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The Association for Cultural Studies (ACS) is delighted to announce
the third <b>ACS Institute</b>, which will be held from 7-12
December 2015 at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein,
South Africa.. The theme of the 2015 Institute is "Precarious
Futures."<br>
<br>
The ACS Institute will be a forum for critical discussions of
important perspectives on cultural studies today. Our theme is
intended to forge productive and provocative conversations about how
cultural studies might help to chart less precarious and more
equitable futures. As a field that has, since its inception, been
centrally concerned with the relationship between culture and power,
cultural studies can offer unique perspectives on precariousness as
not only an endemic experience of contemporary life, but as a state
increasingly anticipated for human and non-human planetary futures.
This Institute will provide a sustained opportunity for critical
reflection on the cultural, economic and political trajectories that
point to, or might alter, such futures. <br>
<br>
The Institute will provide an intense and rewarding pedagogical
experience for postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers
(established scholars are also welcome) who will have the
opportunity to spend the week learning from lectures and seminars
delivered by five keynote speakers and a faculty staff of leading
cultural studies scholars from around the world. The following
keynote speakers have been confirmed:<br>
<ul>
<li>Jean Comaroff (Harvard University, USA) </li>
<li>John Erni (Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong) </li>
<li>Jo Littler (City University London, UK) </li>
<li>Zethu Matebeni (University of Cape Town, South Africa)<br>
</li>
<li>Handel Wright (University of British Columbia, Canada) </li>
</ul>
<div>Following on the great successes of the previous ACS Institutes
-- 2011 at the University of Ghent (Belgium) and 2013 at the
Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt (Austria) -- the 2015 edition of
the Institute will bring together people from a wide range of
disciplines to explore what it means to conduct cultural studies.
We invite and encourage participation from researchers who work in
disciplines such as cultural studies, film studies, media studies,
cultural sociology, cultural anthropology, literary theory and
criticism, discourse analysis, new literacy studies, educational
studies, rhetorical criticism, and so forth.<br>
<br>
Those interested in participating are invited to take notice of
the above mentioned dates. Email inquiries can be addressed to
either Helene Strauss (2015 ACS Institute Organizer, <a
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:strausshj@ufs.ac.za">strausshj@ufs.ac.za</a>) or
Gil Rodman (ACS Chair, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:gbrodman@mindspring.com">gbrodman@mindspring.com</a>).
Practical information about registration and a full list of
Institute keynotes and faculty will be disseminated in due course.<br>
<br>
The Association of Cultural Studies <a
class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://www.cultstud.org/"><http://www.cultstud.org/></a>
is the premiere international association of cultural studies and
hosts the biennial Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference. </div>
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