Deadline : June 1, 2018 The Italian Association of Ukrainian Studies (AISU) and the Department of Social Sciences of the University of Naples “Federico II” are pleased to announce an open call for papers for the AISU Seventh International Conference Ukraine and its Neighbors: Cross-Cultural and Transnational Interactions to be held in Naples on 14-15 January 2019. Ukraine’s geographical position as a locus between the Orthodox East and the Latin West has long been a topic of scholarly interest. In 1988, Ihor Ševčenko observed that “without Byzantium there would have been no Ukraine […] but, on the other hand, without Poland there would also have been no Ukraine”. Ukraine’s variegated spectrum of social and cultural phenomena is the result of an intricate shared history with a number of foreign actors that include the Byzantine Empire, Western Europe, Russia, the Islamic world, and the Jews. The multidisciplinary conference Ukraine and its Neighbors: Cross-Cultural and Transnational Interactions invites reflection on historical, social, linguistic, ethnic, political, cultural, literary, and religious interconnections between Ukraine and its neighboring cultures. We invite papers that explore the complexity and intensity of Ukraine’s active engagement with foreign cultural paradigms from the early modern period up to the present day. Current nation-state narratives and rising nationalisms demand that we rethink the notions of cultural space, cultural self-sufficiency, center and periphery, frontiers, and “contact zones”. We aim to develop new theoretical and methodological perspectives on the cross-cultural and transnational dimension of Ukrainian history, bringing together experts from literary and cultural studies, history, sociology, and political science. We especially welcome submissions that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. Themes to be addressed should include one of the following research areas: History, Literary Studies, Linguistics, Political Science, Cultural Studies, and Religious Studies. Important dates: Deadline for submissions: June 1, 2018. Notice of acceptance will be made by June 15, 2018. Guide for authors: Proposals for 20-min papers (maximum 500-word abstract) and a short biography of the author with his/her affiliation and contact details should be sent exclusively to: aisu.studiucraini@gmail.com We are able to cover meals and accommodation costs for all participants presenting a paper. We may provide a limited number of early career scholars (up to 5 years after PhD completion) with travel funding. Organizing committee: Alessandro Achilli (Monash University) Maria Grazia Bartolini (University of Milan) Simone Attilio Bellezza (University of Naples “Federico...