The Midwest Slavic Association (MWSA) and The Ohio State University’s Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (CSEEES) are pleased to announce the 2027 Midwest Slavic Conference to be held in-person in Columbus, OH, on April 2-4, 2027. The conference committee invites proposals for papers and panels on all topics related to the Slavic, East European and Eurasian world, particularly those exploring the theme of sound and silence.
How do texts, images, landscapes and institutions “speak,” make noise or remain silent? In what ways do sound and silence operate beyond sensory experiences as expressions of power, memory, identity and resistance across Eastern Europe and Eurasia? This year’s conference aims to engage participants and attendees in interdisciplinary conversation into the politics, poetics and lived experience of sound and silence. Topics may range from political censorship, acoustic propaganda and sonic warfare to non-vocal forms of communication and the rhythms of literary and cultural texts. Together, participants will explore how sound and silence function as strategies, aural realities, aesthetic expressions and historical archives that center marginalized voices, cope with trauma and map the sensory landscapes of empire, nation, community and exile.
The conference will commence at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 2, with a keynote address by Dr. Andrea F. Bohlman (U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Building on the keynote address, a plenary panel will follow on Saturday morning. Panels by conference participants will then be held 10:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Saturday and 8:30-11:45 a.m. Sunday.
Please submit a one-paragraph abstract and C.V. in a COMBINED, SINGLE PDF file using our submission portal by 11:59 p.m. EST Jan. 22, 2027. Undergraduate and graduate student applicants may indicate interest in the Midwest Slavic Mentoring Program on their application. Pre-formed panels are encouraged. Proposals for individual papers are also welcome.
Please send all inquiries to cseees@osu.edu.
DEADLINES
- Abstract and C.V. Deadline: Friday, January 22, 2027
- Notification of Acceptance: Monday, February 15, 2027
- Scheduling Conflicts Due: Wednesday, February 17, 2027
- Panels Announced: Friday, February 19, 2027
- Final Papers to Chair: Friday, March 19, 2027
- Presenter Registration Deadline: Friday, March 26, 2027
REGISTRATION AND FEES
Presenters
- Students: $50*
- Faculty/Independent Scholars: $75
General Attendees
- Student Attendees: $25*
- Non-Student Attendees: $35
Keynote Reception Fee
- $30 per person (attendance at the keynote is not included with registration and must be purchased separately)
Want to support up and coming scholars in our field? Faculty and independent scholars will have the opportunity to donate conference registration(s) for undergraduate and graduate students who are participating as presenters or general attendees. This will allow students to fully enjoy the conference. More details will be available when registration opens in when registration opens in February 2027.