[Call for submissions] International Scientific Conference "Anthropology and Development in Contemporary Vietnam"

1. PURPOSE

In the context of Vietnam, the position, role, and contributions of Anthropology and anthropologists to development in different regions and spaces remain unclear from the perspective of basic research, application, and development practice. Based on this, with 60 years of tradition and 10 years of building and developing the Faculty of Anthropology at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, we are organizing an international conference on the theme 'Anthropology and Development in Contemporary Vietnam' to (i) examine and evaluate the achievements, limitations, and propose directions for the Faculty's development, and (ii) clarify the role and contributions of Anthropology to the country's development issues.

For over half a century, development has been, is, and continues to be the goal of action for many countries. In contemporary Vietnam, development policies, realized through development programs and projects in various sectors and geographical areas, have yielded impressive successes in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction. However, much information indicates that the limitations and consequences of the development process also create significant impacts on the environment, society, and culture at different levels, regions, and ethnic groups. This reality needs to be continuously identified, analyzed, and addressed with efforts from both national and local levels, requiring the contribution and coordination of many different entities within the State and society.

Anthropology is a social science with a unique role and contribution to development. Anthropologists not only study development topics but also apply anthropological methods, providing practical knowledge to bridge or shorten the gap between policy and practice, participating in the formulation and implementation of development policies, etc. In the context of contemporary Vietnam, the growing number and expertise of anthropologists (including ethnographers) have made impressive contributions to the field of development from research, application, and practice perspectives.

The University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, in collaboration with the French Institute for Development Research (IRD), organized this workshop with the aim of creating a forum for scientists and policy practitioners to analyze and discuss: (1) the achievements, limitations, and development directions of the Faculty of Anthropology and the Anthropology discipline; (2) the role, position, and contribution of Anthropology to development issues in Vietnam from the perspectives of basic research, application, and practice; (3) thereby discussing prospects and proposing solutions to promote professionalism and improve research efficiency, training quality, and the ability to apply anthropology to solve practical development problems in Vietnam in the contemporary context.

2. CONTENT

The reports examine one or more of the following:problemmain points below:

1. Achievements, limitations, and future development directions of the Department of Anthropology, Anthropology major.
2. The contributions of Anthropology to development issues in Vietnam, including the political context, theoretical approaches, methodologies, and achievements.
3. Personal experiences and reflections on development practices, and the impact of contemporary development policies/programs/projects.
4. New prospects for Anthropology and Development in Vietnam.

From an anthropological perspective, each report should focus on analyzing and discussing one or more of these topics.topicBelow is an analysis from a theoretical and/or practical perspective, or in different cultural spaces (ethnic groups) and geographical spaces (mountains, plains, cities, islands):

1. Contemporary Anthropology in Vietnam: Innovation and International Integration
2. Ethnic issues, ethnic identity, ethnic relations
3. Environmental issues, ecology, urbanization, land, livelihoods, poverty reduction, migration, tourism.
4. Health issues, education, participation, empowerment, decentralization, gender, marriage, family, kinship, social organizations.
5. Issues related to beliefs, customs, language, local knowledge, cultural identity, cultural heritage, and cultural preservation.

3. LANGUAGEVietnamese and English

4. TIME AND LOCATION

4.1. Workshop TimeOne day,Wednesday, November 11, 2020.In the event of a surge in Covid-19 cases, the Conference Organizing Committee will consider switching to an online format or postponing the Conference to a more appropriate time..

4.2. Conference Venue: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 336 Nguyen Trai Street, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi

4.3. Report submission deadline:

• August 31, 2020: Deadline for submitting abstracts
• October 31, 2020: Deadline for submitting the full report.
• November 11, 2020: Workshop

4.4. Reporting Guidelines:

• The summary report should be 200-350 words long.
• The full report is 4,000-10,000 words long.
• Reporting language: Vietnamese or English

4.5. Conference Budget:The Conference Organizing Committee will provide travel and accommodation expenses for a small number of delegates from outside Hanoi who are invited by the Organizing Committee to present papers at the Conference.

4.6. Email address for receiving abstracts, full papers, and conference contact information.:

• Nguyen Van Suu: nvsuu@yahoo.com
• Ngo Thi Chang: ngochangntc@gmail.com; phone: 0941903855