CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Announcing the inauguration of the “OASIS-Orientale American Studies International School,” a one-week school that will take place at Università Orientale’s conference center on the island of Procida, off the coast of Naples, May 21-27, 2012.
School Directors:
Donatella Izzo, Università di Napoli “L’Orientale” (Italy)
Giorgio Mariani, Università di Roma “Sapienza” (Italy); President of the International American Studies Association
Confirmed speakers:
Susan Andrade, University of Pittsburgh (USA)
Jonathan Arac, University of Pittsburgh (USA)
Paola Boi, Università di Cagliari (Italy)
Ira Dworkin, The American University in Cairo (Egypt)
Alan M. Nadel, University of Kentucky (USA)
Donald E. Pease, Dartmouth College (USA)
Stefano Rosso, Università di Bergamo (Italy)
John Carlos Rowe, University of Southern California (USA)
Seminar leaders:
Alan M. Nadel, University of Kentucky (USA)
Donald E. Pease, Dartmouth College (USA)
John Carlos Rowe, University of Southern California (USA)
OASIS is a project inspired by the Futures of American Studies Institute at Dartmouth College, and aiming to create a similarly vibrant and generative institutional venue for the younger generations of American Studies students and scholars. OASIS will be the first school of its kind in Italy; it will also be the first such school to be held in southern Europe, and it will be hosted by a university whose unique tradition of transnational dialogue with and focus on non-European cultures can be traced back to the eighteenth century. By establishing an American Studies school at “L’Orientale,” and by convening it in a Mediterranean island such as Procida, we hope to create a venue that is attractive to American Studies scholars and students not just from Italy but from the Mediterranean area at large. We especially hope that our school may prove attractive to Americanist students from the nearby Arabic countries of North Africa and the Middle East. By bringing together scholars from different areas of the world and at different stages of their career, we hope to create the conditions for a productive, truly global dialogue in American Studies.
The school will run from Monday to Sunday. Every day will feature 2 plenary 45-minutes lectures from distinguished scholars in the morning, each followed by discussion, and afternoon sessions, which will be devoted to two presentations of students’ individual research projects, followed by discussion. Students will be divided in seminar groups of about 10, each led by a scholar. The last day will be devoted to plenary presentation and discussion of students’ response papers. Lunch will be catered and consumed on site, followed by a short break for rest and group conversation: we thus hope to build a friendly intellectual atmosphere and constructive dialogue among the participants.
Procida is less than 4 km. from the mainland and easily accessible by ferry or hydrofoil. A medieval fortified town and picturesque fisher village, with a history dating back to ancient Greek colonization and a present population of about 10,000, Procida boasts a historical center with ancient monuments, churches, and buildings, as well as towers and fortified walls bearing witness to its long history. Its natural beauty, breathtaking views, beaches, and typical Mediterranean architecture, besides making it a popular tourist resort, have inspired many literary works and movies.
We invite applications from doctoral students and recent Ph.D.s in American Studies, English, Comparative Literature, and related fields.
The fee for the School (covering registration, tuition, housing, breakfast, and lunch) is € 480 for the whole week. Accommodation will be provided in residences and B&Bs in downtown Procida (in single/double rooms or shared apartments, depending on availability; the fee covers a maximum of 7 nights, starting May 20). Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements and expenses. Fees will be due on arrival or payable by national or international money order to the school administration. Depending on financial resources, one fellowship covering tuition and accommodation will be awarded. Preference will be given to applicants outside of Italy who are unable to get funding from their own institutions.
Applications will be accepted until March 30, 2012; successful applicants will be notified by April 15.
Applications should include:
-a current CV
-a two-page abstract of applicant’s dissertation or book project, including a description of the section to be presented and discussed during seminars
-the name and contact of a referee
-information about the candidate’s eligibility/non eligibility for funding from own institution
Please send all of the above materials (PDF or Word format) to: oasis@unior.it
For further information please contact oasis@unior.it and www.oasis.unior.it
OASIS is generously supported by the U.S. Embassy in Italy and by Università di Napoli “L’Orientale.”