CALL FOR PAPERS – 2016 Annual Conference
University of Calgary May 31 – June 2, 2016
The Environmental Studies Association of Canada (ESAC.ca) is pleased to invite you to participate in our Annual Conference at the University of Calgary as part of the 2016 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
As Canada’s leading association of interdisciplinary researchers and practitioners involved in a diversity of environmental fields, ESAC facilitates networking and dialogue across environment-related fields and practices. Our 2016 conference is an excellent opportunity for delegates to take part in a lively exchange of ideas relating to the environment among academics, students, researchers, members of NGOs, policy-makers and activists. All are encouraged to make submissions on a broad range of issues, themes and case studies, including (but not limited to):
Knowledge and environment; Environmental education; Politics of environmental knowledge; Environmental policy; Marketing sustainability Consumption/production; Sustai
This year’s conference theme, Energizing Communities, aims to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the University of Calgary, the conference host. As the Congress organizers have noted, “Congress 2016 will be a stimulating forum for scholarly engagement and will energize relationships across communities, leading to new connections, engagements and ultimately new ways of thinking.” Reflecting this theme, ESAC keenly invites submissions of scholarship and practice to engage with, address, and energize the vital environmental opportunities and challenges facing the world today. We invite proposals for paper presentations, pre-organized panel sessions, poster presentations, or—new this year—short, 10-minute thesis presentations by graduate students.
Submission instructions
All proposals must be submitted by Friday, December 18, 2015. The conference organizing committee is accepting four distinct types of proposals:
- Individual paper presentations of 15–20 minutes. Presenters will be placed in the most appropriate session available based on the topic or method. Please note: The aim of this submission type is to present a stand-alone paper; as such we ask that graduate students aiming to present on their broader thesis research to submit a proposal for a 10-minute thesis presentation instead (see #4 below).
- Pre-organized panel sessions of 1.5 hours. Sessions may include a series of papers (each 15–20 minutes long) on a single issue or a ‘roundtable’ workshop addressing a specific topic. Sessions must have a coordinator. The coordinator organizes the session, ensures their contributors are registered to the conference and are members of ESAC, and informs them of scheduling, etc. As part of the session proposal the coordinator should submit an abstract for the session along with the names of all contributors.
- Conference poster (and discussion): the ESAC Poster Competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students. Posters will be displayed and authors will be available for informal discussion during ESAC’s wine and cheese event on May 31. For further details when available, see www.esac.ca.
- 10-minute thesis presentations are open to graduate students who are in the process of researching or writing master’s or doctoral theses. We ask for shortened presentations for a few to encourage those early in their scholarly careers to convey their research succinctly and to maximize time for peer feedback.
All submissions should clearly state the type of submission (ie. individual paper, pre-organized session, conference poster, or 10-minute thesis presentation) and include an abstract of 200–300 words including:
- The object of study or theme of session
- Theoretical framework, concept or research question/objective
- Methodology or practice
- Main conclusions
- At least three keywords to help the conference committee to assign your paper to an appropriate session, if not a self-contained panel or workshop proposal
- The institutional affiliation and contact email of the contributor(s).
Submissions should be sent by email to ESACconference2016@gmail.
Membership and registration
You must be an ESAC member in good standing to present at the conference. Presenters not possessing membership will be removed from the program. Please visit https://www.esac.ca/join-
May 31: ESAC opening plenary and program, poster competition, wine and cheese, ECO-Award presentation June 1: ESAC program, banquet
June 2: ESAC program, field trip
Keynote speakers already confirmed include:
Robert Boschman and Liam Haggarty, organizers of the Under Western Skies Conference
As winners of the 2015 ESAC ECO-Award, Under Western Skies Conference coordinators Dr. Robert Boschman and Dr. Liam Haggarty, spearhead a trailblazing, international, environmental conference held biennially at Mount Royal University in Calgary. The conference is “a model of collaborative effort, a continuing source of vital, new knowledge in the field, and a beacon for the growing environmental-studies community in Canada and beyond,” in the words of ESAC board member Geo Takach on behalf of our awards committee. Please see https://esac.ca/eco-award a
Anne-Marie Syslak, Executive Director, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Southern Alberta
Anne-Marie Syslak oversees a chapter of CPAWS tasked to educate, collaborate, engage and empower Albertans in developing solutions that safeguard, connect and expand the richly diverse parks and wilderness areas in Southern Alberta, and establish a new global standard for protecting the integrity of wilderness areas. With an MSc in Environmental Education and 16 years of experience in the municipal and ENGO sectors, she brings to that task a strong focus on science, education and leadership, and a special passion for native plants and art. Please see http://cpaws-
Chris Turner, author and journalist
Chris Turner is an eminent, award-winning author, speaker and strategist. Based in Calgary, he is the author of The War on Science, and the bestsellers, The Geography of Hope: A Tour of the World We Need and The Great Leap: How to Survive and Thrive in the Sustainable Economy, where he sheds light on the global sustainability movement. His reporting on energy, climate and sustainability issues appears regularly in The Walrus, The Globe & Mail, Canadian Geographic and many other publications. Please see http://www.theleapworks.
Program Chair and ESAC President: Veronica Wahl Local Coordinators: TBA
For further information and announcements, please visit www.esac.ca or contact ESACconference2016@
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