The University of Sydney
Monday 18th & Tuesday 19th June, 2012
Sydney Law School Foyer
Convened by Iain McCalman & Jodi Frawley

The publication of Charles Elton’s classic The Ecology of Invasions by Plants and Animals in 1958 signaled a shift in the understanding of the global reorganization of biological species during the Anthropocene. The encouragement of acclimatisation and naturalization of new species gave way to managing the ramifications of the changes that introductions bought to ecologies, landscapes and environments. Over the nineteenth century environments of the new world – land and sea – became testing grounds for the introduction of new assemblages of people and plants, economies and animals, cultures and coastlines. But things didn’t go according to the script. Some species became pests – out-of-control threats to environments across the globe. These changes had enduring impacts, some adverse, some beneficial, that are dynamic, unpredictable and often oscillating.

Australia was one of the new world places that became a laboratory for western science and colonization from the late eighteenth century. From that time to the present, new plants, animals and humans migrated here, at the same time that biological material and ideas about nature transited from Australia to other parts of the world. Indigenous knowledge and law shaped resistance and adaptation to colonizing forces of invasion in ways that intersect with environmental politics and movements of the twentieth century. Multiplying the disciplinary conversations within the humanities will allow us to explore how the conceptual understandings of Australian environments are infused with literary and artistic narratives, gendered tropes, moral fables and political, legal, sociological and historical inflections.

This conference seeks to explore the role of Australia, and Australian scholarship, in environmental thought about invasive ecologies for the Anthropocene. How will biological and cultural invasions of the past impact on the futures of Australian places? How should we think about the more-than-human roles of camels and carp; or willows and baobabs, or Nordic and Ngarrindjeri in environmental change? What of the Australian plants, animals, people and ideas that travelled out of Australia, that re-made other global places? What sorts of futures have we imagined for climate changing environments? How will we account for environmental justice on policy agendas and political campaigns? How do different spatial scales of analysis help us to understand the impacts of invasive species and their more-than- biological events? What other methodological challenges do we face? We are particularly keen to engage in conversations across disciplinary boundaries around the following themes: Invasion, Overabundance, Scarcity, Prediction, Vulnerability, Adaptation, Extinction , Resilience.

Registration is now open. To register, please click here. Complete information on the program can be found here.

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The 2012 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes
Humanities Research Centre
Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
13-16 June 2012

In the 1960s, James Lovelock formulated his Gaia hypothesis about the symbiosis of the earth’s intersecting ecosystems. He posited a complex feedback loop that somehow maintained, as he put it, ‘an optimal physical and chemical environment for life on this planet’. Little did he know then that forty years later, the catastrophic role of human agency in upsetting this symbiosis would gain such centrality in scientific debates. The human as geological agent is a relatively recent formulation. The idea of a new geological age, the Anthropocene, was proposed in 2000 by Nobel Prize winning geochemist Paul Crutzen. The issue of climate change today is no longer the prerogative of the sciences. It requires active intervention from humanists and social scientists, and it needs this intervention not just in apocalyptic, speculative, instrumental or creative modes, but in conceptually and critically informed registers.

What are the challenges to our critical frameworks in the humanities of this radical reconfiguration of human life on this planet? How do we think through the historical coordinates of ideas of self, society, development, freedom, knowledge and responsibility from the industrial age to the information age, especially when we now know what devastating impact these two ages of human development have had on the earth’s ecosystem? What insights can we gain from alternative ecological models of human habitation? What will an ecological enlightenment entail if it is not founded on the human being’s rational mastery over nature? What, in sum, is the calling of climate on the humanities, and of the humanities on climate change?

Program Highlights
Confirmed plenary speakers include Ross Garnaut (University of Melbourne), Elizabeth Povinelli (Columbia University), and Dipesh Chakrabarty (University of Chicago). In addition to panels, a workshop on the public humanities, and two sets of member breakout sessions, the program will include meetings of CHCI Member Groups and Initiatives, as well as a half-day session devoted to a discussion of the four projects recently funded through our Program Planning Initiative. A tour of a major art exhibition on Antarctica and a musical performance will round out the program.

Our Annual Meeting Dinner will take place on the evening of 14 June. Our hosts are arranging for a great meal and a fantastic setting. Please use the registration form to sign up for the dinner (requires an additional $75US fee per person).

We also encourage attendees to stay on in Australia for a specially organized, thematically related conference at the University of Sydney, Rethinking Invasion Ecologies, on 18-19 June. To be sure you receive timely updates about this related program, please indicate your interest in the Annual Meeting registration form.

