BISMUN Student Conference - Theme

The US presence in the Black Sea region has been steadily increasing, The recent announcement of the site in Romania of the site in Romania ( link ) that will host the United States Ballistic Missile Defense System in Romania is a testimony of the importance of the region in US foreign and security policy.

The US is also active in the economic affairs of the Black Sea area. It has been recently involved in the active energy policy of the region by commissioning a study on the construction of a LNG terminal in Romania’s biggest port ( link.).

All these invite for a moment of reflection and active discussions on the role US plays in today’s Black Sea region. The Conference is designed to provide a forum for discussing all relevant aspects of the theme.

BISMUN Student Conference - Call of papers

The Conference themed “Looking to the United States from the Western Shores of the Black Sea. What do we see?” will have both a multidisciplinary character, stimulating students from a variety of fields to conduct research on a specific thematic which can be approached from different academic domains as well as a multi-paradigmatic character as the conference is not restricted to a particular methodological perspective or research program from within a certain field. Each participant may present only one paper in one of the 3 panels.

   The following deadlines will be observed by the organizing staff:

  • Applicants are required to submit the abstract of the paper they wish to present to the official e-mail address of the Conference by the 15th of September 2011. Within 2 days of each submission the organizers shall inform the applicant on whether the abstract has been accepted.
  • The applicants whose abstracts have been accepted are required to send the final version of the paper until the 15th of October 2011. Within 3 days of each submission, the organizers shall inform the applicant on whether the paper has been accepted. 

All abstracts and papers must be submitted to the e-mail address studentconference@bismun.org within the prescribed deadlines.
All papers presented during the Conference may be published in a special issue of the Romanian Journal of International Relations and Security Studies coordinated by the RISS Center . Participants wishing to have their paper published are required to send a final corrected version of their paper by 1 December 2011.
The organizing staff will provide more information regarding the publication of the papers during the following days!

   Although we primarily encourage the submission of papers linking the United States to the Black Sea region, from an international law, international relations, security and economical perspective, we will also accept papers regarding the present-day role of the United States on a global level within the above mentioned fields.
   The Conference is divided into three panels, each panel being coordinated by two academic specialists of the field. The three panels are:

  1. International Law and International Relations Perspectives
Coordinators: TBA

  • In this panel we encourage the submission of papers on the international criminal law triangle between the International Criminal Court, the United States, and other states of the world (if you can, please stick to the Black Sea Region). An analysis of the following treaties and the actions the US or Russia have taken in relation to them would be highly appreciated: the new START, the ABM Treaty and the CFE treaty. Of course the international law perspective on these treaties is welcomed.
  • The organizers also encourage the presentation of papers on the relevance of the Montreaux Convention, especially in relation with military exercises in the Black Sea  
  •  Organizers are also interested in the role of the United States in the Black Sea regional organizations (e.g. Black Sea Economic Cooperation, Black Sea Forum for Partnership and Dialogue, Community of Democratic Choice, GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development), the influence exercised by the United States in regard to the international treaties involving the Black Sea and its adjacent states, the role of the United States in the geopolitical climate specific to Black Sea states, the role played by the United States in respect to the external political directions assumed by countries around the Black Sea region, etc.
  •  Terrorism is a thoroughly discussed issue, but still organizers are interested in the role countries in the Black Sea region play in the fight against terrorism. An analysis on the Council of Europe investigations on secret detentions would be highly appreciated.
  • The organizers are also curious to hear opinions on the role of Turkey, and on Turkey-US relations

2. Security and Military Perspectives
Coordinators: TBA

  • In this panel we encourage the submission of papers on specific security issues such as the role of the United States in settling conflict in the Black Sea Region (see Transnistria or South Ossetia), on whether this can be done with or outside NATO structures or even whether NATO has a role to play in the Black Sea Region.
  • Participants are also invited to consider papers on securing air defences of the country in the region and how US can help in this respect. They are more than encouraged to consider very specific issues such as the procurement of aircraft or the building of ballistic missile defenses. In this context, the organizers are looking forward for papers dealing also with the economic costs of defense, with a specific reference to the possibility of pooling military assets. It would be also very interesting to hear papers on the role of combat drones in the current military context, but also on the role such devices could play in the future (are they the future of strike aircraft?)
  • We also encourage the submission of papers on the military role of the United States on a global level and how countries in the Black Sea region have positioned themselves in relation to this role, ongoing conflicts involving the United States military forces, involvement of the United States in international peacekeeping missions, the United States and the nuclear disarmament, with an accent on the nuclear disarmament of countries in the Black Sea region.

3. Economic Perspectives
Coordinator: TBA

  • The global economic financial crisis has shown that the whole world watches attentively what happens in the US. It is also the case with the Black Sea region. But how much does the economic evolutions in the US influence the countries in the region? This is a theme organizers encourage participants to contribute. They are also interested in the geography of recession i.e. on how countries  manages the woes of the economic crisis?
  • Are US investors interested in the region? Could they do more, and what could the region do to encourage them to do more. The organizers, on their turn, encourage participants to bring forward their ideas and suggestions.
  • The Black Sea region has a special place in the global energy market. What is the role the US plays here?