KU centers to host conference: When Global East Meets Global South

LAWRENCE — Members of the University of Kansas community and the public are invited to an interdisciplinary East-Asian and Latin America conference that will bring together scholars from a variety of fields to explore the historical and contemporary links between the regions.

The When Global East Meets Global South hybrid conference, organized by the centers for East Asian Studies, Global & International Studies and Latin American & Caribbean Studies, will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 29. Attendees can attend on Zoom or in person at Watson Library.

Luciano Tosta, director of the Center for Global & International Studies, said research on the growing connections between these two regions is essential.

“This conference will bring together scholars from 10 countries to study the important relationship between these two parts of the world from an interdisciplinary perspective,” Tosta said. “As an organizer of this conference, the Center for Global & International Studies fulfills its role as a catalyst for interdisciplinary comparative studies at KU and works to keep various parts of the globe in dialogue.”

It also highlights the importance of co-organizers the Center for East Asian Studies and Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies as national resource centers at KU and brings their regional expertise to the forefront.

The first keynote speaker Junyoung Verónica Kim, assistant professor of visual culture and media at the University of Pittsburgh, will examine alternative conceptual frames through which scholars trace overlooked histories of migration and connections in the Pacific Rim.

The second keynote speaker, R. Evan Ellis, research professor in Latin America studies at the Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, will discuss the latest trends in and outlook for Latin America’s relationship with China and other Asian partners.

Conference panel topics include political models, historical connections, economic engagement, representation in film and media, and perspectives on migration.

Additional information and registration details are available on the conference website.