NDSU’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Department of History, Philosophy and Religious Studies, will host a mini conference titled “After the Fall: 20 Years of Postcommunist Transition in the Former Soviet Empire” Friday, Oct. 28. Sessions will be held at both NDSU and the Hotel Donaldson in downtown Fargo.
The first session, “Research in Transition: A Round Table,” is scheduled for 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at NDSU’s Memorial Union in the Prairie room. During this session, each participant will report on the ways his or her research has been affected by the collapse of communism or the politics or economics of transition in the region. The floor will then be open for audience questions and comments. The panel will include NDSU faculty Tom Ambrosio, political science; John Cox, history; Mark Meister, communications; Dragan Miljkovic, agribusiness and applied economics; Florin Salajan, School of Education; and Chris Whitsel, sociology. University of North Dakota faculty presenters include Richard Shafer, journalism; and Paul Sum, political science. Jennifer Wistrand, from the anthropology department at Washington University, also will present.
The second session, “Civil Society after the Fall: Two Projects,” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Stokers’ Lounge at the Hotel Donaldson (101 Broadway). During this session, UND faculty members Shafer and Sum will present their ongoing research projects in Central Asia and Romania, respectively. A question and answer period will follow.
Sponsors for the event include the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences dean’s office; the Department of Sociology and Anthropology; and the Department of History, Philosophy and Religious Studies.