Travel and Accommodations
We are providing two options for Annual Meeting accommodations: fully subsidized rooms for four nights in University House, ANU’s main guest facility, or paid accommodation at a reduced rate in our designated hotel. Click here for detailed information on accommodations and travel information and tips.

Registration
Click here to go to the Annual Meeting registration form. As in all of our recent Annual Meetings, a single organizational registration fee of $75US entitles each CHCI member to register up to five delegates. We strongly encourage early registration if you are interested in free accommodations, as we cannot guarantee that these rooms will be available for all attendees.

The Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University
The Humanities Research Centre was established in 1972 as a national and international centre for excellence in the Humanities and a catalyst for innovative Humanities scholarship and research within the Australian National University. As one of Australia’s prime gateways to humanities scholarship in the rest of the world, it promotes advanced research in the humanities through its Visiting Fellowship Program, and a range of conferences, workshops, seminars and symposia that it hosts under an annual theme.

The HRC interprets the “Humanities” generously, recognising that new methods of theoretical enquiry have done much to break down the traditional distinction between the humanities and the social sciences; recognising, too, the importance of establishing dialogue between the humanities and the natural and technological sciences, and the creative arts.The Centre encourages interdisciplinary and comparative work, and seeks to take a provocative as well as supportive role in relation to existing humanities studies in Australia. It aims to give special attention to topics and disciplines which stand in need of particular stimulus in Australia. One of its central functions is to bring to Australia scholars of international standing who will provoke fresh ideas within, and beyond, the academic community.

The HRC established the Freilich Foundation for the study of bigotry and tolerance in 1995. It works closely with ANU’s recently established Digital Humanities Hub. Within the University, the HRC is now part of a group of five centres that sit under the Research School of Humanities and the Arts (RSHA). Threaded through our Centre programs are our disciplinary and interdisciplinary strengths in literature, history, art, philosophy, critical theory, Enlightenment and Romanticism studies, Postcolonial Studies and Indigenous heritage, art and culture. The HRC collaborates with Australian and international research centres, libraries and other cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Australia and the National Portrait Gallery. The Centre continues to strongly advocate the importance of humanities in the public sphere through its participation in key national and international networks such as the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), The Australian Consortium of Humanities Research Centres (ACHRC) and the Consortium of Humanities Centres and Institutes (CHCI).

SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE
Unless otherwise noted, programs take place at the Sir Roland Wilson Building, ANU Campus. The registration/check-in table will be open from 1:30 – 5:30 pm

1:30 – 3:30 pm
Meetings of CHCI Member Initiatives
Member Initiative meetings are open to all CHCI members – please select your Initiative meeting on the registration form.The following groups will be provided with meeting space during this timeslot:

- Digital Humanities Initiative
- Humanities for the Environment Initiative
- Public Humanities Initiative

3:30 – 5:30 pm
Meetings of CHCI Member Groups
Member Group meetings are targeted to specific constituencies. If you are interested in meeting with your colleagues, please select your group meeting on the registration form). The following groups will be provided with meeting space during this timeslot:

- Associate Directors and Administrators Group
- New Directors Group (recommended for new Directors or Directors of new member organizations)

6:00 – 8:00 pm
Opening Reception
National Gallery of Australia
Co-sponsored by the Australian Academy of Humanities

THURSDAY 14 JUNE
Unless otherwise noted, programs take place in the Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science

8:15 am
Registration/check-in and Coffee

9:00 am
Opening remarks by Ian Young, Vice Chancellor, the Australian National University, and Srinivas Aravamudan, President, Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes and Dean of the Humanities, Duke University

9:30 – 11:00 am
Plenary Lecture: Elizabeth Povinelli, Columbia University

11:00 – 11:30 am
Coffee Break

11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Panel: Indigenous Habitations/Marine Ecologies

- Poul Holm, Trinity College Dublin
- Iain McCalman, University of Sydney
- Peter Veth, Australian National University
- Margaret Kelleher, National University of Ireland, Maynooth (Chair)

1:00 – 2:30 pm
Lunch with Member Breakout Groups
Great Hall, University House

2:45 – 4:15 pm
Workshop: Public Humanities

- Rosi Braidotti, Utrecht University
- Sara Guyer, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Robert Phiddian, Australian Consortium of Humanities Research Centres (ACHRC)
- Ian Baucom, Duke University (Moderator)

4:15 pm
Break

6:00 – 7:30 pm
Antarctica Art Exhibition viewing and talk by Tom Griffiths, introduced by Caroline Turner (ANU)
Drill Hall Gallery, ANU Campus

