The Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) is set to host its 55th Annual Convention in Philadelphia from November 30 to December 3, 2023. In this context, Dominique Reill, Fulbright/Iméra Fellow in Migration Studies 2023-24, is invited to participate in two panels.
Decolonization: the theme of the 55th ASEEES Convention
Decolonization is a profoundly political act of re-evaluating long-established and often internalized hierarchies, of relinquishing and taking back power. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to widespread calls for the reassessment and transformation of Russo-centric relationships of power and hierarchy both in the region and in how we study it. The 2023 ASEEES convention invites scholars to explore the theme of decolonization across time, place, field, and institutional setting.
Decolonization can be explored on one level as a contemporary and historical force within the region. What do we mean by decolonization, what sparks decolonization processes, and under what circumstances do these processes succeed or fail over time? What does decolonization entail in linguistic, cultural, historical, spatial, social, political, and economic terms? How does decolonization in one realm affect its prospects in others? Understanding decolonization requires inquiry into the nature of imperial and colonial relationships as well. Such relationships are established, transformed, and destroyed through political, military, and economic levers, through the privileging and subjugation of languages and cultures, across space and time. As an interdisciplinary gathering, the ASEEES annual convention provides an exceptional opportunity to grapple collectively with these dynamics.
Engaging decolonization on another level involves re-examining our current research, teaching, and professional practices. How have power relationships and hierarchies within the region and beyond shaped what we study, how we study it, and who has a place at the table? What does it mean to de-center Russian studies and how should we do so? How might calls for decolonization inform the evolution of our syllabi, course offerings, graduate programs, and hiring practices? How should area-focused centers and organizations, including ASEEES, reflect on and transform their current structures and practices?
Dominique Reill’s participation in two panels
- “People Out of Place in the Aftermath of Empire: Jews, Functionaries, and the ‘Excluded’ Population of Postwar East-Central Europe” (December 2, 2 pm)
- “Tara Zahra’s ‘Against the World'” (December 2, 4 pm)
More information can be found on the ASEEES website.
About our Research Fellow
Dominique Reill holds the 2023-24 Fulbright/Iméra Chair in Migration Studies; she is a Professor at the history department of the University of Miami. Her dedication to research led her to extensive explorations in Italy, Croatia, the UK, Germany, and the US for her first and second books. Presently, she serves as an editor for the Purdue University Press book series Central European Studies and has previously contributed as an Associate Review Editor for the American Historical Review. Her editorial experiences also extend to serving as an editor for the Cambridge University Press journal Contemporary European History from 2015-2020, and she currently sits on the journal’s board. Additionally, Dominique plays crucial roles on the boards of the Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies, the Journal of Austrian-American History (JAAH), the Executive Committee of the Society for Italian Historical Studies (SIHS), and holds the position of Vice-President Elect of the Central European History Society (CEHS).
At Iméra, the Institut for Advanced Study of Aix-Marseille University, Dominique Reill explores about the formative years of New York City’s three-term mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia. Learn more about her research project at Iméra in the below interview:
