Crossing the borde
Human local interaction across international boundaries
With special emphasis on the Baltic Area and Eastern Europe

A conference Södertörn University College (by Stockholm) October 23-25, 2003

»»» Call for participation and papers. Deadline for preliminary application for participants : Sept. 15.

State boundaries are necessary to keep order and create welfare within a political territory. But boundaries also create inequality and barriers to communication. This dichotomy is particularly strong in the borderlands of Central and Eastern Europe, where changes have been twofold, either lowering or creating new and selective barriers.

This is a multidisciplinary conference, covering social, legal, criminal, cultural, ecological, spatial, communicative, economical and individual aspects of local trans-boundary contacts – and the lack of them. Research students will be asked to present their ongoing research or plans.

The conference will include a limited number of speakers, but the main emphasis will be on research work and doctoral students. The conference

language will be English. Meals during the conference will be paid by the Södertörn University College.

Preliminary program : Please note that the lecture titles are very preliminary.

Thursday, October 23

12.30 Registration
13.30 Practical information
14.00 Introduction: Prof. Sven E Hort, Vice-rector, Prof. Thomas Lundén, Södertörn University College
14.30 –17.45 Lectures (order not yet decided). Lectures will be open to the public Prof. Vladimir Kolossov, Russian Academy of Sciences: Borderlands of Russia and its neighbours Dr. Neil Melvin, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities: National minorities – integration and/or cross-border relations to kin states. Ritva Nousiainen, Haparanda-Tornio: Daily cross-border cooperation Prof. Markian Malsky, Ivan Franko University of L’viv: Ukraine’s western borderland. Prospects for a Schengen border future.
18.00 – 19.00 Short presentations of projects and research, planning of workshop agenda
20.00 Buffet Dinner

Friday, October 24

10.00 Lectures (order not yet decided) Andrey Makarychev, Nizhny Novgorod Linguistic University: Trans-border regionalism: Comparing the Baltic and Black Sea experience. Elena Korshuk, Minsk State University: Belarus – a landlocked state. Aspects of a bounded situation. Kristina Abiala, Södertörn University College and Milena Davidovic, Belgrade University: Trafficking – aspects of boundary-crossing Ivo Samson, Bratislava: Slovak foreign policy and the border (Ahmed Sözen, Istanbul: Cyprus: Nicosia divided city.)
13.00 Lunch
14. 00 Presentations of research projects by Nicole Ehlers, Netherlands, Gequn Feng, China and Germany, Felicita Medved, Slovenia, Anna Moraczewska, Poland, Jaan Peetersoo, Estonia/Finland, Roos Pijpers, Netherlands, Jaanus Veema, Estonia, Armands Vilcins, Latvia and Dennis Zalamans, Sweden Further presentations may be considered.
19.00 Dinner

Saturday, October 25

09.00 Afterthoughts: Panel debate and general discussion
12.00 Farewell lunch

The conference will take place at Södertörn University College, ca 20 kilometres southwest of Stockholm City Centre, ca 18 minutes by local train (Flemingsberg station). Some inter-city and express trains from southern Sweden also stop at Flemingsberg. Hotel accommodation will be organised in Stockholm near the central station.

In case of participants staying on in Stockholm after the conference, we are planning a day-and-night voyage to the autonomous Åland Islands in Finland, including a presentation of its boundary relations. Departure by boat from Stockholm early Sunday, arrival in Mariehamn around 14:00. Excursion though the Åland Island mainland. Hotel accommodation. Monday: Visits to the political administration and media of the autonomous province. Return by boat and bus to Stockholm arr. C.

Conference organiser : Prof. Thomas Lundén, BEEGS, e-mail thomas.lunden@sh.se, ordinary mail: Thomas Lundén, BEEGS, Södertörn University College, SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden.

Conference assistant: Sanya Obrenoviæ Johansson, sanja.obrenovic@sh.se.

Arrangements: Dusÿko Topaloviæ, dusko.topalovic@sh.se

A preliminary registration of interest should include name, address, position, and short CV plus a description of the research project of field of interest, times of attendance, special arrangements (food, technicalities etc.) A more detailed registration form will then be sent