The following types of proposal are welcomed at CESS conferences. Click the links to find out more about each type and the information required when submitting a proposal.
Individual Papers
Pre-organized Panels
Author-Critic Forums
Book-in-Progress Panels
Roundtables
Thematic Discussion
Workshops
Individual Papers
Individual paper presenters are papers that are written by one author or a group of authors working together. If your paper is co-authored, please also read the rules about participation limits. If accepted, they are included in a panel with a total of 3-4 papers. The CESS Conference Committee assembles accepted papers into panels under a common theme, and arranges to have a Chair and Discussant for the panel.
When submitting, you will first need to choose the theme that is most appropriate for your paper. A list of these will be displayed in the submission system. You will then need to enter your contact data, a paper title, and type or paste in an abstract (250-400 words). Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Individual paper submissions are only accepted in English.
You may find our guidelines for writing abstracts helpful.
Pre-organized Panels
A Pre-organized Panel is comprised of 3-4 presenters, a Chair, and a Discussant. The panel is unified by a commonality or interrelatedness between the papers of the presenters. The Chair and Discussant should not also be presenters. We strongly encourage panels that are comparative across regions, that demonstrate different disciplinary approaches to a common theme, and which are comprised of presenters from a range of institutions.
This is a multi-step submission process. Do not leave your submission until the last minute!
Pre-organized Panel proposals are initially submitted by one person who is designated the Panel convener. The convener must submit: her/his contact information; a proposed panel title; the names (with institutions) of the proposed Chair and Discussant; an abstract (250-400 words) explaining the rationale for the panel and how the papers are interrelated; and a discipline/theme (selected from a list) most appropriate for the panel.
Once the proposal is submitted, the convener will be automatically emailed a confirmation within which is a weblink for paper proposals. The convenor must share this with the panel’s presenters so that each can enter their contact information, paper title and abstract (250-400 words). The panel convenor will receive notifications of each paper submission to their panel. It is the responsibility of the convenor to ensure that the presenters upload their information by the deadline.
Panel submissions lacking individual abstracts or other key information will not be considered. Panels that lack a proposed Chair or Discussant may be considered, but the strongest consideration will be given to complete panel submissions.
For Regional Conferences: If one or more Pre-organized panel presenters wishes to present in a language other than English, the convener should indicate the proposed language of presentation in the panel abstract. Abstracts submitted in another language should be accompanied by an English language translation or summary (see also: CESS Conference Language Policy).
If a panelist withdraws from a Pre-organized Panel, the CESS Conference Committee may place another presenter on the panel. We will try to communicate with the organizer to ensure the acceptability of the fit, but this may not be possible when withdrawals occur late in the planning process.
Author-Critic Forums
In an Author-Critic Forum, three or four “critics” discuss a recently published book on Central Eurasian Studies that is expected to have a significant impact on the field. Each critic speaks for about 10-12 minutes, followed by a 10-12 minute response from the book’s author. An Author-Critic Forum also has a chair who introduces the panelists, oversees timekeeping, and moderates the forum by opening up the forum for general discussion from the audience and soliciting further comments or responses by the critics and author.
Before submitting a proposal to hold an Author-Critic Forum, the author must commit to joining the forum. The author may also wish to arrange for copies of their book to be provided to the “critics” in advance.
This is a multi-step submission process. Do not leave your submission until the last minute!
Author-Critic Forum proposals should be submitted by one person who is designated the forum convener. The convener must submit: her/his contact information; the name of the book to be discussed and its author; a description of the importance and relevance of the book to Central Eurasian Studies and the suitability of the proposed “critics” (250-400 words); the theme (selected from a list) that is most appropriate for the Forum. Once the proposal is submitted, the convener will be automatically emailed a confirmation containing a weblink. The convenor must share this link with the proposed critics so that each can add their own contact information. The convenor will receive a notification for each submission. It is the responsibility of the convenor to ensure that the “critics”/author upload their information by the deadline.
Book-in-Progress Panels
Similar to Author-Critic Forums on already published book manuscripts, the format of the Book-in-Progress panel invites authors with book drafts to discuss their pre-published book with a group of peers (up to 4 panelists and 1-2 authors).
This panel is open to recent PhD graduates who want to convert their dissertations into books, potential edited volumes in-progress and anyone interested in discussing their book projects with peer reviewers face-to-face. This format will follow a strict rule of no disclosure without author’s consent.
Before submitting a proposal to hold a Book-in-Progress Panel, the author(s) must commit to joining the panel. The author(s) should arrange for copies of their work in progress to be provided to the panelists in advance.
This is a multi-step submission process. Do not leave your submission until the last minute!
Book-in-Progress Panel proposals should be submitted by one person who is designated the convener. The convener must submit: her/his contact information; the working title(s) of the book(s)-in-progress to be discussed and its author; a description of the importance and relevance of the book(s)-in-progress to Central Eurasian Studies and the suitability of the proposed panelists (250-400 words; and a discipline/theme (selected from a list) most appropriate for the panel. Once the proposal is submitted, the convener will be automatically emailed a confirmation containing a weblink. The convenor must share this link with the proposed panelists so they can add their own contact information. The convenor will receive a notification for each submission. It is the responsibility of the convenor to ensure that the author/panelists upload their information by the deadline.
Roundtables
A Roundtable consists of a moderator and 4-6 commentators. Roundtables have a well-defined theme which typically addresses some area of current development in Central Eurasian studies. This might be recent events of importance to the region, new theoretical developments, and so forth.
Commentators should be selected to represent a variety of views. Commentators do not present the results of research, but rather their perspectives on the chosen theme. Typically, the moderator initially allocates 5-7 minutes to each of the commentators to place key issues on the table for discussion, and then opens up the discussion to allow audience members to add questions or comments.
This is a multi-step submission process. Do not leave your submission until the last minute!
Roundtable proposals should be submitted by one person who is designated the convener. Conveners must submit: her/his contact information; a proposed Roundtable title; an abstract (250-400 words) explaining the rationale for the Roundtable; and the theme (selected from a list) that is most appropriate for the Roundtable. Once the proposal is submitted, the convener will be automatically emailed a confirmation containing a weblink. The convenor must share this link with the proposed commentators so that each can add their own contact information. The convenor will receive a notification for each submission. It is the responsibility of the convenor to ensure that the moderator/commentators upload their information by the deadline.
Thematic Discussions
Thematic panels consist of short presentation from between 3-8 speakers who provide a brief overview on the state of the art of a topic. These can include presentation of new research directions, digital projects, dissertation research, policy issues. Unlike typical academic panels which typically feature academic research, these panels may feature practitioners, MA students, students at early stages of their academic career. A thematic panel has a chair but no discussant.
Workshops
Workshops offer training-type interactive sessions for conference delegates. They take place during the course of the Annual Conference programming. Workshops in the past have addressed such matters as publishing, field research, ethics, or working with the media. We are open to suggestions of new directions and new formats, and we will be keen to support well-justified proposals that attempt objectives that have not been tried before.
This is a multi-step submission process. Do not leave your submission until the last minute!
Workshop proposals should be submitted by one person representing the group, the convener. The convener enters their contact data, the Workshop title, types or copy-pastes in a description of the aims and intended outcomes of the workshop and its relevance to CESS conference participants (250-400 words), and then selects the theme that is most appropriate for the Workshop. Once the proposal is submitted, the convener will be automatically emailed a confirmation containing a weblink. The convenor must share this link with the proposed participants so that each can add their own contact information. The convenor will receive a notification for each submission. It is the responsibility of the convenor to ensure that the participants upload their information by the deadline.
