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Dates: March 27-March 29, 2009
Venue: The University of Texas at Austin
Convener: Dr. Toyin Falola, Coordinator: Emily Brownell and Adam Paddock |
We are inviting scholars to submit conference papers for the 2009 conference on The Environment, Science and Technology in Africa. The primary aim of this conference is to concentrate on global/local relationships and how they impact African environments. In the past few centuries, many foreigners have brought their notions of science and technology to harness both the African environment and often also its people. The following questions will be central to the conference proceedings:
1. How have these schemes changed the landscape of Africa?
2. How have locals resisted the imposition of these changes?
2. While local knowledge has often been derided as the antithesis of science and technology, how has African’s knowledge of their land changed over time, and how has it changed their environments?
Paper topics may include:
- The role of science and technology in department schemes
- Environmental impact of resource conflict
- Science and technology in the pre-colonial era
- War and ecological devastation
- Environmental impact of refugees
- Urban environmental problems such as sanitation and slums and development
- The history of science, health and disease in Africa
- The role of foreign investment and aid on African environment, health and wellness
Scholars of Africa must frame the reality and rhetoric of the current environmental crisis within the larger historical context of how Africa has often mistakenly been seen by outsiders as both an Eden and a wasteland. Science and technology have been brought to bear in both of these extremes as a way of engineering abundance and avoiding disaster, to varying success. This conference aims to consider these events and topics within an historical, global and local context. We are also interested in papers examining citizen reaction and perception to these topics through the lens of popular culture, literature, art, and music. As global climate change continues to gain worldwide attention and concern, the role of Africa and the role of the world in Africa will only become an increasingly timely topic for investigation.
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The will be drawn from various countries. Graduate students are encouraged to attend and present papers. Since popular culture cuts across so many disciplines, we welcome participants from the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. The conference will provide time for scholars from various disciplines and geographical locations to interact, exchange ideas, and receive feedback. Submitted papers will be assigned to particular panels according to to similarities in theme, topic, discipline, or geographical location. Additionally, selected papers will be published in a book form.
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The deadline for submitting paper proposals is November 1, 2008.
Proposals should include a 250word abstract and title, as well as
the author's name, address, telephone number, email address, and
institutional affiliation. Please submit all abstracts to
Conference Convener, Toyin Falola or
Conference Coordinator, Emily Brownell.
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A mandatory non-refundable registration fee of $65 must be paid immediately when an abstract is accepted.
It is expected that all participants will raise the funding to attend
the conference. The University of Texas at Austin does not provide
participants with any form of funding support, travel expenses, or
boarding expenses.
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