Town and Gown

First Annual Conference of the University Network of the European Capitals of Culture

26 October 2007

Lucian Blaga University
Sibiu, Romania

Call for Papers

Submission deadline | 1 July 2007

Annual UNEECC conference

The University Network of the European Capitals of Culture (UNEECC) will hold its first Annual Conference in Sibiu, Romania hosted by the Lucian Blaga University, one of Romania’s most distinguished universities. The Conference will thus be held in a 2007 European Capital of Culture, where a city and its university are in the process of running a European Capital of Culture programme.

We would like to invite papers and presentations from universities and Institutes of Higher Education located in cities which are, have been, or will be designated European Capitals of Culture.

The central theme of this year’s UNEECC Conference will be ‘Town and Gown’. We welcome a variety of presentations about the European Capital of Culture programme from the point of view of the universities and Institutes of Higher Education, the relationship between the city and its universities and Institutes of Higher Education, the benefits for the city and Local community of being a European Capital of Culture. In addition to looking at topics related to our central theme, we also invite presentations that reflect on the social, cultural and geographical aspects and developments of being a European Capital of Culture.

The proposed conference tracks are:

• The importance of the European Capital of Culture movement: Place branding, local culture vs. European vocation
• The meaning of cultural politics: How does being a ECC affect local cultural traditions? Why does a city want to be a ECC in the first place? Why is it good for a university to be located in a ECC town?
• The relationship between local traditions and European culture: How can a city/region with its local identity define/re-invent itself as a European Capital of Culture?
• The geography of European Capitals of Culture: Are ECCs European cultural 'capitals'?

Conference practicalities

The conference will be held in English. Participants are invited to bring copies of their presentation or a substantial abstract. Overhead projection and PowerPoint facilities will be available. Time allotted to each presenter will be about 20 - 25 minutes for each paper plus a limited time for questions.

We very much encourage professors, teachers, researchers, young scholars and junior faculty to participate. We also invite papers from undergraduate and graduate students. Students should indicate their student status (graduate or undergraduate) when presenting a proposal.

We also invite colleagues from local city administration, particularly those responsible for organizing their cities’ European Capital of Culture programme, to present papers /ideas/projects too.

Paper submission

Please review the conference tracks above. A one-page abstract should contain:

Title of presentation

1. Name(s) of presenter(s)
2. Title of presenter
3. Department or Faculty, University, Country
4. Mailing address, phone & fax number, e-mail
5. Identification of conference track
6. Summary

Participants may submit one or more presentation proposals electronically or by post to:

Mrs Gyöngyi Pozsgai
Secretary General of UNEECC
University of Pécs | Szántó K.J. utca 1/B | H-7633 Pécs | Hungary
Tel +36 72 501 509 | Fax +36 72 251 527
e-mail: gyongyi.pozsgai@iro.pte.hu

The deadline for receipt of proposals, including titles, authors' names, institutional affiliation and addresses, and an abstract is 1 July 2007. Late proposals may be considered if space is available. Applicants will be notified of the acceptance of their proposal. Registration will begin around August 1. The website will contain registration forms and information regarding hotels and registration fee.

Notice: Participants must register for the conference. Presentations and presenters will not be listed in the printed program if the presenter has not registered. Please watch the UNEECC website for information on registration, fees and additional information.

For additional information about the conference, contact Mrs Gyöngyi Pozsgai.

About UNEECC

The University Network of the European Capitals of Culture (UNEECC), an international non-profit association, was founded in Pécs Hungary in December 2006, by 40 founding members.
The creation of UNEECC originates from the idea that it would be useful for Universities and establishments of Higher Education based in European Capitals of Culture to use this well known and prestigious European institution to stimulate new forms of academic and educational institutional collaboration.

As it is stated in the Statutes, the general aim of UNEECC is:

1. to ensure the recognition of the role and contribution of universities to the success of the cities conferred the title "European Capital of Culture"
2. to provide the member universities with a possibility of a continuous and full participation in the European Capitals of Culture movement enhanced by 'Universities of the Year'
3. to foster inter-university cooperation to develop and reshape the universities regional position to create new activities for city and university collaboration

A number of initiatives are currently under development, which will soon be outlined on the website.

We would like to invite all those Universities and establishments of Higher Education in the European Capitals of Culture who have not yet joined UNEECC to do so, by consulting the web site at www.uneecc.org or by contacting Mrs Gyöngyi Pozsgai.