The European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) and King Baudouin Foundation (KBF) organise a conference on 10 December 2008 in Brussels on: “Does it really matter? Visa facilitation in the Western Balkans: Monitoring of the new agreements”. More information on the conference and the conference programme can be found here.

Eine wahre kakanische Begebenheit: Das Institut für Kulturwissenschaften und Theatergeschichte an der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften,  in Kooperation mit der Internationalen Gesellschaft für Mittel- und Osteuropaforschung (IG.MOF) und der Botschaft von Bosnien-Herzegowina laden zur Tagung Österreichs vergessene Kolonie? Bosnien-Herzegowina und die Habsburger Monarchie am 11.-13. Dezember and der ÖAW (Sonnenfelsgasse 19, Theatersaal, 1010 Wien).

Along with the recently announced conference on Europe before the European Community, the Centre for European Studies at UCL has organized an other conference at the very same date (December 11-12, 2008): Transitions. European Communities of Experience and Memory.

The course offerings for the 2009 CEU Summer University are available. You can apply for either a research-intensive or a policy and training course in a wide range of disciplines from Aesthetics through Law and Pedagogy to Urban Studies.

One of the most interesting recent announcements, at least for me, is the call for papers launched by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Princeton University. The organizers intend to discuss the Totalitarian Laughter: Cultures of the Comic under Socialism. The conference will take place May 8-9, 2009, deadline for submissions is February 10, 2009.

The UCL Centre for European Studies has organised a conference on Europe before the European Community, 1918-1957. Images and Ideas to be held December 11-12, 2008. The panels focus on different regions and their emblematic representatives such as Heinrich Mann or Otto Dix, Carl Schmitt or Denis de Rougemont, as well as on European and anti-European discourses of that time.