Date: June 23-24, 2022
Concept note:
The countries of the South Caucasus are slowly rebounding from the shocks of COVID-19. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Georgia and Armenia are projected to post 5.8% and 4.5% growth rates in 2022. Nevertheless, achieving pre-pandemic economic conditions is complicated due to structural and political factors endemic to the region. Another pressing concern is whether or not the benefits of growth will be equitably spread within these socially unequal societies.
From a political perspective, the region is still recovering from the effects of the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The declined presence of the West coupled with the arrival of international actors, such as China, and the emergence of new formats for regional cooperation and political alignment reshape current geopolitical and security frameworks.
Informed by these themes, the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRCs) seek proposals for the 8th Annual CRRC Conference and welcome methodologically driven, substantive contributions. We invite panel and paper proposals investigating the profound sociopolitical, cultural, and economic changes occurring in the South Caucasus through a comparative, empirical lens. We welcome quality scholarly contributions from emerging and established academics exploring the following broader topics:
-
- Conflicts, displacement, and reconciliation;
-
- Politics, power, and democracy;
-
- Culture, values, and identity;
-
- Economic development, digitalization, energy, and mobility;
-
- Urban and environmental issues;
-
- Civil society and activism.
As CRRC offices are committed to promoting innovative research methods, this year’s conference will host two keynote talks and panels focused on methodological innovations in experimental and quasi-experimental methods and the usage of text as data in social sciences and policy analysis.
In addition to methodological keynotes and panels, we also invite other authors who explore methodological innovations and address challenges to data collection, analysis, visualization, and dissemination. With a particular focus on approaches pertinent to research during the COVID-19 pandemic, prospective participants are encouraged to submit their proposals for panels and workshops oriented on methodological innovations in social science and policy analysis.
In this installment of the annual CRRC Conference, we celebrate a publication of another wave of Caucasus Barometer, a bi-annual household survey administered by the CRRC offices. We welcome contributions using original data, but authors who plan to present scholarly work based on the Caucasus Barometer, are especially encouraged to apply.
Conference Structure
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, all scheduled events will take place online. Panel presentations, roundtables, and keynote speeches will be broadcast via CRRC offices’ Facebook and Youtube pages.
The working language of the conference is English.
How to apply?
Initial proposals, including an extended abstract (max. 500 words) and a CV, can be submitted via this form by April 14, 2022. CRRC offices will notify successful participants via email. Final notification of acceptance will be issued in mid-May. If you would like to propose a panel, please email a title and an abstract of the suggested panel to applications@crrccenters.org and david@crrccenters.org.
Important dates:
Submission of initial proposals (an extended abstract and a CV) – April 14, 2022
Confirmation of final acceptance – May 20, 2022
About CRRC
The Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC) is a network of research and research support centers in the capital cities of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. CRRC’s goal is to strengthen social science research and public policy analysis in the South Caucasus. Over the past seventeen years, the CRRC offices have become a nexus of activity for the social science community in the South Caucasus by providing open access to data, scholarly literature, and professional training for social science researchers. For more information about CRRC and the upcoming conference, please visit the respective country websites at crrc.am, crrc.az and crrc.ge.
About Caucasus Barometer
The Caucasus Barometer is a bi-annual nationwide household survey conducted by the CRRC offices in the South Caucasus. Since 2004, CRRC has interviewed around 50,000 residents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia on socio-economic issues, values, beliefs, and political attitudes. Since 2015, Caucasus Barometer has been administered in Armenia and Georgia only. To find more about the survey and access the dataset, please visit caucasusbarometer.org
