American Borders Conference

NASA / StudentNASA Fall Event

“American Borders: Contact, Conflict and Exchange”

Friday 25 November, 2011 / Radboud University Nijmegen

 

Conceived broadly, “American Borders” constitute the central paradigm of this one-day international symposium. With lectures and workshops on the internationalization of AmericanStudies; multilingual American literature; American foreign policy; American presidents in Europe; American religion in politics and society; and the relationships that the United States entertains with Mexico and Canada within North America, the symposium explores how the United States negotiates its geographical, internal and metaphorical borders, and surveys the implications of the concept of nation and national identity for literary and cultural studies, US foreign and domestic policy, and for the practice of cultural diplomacy.

For the first time, this NASA Fall event coincides with the StudentNASA event. Following the keynote address, participants can follow one of two diverse tracks or choose to participate in both—there is an academic program (NASA) as well as a student-oriented program  (StudentNASA). The opening and closing sessions are attended by both audiences.

Program

10.00 – 10.30: Registration (Collegezalen Complex)
10.30 – 10.45: Opening of conference by NASA and StudentNASA
10.45 – 11.30: Keynote lecture dr. Marietta Messmer, RUG, Transcending Borders: The International Turn in American Studies (CC 2)
11.45 – 13.00: PARALLEL WORKSHOPS 1

 

• NASA Workshop 1: Multilingual American Literature (Gymnasion 7)
  Dr. Maria Lauret (University of Sussex)
  Dr. Kathrin Luckmann (University of Duisburg-Essen)
  Dr. Mathilde Roza (Radboud University Nijmegen).
  Moderator: Prof. dr. Hans Bak (Radboud University Nijmegen)

• StudentNASA Workshop 1: American conflicts: Iraq and Vietnam compared (Gymnasion 3)
  Beerd Beukenhorst, MA (Universiteit Utrecht)
  Dr. Bryan Carella (Assumption College, USA; Iraq Veteran)
  Moderator: Dr. Thomas Gijswijt (Radboud University Nijmegen)

13.00 – 14.15: Lunch (pay-your-own)

14.15 – 15.45: PARALLEL WORKSHOPS 2

• NASA workshop 2: U.S. Presidents in Europe (Gymnasion 1)
  Dr. Thomas Gijswijt (Radboud University Nijmegen)
  Dr. Jack Thompson (Ghent University)
  Dr. Kim van der Wijngaart (Utrecht University)
  Moderator: Prof. Giles Scott-Smith (Leiden University; Roosevelt Study Center)

• StudentNASA workshop 2: Religion in America: Legal System, Politics and Society (Gymnasion 7)
  Dr. David Bos (Universiteit Utrecht)
  Prof. Corwin Smidt (Fulbright-Dow Distinguished Research Chair, Roosevelt Study Center)
  Moderator: Dr. Hans Krabbendam (Roosevelt Study Center)

15.45 – 16.15: Coffee/tea

16.15 – 17.30: Panel Discussion: North American Studies: What’s in a Name? (CC 5)
His Excellency Jorge Lomónaco, Mexican Ambassador to the Netherlands.
His Excellency James Lambert, Canadian Ambassador to the Netherlands.
Dr. Wil Pansters (Centro de Estudios Mexicanos, Groningen).
Dr. Jeanette den Toonder (Canadian Studies Centre, Groningen).
Prof. dr. A. Fairclough (Leiden University).
Moderator: Dr. Mathilde Roza (Radboud University Nijmegen).

Registration & Fee

To register online, please click here. The registration deadline was 18 November 2011.

 

Students: FREE
NASA-members: €10,00
Non-NASA members: €15,00

Sponsors

This conference is generously sponsored by the American Embassy, The Hague; the Faculty of Arts, Radboud University Nijmegen; Research Institute HLCS, Radboud University Nijmegen; Department of English Language and Culture/American Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen; International Office, Radboud University Nijmegen; and the Netherlands American Studies Association (NASA).