8:00 pm
Annual Meeting Dinner ($75US additional fee)
The Lobby Restaurant

FRIDAY 15 JUNE
Unless otherwise noted, programs take place in the Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science

9:00 – 10:30 am
Panel: Anthropocene, Biopolitics and Climate Ethics

- Karen Pinkus, Cornell University
- Libby Robin, Australian National University
- Alison Bashford, University of Sydney

10:30 – 11:00 am
Break

11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Plenary Lecture: Dipesh Chakrabarty, University of Chicago

12:30 – 3:00 pm
Lunch, followed by CHCI Business Meeting and Member Breakout Groups

4:00 – 5.30 pm
Plenary Lecture: Ross Garnaut, Australian National University
House of Representatives Chamber, Old Parliament House

6:15 – 7:00 pm
Performance by harpist Alice Giles, Creative Arts fellow, Antarctica Expedition, 2010-2011
Introduced by Catherine Bowan, ANU
Band Room, ANU School of Music

7:00 – 8:30 pm
Closing Reception
Larry Sitsky Recital Room, ANU School of Music

SATURDAY 16 JUNE
Theatrette, Humanities Research Centre, Sir Roland Wilson Building

9:00 – 9:30 am
Special Session: Results of the CHCI Program Planning Initiative

- Srinivas Aravamudan, President, CHCI
- James Chandler, Franke Institute for the Humanities, University of Chicago
- Daniel Herwitz, Institute for the Humanities, University of Michigan
- Debjani Ganguly, Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University

9:30 – 11:00 am
Group presentations by co-conveners of CHCI Program Planning Projects:

- Humanities for the Environment
- Integrative Graduate Humanities Education and Research Training (IGHERT)
- Medical Humanities
- Religion, Secularism, and Political Belonging

11:00 – 11:30 am
Break

11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Building on the Planning Initiative: Future Projects

1:00 – 2:00 pm
Closing lunch

Afternoon
Pre-Organized Tours of Canberra Wineries and Cultural Institutions
Details on these tours are in development and complete information will be circulated to all registrants in early March. Tours will run through approximately 5:00 pm. If you are interested in this opportunity please plan your outgoing travel around this time. A charge of $45AUD will apply (payments will be taken during the tours themselves).

Click here for information on a related, specially organized conference at the University of Sydney on 18-19 June.

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CHCI and the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) are continuing a partnership designed to provide opportunities for ACLS fellows in certain programs to spend time in residence at CHCI member organizations. By connecting ACLS fellows with CHCI members, we seek to provide ACLS Fellows with a stimulating environment and access to unique resources and people, while enabling CHCI members to further invigorate the intellectual climates of their organizations by being able to host an external fellow at no or low cost.

Eligibility to participate in the program is limited to current CHCI member organizations, and to ACLS fellows in the Ryskamp Research Fellowships and ACLS Fellowships programs. CHCI members in all regions of the globe may participate. Information on the relevant ACLS programs can be found at www.acls.org.

Our recently reconfigured partnership with ACLS emphasizes flexibility, mobility, and direct communications between fellows and CHCI members. There are no deadlines, and each residency is designed and managed by the fellow and the CHCI host organization. CHCI member organizations may opt-in at any time, and ACLS Fellows may contact any prospective CHCI host organization at any point during their fellowship term. In all cases, however, both parties must meet the minimum criteria for participation, as listed below.

Click here to view information on participating CHCI member organizations.

Guidelines for Participation: CHCI Members
CHCI members interested in hosting an ACLS fellow must commit to providing the following minimum forms of support:

- A fully equipped workspace and access to basic office machinery
- Internet/network access
- Full library access
- Opportunities for interaction with the local community of scholars

Participating CHCI member organizations may offer financial support for relocation or housing, but may not provide salary supplements, research funds, or health/fringe benefits, and host organizations cannot require fellows to teach. ACLS resident fellows can be in residence at a participating CHCI organization at any point in their fellowship term, but should remain in residence for a minimum of one academic term (a year, summer, quarter, or trimester, as determined by the academic year at the host organization). In the case of independent organizations such as research libraries, we ask that fellows remain in residence for a minimum of eight weeks. CHCI members must be willing and able to accept inquiries from prospective residents at any time, and fellows are allowed and encouraged to spend time at multiple CHCI member organizations during their fellowship term.

