Toward the Future of Island Studies: Networking International Young Scholars 2021 (TFIS 2021) Call for Proposals
The Research Institute for Islands and Sustainability (RIIS) at University of the Ryukyus (https://riis.skr.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/greeting/) will hold an interdisciplinary conference planned for the networking of young researchers conducting contemporary research on the island issues.
Since our establishment in 2009, RIIS has developed a diverse range of research themes by promoting international and interdisciplinary research regarding Okinawa and other regions in close relationships with Okinawa. In the process, we have come to understand that issues shared between Okinawa and other island regions relate fundamentally to aspects of “islandness.” This understanding has widened RIIS’s research foci to include islands both domestic and abroad that share Okinawa’s challenges and those of the region.
RIIS is currently conducting a multidisciplinary project entitled “Creating an International Hub for Multidisciplinary Research on Islands,” funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan. The project is composed of five cross-disciplinary research clusters:
● Disaster prevention: Research on technologies, people, and nature for the prevention and reduction of natural disasters
● Community: Research on memories in communities
● Military and the environment: Research on the interrelationship between military and environment in island regions
● Overcoming the past: Reexamination of the Battle of Okinawa within the history of East Asia
● Healthcare: Research related to the island health
The conference invites presentations on and related to the above projects by young researchers. In addition to the usual academic presentations, we invite participants to use the conference as an opportunity to present the progress of doctoral dissertations or to receive feedback on manuscripts in progress. We also expect the participation of non-academic experts working in various fields outside of academia. We encourage participants to make use of this conference as a place to widely promote your ongoing achievements and activities, and to brush up your own work through interaction with young peers in various fields.
● Date: February 23, 2021 ※The conference will be held using Zoom.
Keynote Speaker: Professor Wesley Ueunten (San Francisco State University)
● Participant Requirements
○ Note: For the purposes of this conference, a “young person” is defined as "a person who considers them self to be a young person". Full-time university faculty members are not eligible to apply.
○ (a) Young scholars or groups conducting research in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences in or related to island regions.
○ (b) Young people who are active in various non-academic fields (e.g., artists, professionals/practitioners)
○ The Organization Committee will review the submitted abstracts and make a decision on whether or not to accept them. Please note that we will not respond to any of the deliberations regarding the review.
● Abstract Format
○ Participants may choose either English or Japanese as the language of presentation.
○ Length: (1) If you wish to present in English, your abstract should not exceed 250 words in English; (2) If you wish to present in Japanese, please submit a Japanese version of your abstract (less than 800 characters) and an English translation of your abstract (max. 250 words) .
○ Deadline: December 31, 2020
○ Submission form: Link
○ Email address of organization committee of TFIS 2021 (Daniel Iwama, Yuki Maeda, Keisuke Mori)：riis.wakatewebinar@gmail.com
