Invitation to submit papers for the international scientific conference "Anthropology and Environment in Contemporary Vietnam"

Natural disastersautomatic CA) and man-made disasters (human-made disastersThese are the specific and severe manifestations of larger changes in environmental conditions and the relationship between humans and the environment today, impacting human life in mountainous, lowland, coastal, and urban areas of Vietnam in many ways. The Vietnamese government has issued numerous policies and implemented many action programs to respond to and mitigate the harmful effects of environmental change in general, and man-made natural disasters and catastrophes in particular. At the same time, communities and households also have their own ways of responding to natural disasters such as storms, floods, landslides, or the negative impacts of urban, industrial, agricultural, and hydroelectric development projects, etc.

In this context, exploring how the people and the state in Vietnam have thought about and responded to environmental change and crises is essential and has particularly profound scientific and practical significance, especially in the current Covid-19 pandemic situation. The concept of environment encompasses social, cultural, technological, institutional, economic, and natural environments. Anthropologists have long been interested in and possess many advantages in comparative approaches and methodologies to study and clarify the experiences of environmental change and its multifaceted impacts. Ethnographic analyses promise to shed light on state policies and actions, while exploring the diverse responses of individuals, households, communities, and ethnic groups to environmental conditions in general, and man-made disasters and catastrophes in particular, in urban areas, plains, coastal areas, mountainous regions, etc.

The University of Social Sciences and Humanities – VNU Hanoi is organizing this workshop for anthropologists and researchers to share research findings and discuss environmental issues in contemporary Vietnam. Using an anthropological approach, each report should focus on analyzing and discussing at least one of the following topics:

• Anthropological perspectives and research methods on the environment.
• The current state of environmental change, and its multifaceted impacts.
• Environmental policy and the government's response to environmental change, natural disasters, or man-made catastrophes.
• The worldview and dynamics in the relationship between humans and the environment, the ways in which individuals, households, communities, and ethnic groups respond to environmental change, natural disasters, and man-made catastrophes.
• Awareness and response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Time and place

• TimeDecember 8, 2021
• Location: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 336 Nguyen Trai Street, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi.

Conference organization format

• Vietnamese and international delegates currently in Hanoi can participate in the workshop in the auditorium at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, or online.
• International delegates from overseas participated in the conference online.
• Conference languages: Vietnamese and English

Report submission deadline

• Abstract submission deadline (250-300 words): July 15, 2021
• Invitation to submit full papers: August 1, 2021
• Deadline for submitting the full paper (approximately 7,000 – 9,000 words): November 15, 2021
• Invitation to the Workshop: November 21, 2021
• Workshop: December 8, 2021

Contact address
For abstracts, full reports, and related issues, please send them to:

• Organizing Committee:environment.anth.ussh@gmail.com
• Nguyen Vu Hoang: hv.nguyen.ussh@gmail.com
• Ngo Thi Chang: ngochangntc@gmail.com; phone: 0941903855

Invitation Details: See English and Vietnamese versions.here