The Karelian Institute at the University of Eastern Finland will be hosting the secretariat of the Association for Borderland Studies, ABS, from 2013 to 2017. The decision was made at the ABS annual meeting in Denver on 13 April 2013, where the Karelian Institute won the bid competition for the Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the Association for Borderland Studies. The Karelian Institute competed against high-ranking applications from the US and Mexico.
The ABS secretariat in Joensuu further enhances the role of the University of Eastern Finland as a key international player in the field of border studies. It also facilitates the development of the field's research, education and research training as part of the globally expanding activities of the ABS.
The strengths of the application submitted by the Karelian Institute included an extensive and global network of partners, an established institutional position, and strong human and operational resources. The leadership of the University of Eastern Finland, the City of Joensuu, and the Regional Council of North Karelia provided significant support for the project.
The ABS secretariat will be placed in the VERA Centre for Russian and Border Studies at the Karelian Institute, and its activities will be overseen by Professor James W. Scott and Researcher Jussi Laine. The most visible activities of the ABS include Journal of Borderlands Studies, which is published by the international quality publisher Routledge, and annual seminars and conferences for doctoral students.
The ABS will be taking historical steps in July 2014, as the University of Eastern Finland and the ABS will organise the first ever ABS world conference in Joensuu and St. Petersburg under the theme Post-Cold War Borders: Global Trends and Regional Responses.
For further information, please contact:
James W. Scott, Executive Secretary: james.scott(at)uef.fi, +358 50 366 0653
Jussi Laine, Treasurer and Vice Executive Secretary jussi.laine(at)uef.fi, +358 50 433 8252
Tatjana Lipiäinen, Managing Secretary, tatjana.lipiainen(at)uef.fi, +358 50 442 2903