In most cases ACLS Fellows will contact participating CHCI member organizations to inquire about a potential residency. However, CHCI members are encouraged to review the listings of current and future Ryskamp and ACLS fellows at www.acls.org and may contact any fellow of interest to discuss a potential residency (these listings will not be updated for 2012-13 until mid-late spring, after all fellows have accepted their offers). After making initial contact, fellows and CHCI organizations negotiate their own arrangements, tailored to the needs and interests of both parties.

Interested CHCI member organizations must provide CHCI with a short description of your organization and your capabilities in hosting an ACLS fellow. This short text should include:

- A brief organizational profile
- Confirmation of the organization’s ability to meet the minimum requirements for support, as listed above
- The earliest upcoming term in which they will be able to accommodate a fellow
- The name, title, email address, and phone number of a contact person
- Whether you will be able to provide the Fellow with support for relocation and/or housing

Guidelines for Participation: ACLS Fellows
ACLS Fellows interested in being in residence at a participating CHCI member organization should start by reviewing the list of participating host sites, and then contact any listed organization directly to inquire about a residency.

As indicated above, ACLS Fellows in residence at CHCI member organizations must commit to a residency of, at minimum, one formally defined academic term. Building on the network structure of CHCI, fellows may also choose to split their fellowship term between multiple participating CHCI member organizations. Resident ACLS fellows are guaranteed a minimum level of support, as listed above.

CHCI and ACLS are not serving as intermediaries. ACLS Fellows should contact prospective CHCI host organizations directly. There is no standard application form, but fellows should be prepared to provide to the prospective host-site a CV, work samples, or other standard materials as requested by the prospective host organization. To assess intellectual affinities and possible points of contact for the fellow, the host-site may in some cases also request a copy of the prospective resident’s ACLS fellowship application.

Additional Information and Inquiries
Participation does not guarantee being matched with a fellow or a CHCI member, and nor does participation in the program require the CHCI member organization to host a fellow. We strongly encourage participating CHCI members to remain with the program for multiple years: both CHCI and ACLS believe that this partnership will take several fellowship cycles to achieve “critical mass,” and we need your help and participation in the long run to create a robust, long-running program that can benefit both individual scholars and CHCI members for many years to come.

This partnership is being coordinated by CHCI. Please direct all questions to chci@duke.edu rather than to ACLS. We look forward to hearing from you, and to your participation in the program.

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An increasing number of CHCI members are delivering program content via streaming media, podcasts, and avenues such as iTunes University. Still others have begun to successfully use social networking mechanisms such as Facebook or Twitter. We are seeking information from our members on their use of these new tools and distribution mechanisms. If your organization is utilizing these emerging tools, please let us know. We are seeking information on the ways in which you deliver online video or audio content, if you have a directory or repository of information on such content, if you maintain a directory on a central distribution mechanism such as YouTube or iTunes University, and if you are using social networking. We are always interested in learning about particularly innovative uses of online media and social networking. Please let us know what you are doing via a brief email to chci@duke.edu. Please be sure to include any relevant URLs, Facebook group names, Twitter feeds, YouTube Channel names, or any other information on how other members might find you on the web. Based on the nature of what we receive, we will determine the best way to include this information in member directory entries and other potential places on the CHCI website. We look forward to hearing about how you are navigating “Web 2.0″

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CHCI’s Humanities for the Environment group recently launched its first major project, a website devoted to exchanging information, news, and media material related to the interface between humanities scholarship and environmental concerns. The site can be viewed at initiatives.chcinetwork.org/environment/.

Founded at CHCI’s 2008 Annual Meeting, the CHCI Initiative Humanities for the Environment was our first member-driven group. H4E serves as a network and resource for centers to develop (or extend) programming, research and dialogue related to contemporary environmental challenges. Many of our CHCI centers have done substantial work in these and related areas already; humanists and artists have long engaged issues related to sustainability, climate change, and the human/environment relationship as a whole.

The webpage brings together tCHCI centers which have expressed an interest in a collective effort in this area. You may explore relevant programming and websites of member centers through the links here. We hope this affinity group will also serve as an opportunity for further exploration of the role the humanities can and should play in these crucial areas of human concern.

The group welcomes engagement in a dialogue about the contributions that the Humanities can make to furthering our understanding of our relationship to the environment as we explore ideas and creative solutions to the environmental challenges our world currently faces. Research at the intersection of the humanities and environmental studies is proving particularly fruitful in investigating the paradigms that dictate our interaction with the environment. Our investigations aim to explore the following areas

View the new project here, and be in touch with our webmaster if you have any thoughts on content or if you would like to make any suggestions for projects to cover.

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