Collapsing Europe?

The borders that delimit our political, cultural and historical understanding of Europe are subject to constant renegotiation. Within this perpetual state of flux, the symbol of collapse has been extremely prominent in literature, politics, culture and history. Whether the dismantling of physical and figurative barriers in the name of integration, or apocalyptic predictions of the imminent failure of the “European project”, the idea of collapse features prominently in modern notions of the continent’s past, present and future.

The Sixth Annual Conference of the Graduate Centre for Europe will encourage postgraduate researchers to offer their own reflections on European collapse. It will explore the concept of upheaval through time and space and consider how Europe’s shifting fortunes have been, and remain, a function of both its own idiosyncrasies and of changes imposed upon it by its relationship with the outside world.

This conference invites contributions from postgraduate researchers in a variety of disciplines with the express aim of learning from other academic approaches and sharing their own. The conference theme will encourage the exchange of ideas about topics we often consider to be embedded in our own research contexts. Previous conferences have included presenters from the fields of history, politics, cultures, languages, literature, media, society, music, business, philosophy, theology, geography, environment and law.

Participants will also have the possibility of turning their conference papers into articles for submission to our postgraduate journal, the Birmingham Journal for Europe. There will be limited funds available to assist with travel and accommodation expenses. Lunch, tea and coffee will be provided as well as a conference dinner on the first evening.

To attend, please register your name, department and the days you wish to participate to gcfe.bham@googlemail.com