During the week of August 29, 2004 the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at University College London (UCL) will host an International Graduate Student Conference in Jewish Studies. We are pleased to extend an invitation to graduate students anywhere in the world to take part in a week-long programme of scholarly and social activities. Participants will be housed in a hall of residence of University College London, in the very centre of London. The conference follows on from the first such conference, London 2000, held at UCL four years ago, with over 100 participants.
Our conference is designed to bring together both students based in formal Jewish Studies programmes, as well as those who are pursuing some aspect of Jewish Studies in a more general department or centre.
The conference will be divided into five broad sections:
I. Jewish History
II. Texts and Primary Sources (Ancient, Medieval, and Modern)
III. Jewish Writers in Hebrew, Yiddish and Other Languages
IV. Culture, including Art, Music, Cinema
V. Jewish Politics
Each day will begin with a plenary session conducted by a senior scholar. Afternoon sessions will consist of graduate student presentations. As noted above, these scholars will be available for informal and unstructured interaction and discussions throughout the conference.
The language of the conference will be English. However, participants will be welcome to present their presentations in any language, although we request that a brief English summary be made available to participants. As appropriate, panels can be organized by language, such as French, Russian or Hebrew. We would welcome complete panels from various countries. It is not necessary to present a paper in order to participate in the conference.
There will be a number of social events as well as time to tour London.
The deadline for the submission of applications is 15 July. The deadline for requests for financial aid for students from Eastern Europe is 1 July. We will acknowledge all applications upon receipt by email. Please notify us, as soon as possible, if you require a letter of invitation (in hard copy) in order to secure a visa to attend the conference.
The central objective of London 2004 is to promote scholarly contacts and networking among all students working in the field of Jewish Studies.