Call for Papers
The EU - India: The problems of strategic partnership and its significance for transformations in the world system.
The working group "Transformations in the World System - Comparative Studies of Development" of EADI and Warsaw School of Economics agreed to arrange for an international scientific workshop on the current problems of co-operation between the European Union and India.
Under the recent conditions, it seems increasingly relevant to ask: What would be the alternative to "the empire of chaos" (Samir Amin) and global turmoil, in the wake of declining US hegemony? Is a trend towards global multipolarity real, or is it just a new political utopia? Which country or region will be capable to displace the US from the throne of the world leader in the future, independently on the conscious efforts of political and business elites? What can be role of the European Union and other global players in the race for the world leadership? (In this context, the concepts of leadership and dominance should be distinguished from each other.) Obviously, in the current situation when humankind seems to have arrived at a point of bifurcation, further development will be determined, to more or less degree, by the choice the decision-makers are capable and ready to make. Certainly, opportunities of any choice are restrained by a set of objective circumstances, economic conditions, cultural traditions, political institutions, social movements, etc., inherited from the past. However, within frameworks of reality, a free choice depends on consciousness and will of people who make decisions.
The both centres under consideration appear to have sufficient material and intellectual capacities to drive the global development towards more stable, more equitable and democratic (humanised) world order. The EU and India can unite their efforts for solving the several and multiple problems the humankind is facing today, searching for non-ordinary responses to the challenges that can lead the world to catastrophe. However, complex and multi-dimensional analysis of resources, capacities and opportunities to accomplish this mission appears to be necessary (though insufficient) condition for adequate assessment and implementation of a comprehensive project of EU - India collaboration.
We propose considering the following key issues concerning a complement of main aspects of the EU - Indian relations and having an essential significance for them:
ˇ the long-term social-economic and institutional trends in the EU and India as well as accomplishments, vulnerabilities, and obstacles to successful development of both partners;
ˇ chances and opportunities of the EU and/or India for the global leadership in the 21st century;
ˇ directions and fields of collaboration between the EU and India: trade, investments, R&D, culture, humanities, political sphere, etc.;
ˇ social actors of collaboration, their interests, motives and advantages;
ˇ EU-Indian relations and the other global players (the US, China, Japan, Russia): allies or countervailing forces?
The workshop will be held on May 31 - June 2, 2007 being hosted by Warsaw School of Economics. The sessions will be proceeded in the following way: one key-note speaker will present his/her paper and one or two co-speakers comment and make additions, then free discussion will be held.
It is considered to publish the papers presented at the workshop sessions as a joint co-publication of the working group and the School.
Preliminarily, abstracts of papers (up to 600 words) have to be submitted to conveners of the working group. Abstracts must contain and explain the subject of the paper, methodological approach of the author to chosen topic, and key issues that have to be considered. All personal data of the author (institute/university affiliation, position, postal and electronic address, etc.) should be included in the abstract's text (within the limit of 600 words), too. Deadline for the submission of abstracts is February 15. In the case of positive decision taken by conveners until February 25, the full text (up to 8,000 words) must be sent in electronic form to the same persons by April 15. The authors will be informed about acceptance of their texts until April 25.
The texts can be written in English or French.
Participation and attendance of young scholars, MA and PhD students is welcome.
Conveners of the working group:
Victor Krasilshchikov (Krassilchtchikov)
Institute of World Economy and International Relations (Russian Academy of Sciences)
Moscow
e-mail: f1victor(AT)mtu-net.ru or victor_ias2004(AT)yahoo.co.in
Imre Lévai
Institute for Political Science (Hungarian Academy of Sciences)
Budapest
e-mail: levai(AT)mtapti.hu or h13695lev(AT)ella.hu
