제 8회 미시간 대학교 차세대 한국학 연구자 학회 (NEKST) 참가자 모집

^8th International Conference of NextGen Korean Studies Scholars

May 11-15, 2021 | Online Conference 
 
We invite graduate students in Korean Studies across all disciplines to participate in the 8th International Conference of NextGen Korean Studies Scholars (NEKST) which will be held virtually across five days. At the NEKST conference, graduate students in Korean studies will have the opportunity to share their research, receive feedback from Korean studies faculty members and other graduate students, as well as contribute toward building a dynamic, multidisciplinary community of future Korean studies scholars.
 
The five-day conference will feature panel presentations, workshop sessions for dissertation chapters/advanced papers, a roundtable discussion session, a professional development workshop, and an artist talk. We will host prominent Korean studies faculty members from across disciplines and institutions to serve as discussants, as well as mentors.

 To apply, please click the conference link below:

Encountering Difference

 
In the era of globalization, Korea appears to encounter unprecedented challenges in dealing with new forms of difference from migration (e.g., Yemen refugees) to feminist reboot (e.g., #MeToo) to COVID-19. In what ways are Koreans participating in the global world beyond the national border, and in what ways is the Korean society going through fission and fusion? On the other hand, while the recent period is characterized by increased mobility and enhanced diversity, the encounter of difference is never a new social phenomenon. What kind of social, political, and cultural differences and clashes have constituted social dynamics of Korea(s) and Koreans throughout history? In what ways will our attention to encounters and interactions of difference shed new light on the field of Korean Studies? We invite submissions from all disciplines whose work is concerned with Korea (broadly defined) and engage with encountering difference.

Possible topics for the conference may include, but are not limited to: 

• Crossing/Creating boundaries and borders
• Ethnic diversity and multiculturalism 
• Korean diaspora and cosmopolitanism
• Racism and BIPOC: Antagonism and solidarity
• International politics and Korea
• The North and the South: Korea and the Globe
• Intersectionality and social inequalities
• Social movements and activism
• Gender, feminism, and queer theory
• Religion and politics
• Art, media and difference
• Big data and online space
• Anthropocene and ecological crisis
• Entanglement of materials and technology
• Encountering COVID-19

We welcome submissions from all disciplines as long as the research topic is related to Korea. Current graduate students (MA/PhD) as well as those holding a terminal master’s degree are eligible to apply. 

Applicants can choose to participate in one of three formats between Panel presentation, Chapter/Article workshop, and Artist Talk. Roundtable discussion and other professional workshops are optional. To apply, please submit an abstract (250 words) by following the link below. The deadline for submission is February 1, 2021. You should expect to receive the results of your application by March 1, 2021.

1. Panel presentation:
The panel presentation format is open to all graduate students. Graduate students who are accepted for this format will be arranged into panels to give a fifteen minute presentation. Participants will receive comments about their paper from an assigned faculty discussant. Abstracts should clearly state the research question, main argument, methodology, results, and conclusions. If accepted, completed papers will be due by April 23, 2021.
 
2. Chapter/Article workshop:
The chapter/article workshop format is open to PhD students who have achieved candidacy. Manuscripts submitted for this format should be a dissertation chapter or a polished pre-submission journal article, no more than 10,000 words. Each forty minute workshop will be dedicated to the discussion of a single manuscript, and an assigned faculty mentor will provide detailed feedback on that manuscript. Manuscripts will be pre-circulated to all faculty and graduate participants of the conference, who will also be invited to provide comments. Please make sure that your abstract focuses on the chapter rather than the entire dissertation. If accepted, completed manuscripts will be due on April 9, 2021.

3. Artist Talk 
The Artist Talk is open to all graduate students who are currently pursuing an artistic degree such as MFA, Mdes and DMA/MM. Selected artists will present their artworks (visual arts, film, music, performance or multidisciplinary arts) up to ten minutes. There will be a Q&A session following all presentations. To apply, please submit 1) an abstract (250 words) including a critical introduction of your art project (e.g., artist statement and work statement) and 2) a sample or excerpt of your artwork up to ten slides or one minute. If accepted, please submit your full artwork by April 9, 2021.

4. Roundtable discussion (optional):
The roundtable discussion, titled “Korean Studies at Large: Korean Studies in Korea, the Americas, and beyond,” is open to all participants. Four conference participants will be invited to briefly share their opinions on the current status of Korean studies at the beginning of the roundtable, and the remainder of the roundtable will be devoted to an in-depth discussion on the topic. Please indicate your willingness to be one of the four speakers when submitting your abstract.

About
The 8^th NEKST conference is sponsored by the Nam Center for Korean Studies at the University of Michigan with support from the Academy of Korean Studies. The conference organizing committee is composed of graduate students at the University of Michigan.
 
NEKST Organizing Committee
Graduate Students:

• Youngkyun Choi (Committee Chair; Romance Languages and Literatures)
• Yeon-ju Bae (Anthropology)
• Cristian Casanova (Public Policy)
• Haely Chang (History of Art)
• Jieun Chang (Psychology)
• Rey Jeong (Stamps School of Art & Design)
• Hojung Joo (Political Science)
• Sunhong Kim (School of Music, Theatre, and Dance)
• Wooseok Kim (Political Science, Statistics)
• Hayeon Lee (Anthropology, Social Work)
• Samuel Byung-Deuk Lee (Biomechanics)
• Won Park (CSE, Computer Science)
• Seulgi Son (Urban and Regional Planning)
• Cameron White (Asian Languages and Cultures)
• Tony Zhang (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

Faculty Advisor:

• Nojin Kwak (Nam Center, Communication Studies)

Post-Doc Advisor:

• Rory Walsh (Nam Center)

Coordinator:

• Evan Vowell (Nam Center)

 
For further information, please contact NEKST2021@umich.edu.
 
Previous NEKST Conferences
Information about previous NEKST conferences can be found below:

• 2019 NEKST Conference
• 2018 NEKST Conference
• 2017 NEKST Conference
• 2016 NEKST Conference
• 2015 NEKST Conference
• 2014 NEKST Conference
• 2013 NEKST Conference