European institutions: discourses and legitimization 

• Political and electoral dimensions in the European sphere 

• Conceptual blending, discourse and metaphors about Europe 

• European narratives of today  

• EU Enlargement 

• Borders, border regions, space in and for Europe

• Europe, globalization, fragmentation and unification 

• Europe and its role in the globe: legitimacy, soft power  

• Political discourses in and about Europe 

• Peace, Conflict through the War in Ukraine

• Relations and Alliances with the Global South

• European identity through arts and culture

• Im/migration, integration, and mobility 

• Populist movements, electoral campaigns

• Europe in the traditional media and social media

• Integration/assimilation/inclusion/homogenization as processes the EU 

• The role of religion in Europe and the EU  

• European Institutions, function, legitimacy, power

• Potential US isolationism and NATO/Ukraine repercussions 

• European Security and Defense 

• EU and the Gaza conflict

• EU and the Middle East

Special Emphasis on the Eastern Mediterranean

The manifold multilateral relationship which the EU might develop with other regional and wider neighboring blocs would prove very useful for the EU’s future. The association agreements that the EU has been establishing with Southern Mediterranean partner states since the late 90’s (Barcelona process or Euro-Mediterranean Partnership) have been a clear token of the strategic importance of the region for the EU. At the same time, we are also concerned with looking at how the EU has been looking to promote the

EU values through a process of Europeanization with countries of strategic importance in the region. These countries can be part of the umbrella of “Eastern Mediterranean” which has been defined historians and geographers and would typically refer to Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. Although historically the region has been territorially shaped by peace treaties like the Treaty of Lausanne, yet it has been more infested with conflict rather than cooperation. The region is of critical importance for the global sphere on a number of domains, including trade, geopolitics and energy; the identification of gas reserves has made it even more critical and turned global attention to it. We invite papers to discuss the relationship of Europe with the Eastern Mediterranean in respect to discovery of gas reserves, geopolitical strategy for the EU and population flows to Europe. 

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Michał Krzyżanowski

Federico Romero

Vivien A. Schmidt

Ruth Wodak

Presentation Formats

1. Oral Communications

Oral communications, which consist of a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute discussion, should be submitted online in response to the general theme(s) of the conference mentioned below. Abstracts for oral communications should be no longer than 500 words and list five keywords. Abstracts for oral communications should be submitted online as a single document. 

Please submit your abstract for an oral communication following guidelines here. 

Deadline for oral communications: March 15th, 2024.

2. Themed Panels

Proposals for panels must be submitted online as a single document, single-spaced in 12-point type. Panel proposals should include a brief overview of the theme, a title of the panel, and 4 to 5 abstract papers, each to be delivered within 30 minutes (a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute period for questions).

The names of the panel presenters should be omitted from the document to enable double-blind review. However, panel organizers should include their name.

Acceptance notifications will be sent to panel organizers.

Please submit your panel proposal through the website following the guidelines here.  

Deadline for panel submissions: March 15th, 2024.

Guidelines for Submission of Abstracts

In submitting your abstract, you will need to provide the following:

• Name, title and affiliation of the contributor(s). 

• Author’s email. For co-authored papers, only the first author’s email needs to be provided.

• Keywords: five in the case of oral communications.

• Text of abstract: a maximum of 500 words for oral communications

• You should submit your abstract through the Conference website. Navigate to the submit your abstract page where you will find a text box where you can paste the copied text of your abstract. You will receive an automated confirmation message upon submission. 

For co-authored papers notifications will be sent to the first author only.

Language of Abstract

Papers for the 4th International Conference can be presented in English.

Important Dates

Abstracts and themed panels must be submitted by March 15th, 2024. 

Acceptance Notifications will be sent by June 1st, 2024. 

Evaluation Process, Criteria and Notification 

All abstracts will be peer-reviewed and ranked by the Conference Scientific Committee. Abstracts will be assessed using the following criteria.

Scientific strength. Contributions should:

• offer significant contributions to the development of the discipline and point to future research agendas; and

• present innovative or interdisciplinary approaches, including novel collaborations or syntheses across sub-disciplines or with other related disciplines.

Other Policies

One-Presentation Rule

Proponents are entitled to submit only one abstract as a first author. Speakers agreeing to present papers in panels also follow the one presentation rule, i.e. someone who is first author or presenter cannot also be first author or presenter for another paper. 

Scientific Committee

• Professor Aleida Assmann University of Konstanz

• Professor Michel Foucher, National Public Service Institute

• Professor Evanthis Hatzivassiliou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

• Professor Juliane House, Hellenic American University

• Professor Zohar Kampf, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Associate Professor Themis Kaniklidou, Hellenic American University

• Dr. Theodoros Koutsogiannis, Chief Curator of the Hellenic Parliament Art Collection

• Professor Michał Krzyżanowski, Uppsala University

• Professor Evangelos Livieratos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

• Professor George Pagoulatos, Permanent Representative of Greece to the OECD 

• Professor Effie Pedaliu, London School of Economics

• Professor Mario Pezzini, OECD Development Centre

• Professor George Prevelakis, Hellenic American University, Panthéon-Sorbonne University

• Dr. Sotiris Rizas, Research Centre for the Study of Modern Greek History/Academy of Athens

• Professor Vivien A. Schmidt, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration, Boston University  

Organizing Committee

President of the Conference: Leonidas-Phoebus Koskos, Esq. President, Hellenic American University

• Vasia Frontzou, Hellenic American University

• Juliane House, Hellenic American University

• Themis Kaniklidou, Hellenic American University

• Gerasimos Kontaxis, Hellenic American University

• Evangelia Moschou, Hellenic American University

• Bertina Stambolliu, Hellenic American University

• Leonidas Tzonis, Hellenic American University

Contact Information: For any questions, please contact the organizing committee electronically at: europeindiscourse@hauniv.edu