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North American Taiwan Studies Association 
29th Annual Conference

Taiwan Studies Matters:
Worlding the Contested Frontier

June 11-13, 2024

New York City**

Call for Proposals

Taiwan has long been a frontier for empires. Its position as a frontline has allowed Taiwan Studies to emerge as a global laboratory for knowledge production. More recently, Taiwan has garnered worldwide attention due to its evolving roles in the international sphere. It is evident that Taiwan has taken center stage in the global competition across political, economic, and cultural arenas. Given such global dynamics, how might Taiwan Studies provide a deeper insight into the world?

 

NATSA’s 2024 conference theme “Taiwan Studies Matters: Worlding the Contested Frontier” wishes to critically reflect on the past achievements of Taiwan Studies and to explore ways to center Taiwan’s complex local experiences in dialogue with international audiences. As a contested place rich in political and cultural diversity, Taiwan has inspired scholars to produce numerous insights and expand the horizons of various disciplines. The 2024 Annual Conference will mark the thirtieth anniversary of NATSA, and we welcome proposals not only deeply rooted in various intellectual traditions that have been explored by Taiwan Studies, but also strive to generate new insights about Taiwan that can enrich scholarship in other areas as well.

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The 2024 NATSA conference invites proposals from all humanities, social sciences, and other related fields. We especially encourage proposals addressing one or more than one of the following questions:​

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    1. Worlding 

  • In your research or teaching, how do you connect the experiences of Taiwan or Taiwan Studies to other places in the world? 

  • What intellectual, political, social, cultural, fictional, aesthetic, or ethical “worlds” have people in Taiwan or Taiwan Studies created, fostered, or erased? 

  • What are the conditions and effects of various acts of “worlding”? How can we produce intellectual insights from these acts of “worlding”?

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   2. Frontier

  • How have Taiwan’s historical experiences as a frontier of capitalism, colonialism, and multiple empires shaped the politics and culture of Taiwan and elsewhere?

  • How do local actors and social groups interact with the geopolitical forces that are shaping Taiwan today?

  • What are the similarities and differences between Taiwan and other frontiers of major social and intellectual forces in the world, including not only those commonly compared but also the less explored ones?

  • How can Taiwan be repositioned as a forefront for emerging research topics, methodologies, metaphors, or analytical tools in your academic field or teaching? 

 

   3. Contested Discipline(s)

  • How might your scholarly work on Taiwan help examine or challenge the prevailing theses in your field of study?

  • Are there any established theses or methodologies in Taiwan Studies that warrant challenge or reexamination? Are certain archives, peoples, or topics under-researched? How does your research address these overlooked aspects?

  • What is Taiwan Studies? Who are its “founders”? What are its intellectual tendencies? How can we write a history of Taiwan studies?

  • What are the ways to justify Taiwan Studies in an age where area studies has been challenged, if not deemed obsolete?

 

**The location of the conference will be announced soon. Please follow the NATSA website and our social media platforms for updates.

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Important dates (Eastern Time):

Submission Dates: November 1, 2023 - January 15, 2024 (Google Form will close on January 15 at 11:59 pm ET) 

Notification of Acceptance: March 08, 2024

Conference Dates: June 11-13, 2024

Graduate Student Travel Grant Award will be available for application upon acceptance of the proposal.

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Submission portal: LINK

​***Please note that the proposal must be written in English, and if accepted, the presentation must also be in English.

****Please note that submissions not in the correct format will not be considered.

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1. Individual paper

  • Abstract: 200-250 words (paper title and citations not included) 

  • Please include an introduction/motivation/research question(s), research method(s), and expected contribution/preliminary finding(s). 

  • If accepted, extended abstract or full paper submission is required:

    • Due date: June 1, 2024

    • Word Limits: 
      Extended abstract: 1000 words (max.)
      Full paper: 3000-8000 words, excluding references
       

2. Panel

  • Expected number of panelists: 3 to 4

  • Panel description: 200-250 words 

  • Each individual paper abstract: 200-250 words (paper title and citations not included)

  • Please include an introduction/motivation/research question(s), research method(s), and expected contribution/preliminary finding(s). 

  • If accepted, extended abstract or full paper submission is required:

    • Due date: June 1, 2024

    • Word limits: 
      Extended abstract: 1000 words (max.)
      Full paper: 3000-8000 words, excluding references

  • Papers submitted in the form of a panel cannot be resubmitted as individual paper proposals.

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3. Art projects

  • Bio of the applicant(s): up to 200 words

  • Proposal: up to 1000 words (project title and citations not included)

  • Please specify the following information in your proposal: 

    • Title

    • Description or narrative of the project and how it relates to the conference theme

    • Primary discipline: performance, multimedia, reading, art exhibition, or other

    • Original language (must provide English surtitles or subtitles for non-English works)

    • Estimated duration (up to 90 mins)

    • Medium: video, music, or other types

    • Tech requirement (setup)

    • Has this work been shown before? If yes, please specify where and when. 

  • If applicable, please also provide the following:

    • A video link to the full documentation of the performance

    • Minimum setup and rehearsal time required

    • Preferred venue seating capacity

  • If your proposal is accepted for performance, please note that expenses of the project are not reimbursable. We do, however, plan on offering limited travel grants for accepted projects, subject to our budget availability. 

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4. Creative events or participatory workshops

  • Bio of the applicant(s): up to 200 words

  • Proposal: up to 1000 words (project title and citations not included). We welcome any projects relevant to the conference theme but not necessarily covered by the aforementioned categories of submission.

  • Please specify the following information in your proposal:

    • Title

    • Description of the project and how it relates to the conference theme

    • Expected number of participants

    • Detailed event or workshop agenda

    • Estimated duration (up to 90 mins)

    • Tech requirement (setup)

  • If your proposal is accepted for performance, please note that expenses of the project are not reimbursable. We do, however, plan on offering limited travel grants for accepted projects, subject to our budget availability. ​

Review criteria

Your proposal will be double-blind-reviewed by internal and external reviewers based on the four criteria below: 

 

  • Clarity of argument, theory, or concept (1-5 points) 

  • Proposal structure & flow (1-5 points) 

  • Feasibility, originality, and contribution (1-5 points) 

  • Relevance to our conference theme (1-5 points)

 

***Please note that all participants, including panelists, are required to register to attend the conference.

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