America in the World Consortium
Young Scholars Conference: February 19-20 2025
AWC Young Scholars Conference
Navigating Escalation: America’s Strategic Role in Key Global Regions
The University of Texas at Austin
The America in the World Consortium invites Ph.D. students, early-career scholars, and early-career policy practitioners to submit paper proposals for a one-day conference on America’s role in the world, with a particular focus on escalation in the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. This conference aims to explore the multifaceted dimensions of U.S. engagement in these critical regions, spanning historical origins, modern challenges, and future trajectories.
Given this context, we are seeking works that explore four broad themes influencing escalation in these critical regions:
1. Historical Perspectives: Exploring the evolution of American foreign policy and assessing the impact of key historical events and leaders on U.S. decisions in the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific.
2. Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities: Examining great power competition and evaluating the impact of security threats on U.S. national security strategies, particularly in relation to these regions.
3. Alliances and Partnerships: Analyzing the importance of alliances in maintaining global stability and exploring how to strengthen existing alliances and form new collaborations in the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific.
4. New Domains: Investigating the implications of technological advancement, cyber threats, information warfare, and economic statecraft on U.S. security and policy in these areas.
The AWC, in collaboration with its academic partners-the Clements Center for National Security (UT-Austin), the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs (JHU-SAIS), the Duke University Program in American Grand Strategy, and the University of Florida’s Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education-will convene this interdisciplinary conference to examine America’s influence on global dynamics, foster transnational cooperation and security, and address pressing foreign issues. In each of the conference themes above, we seek to provide fresh insights, foster future scholarship, and stimulate discussions that ultimately contribute to a thorough understanding of America’s role in the world, with a specific focus on the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific.
The AWC will cover travel, meals, and lodging for paper presenters who are selected to participate. Submit an abstract Contact the organizers
Proposal Instructions:
To ensure a wide range of perspectives, the organizers welcome proposals from PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, early career academic professionals, and early career policy practitioners. Disciplines of interest are not limited, but generally include history, political science, international relations, public policy, and area studies. We are interested in thought-provoking works at various stages of readiness. Please send a 2-page abstract of your proposed presentation to papers@awconsortium.org by Monday, December 2, 2024. Presentations will be 12-15 minutes, with 5 additional minutes for Q&A. The organizers will review proposals immediately but will hold responses until shortly after December 2.
Organized by the America in the World Consortium at The Clements Center for National Security