The Graduate Student Conference Committee 

of the Comparative Literature & Hispanic Studies Programs 

& the Migration and Ethnic Relations Collaborative Graduate Specialization 

at Western University 

is pleased to invite submissions for this year’s joint Graduate Student Conference

«The interior landscape responds to the character and subtlety of an exterior landscape; 

the shape of the individual mind is affected by land as it is by genes»

(Barry Lopez)

As protagonists of the Anthropocene era, it is incumbent upon us to reflect not only on our impact on the Earth, but also on how our being Earthlings impacts our very essence. Indeed, our surroundings wield a crucial influence on the formation of our individual selves, as we are molded while molding the Environment. The “Roots on Routes” Conference is an interdisciplinary gathering that explores the intricate relationships between environment, identity, and space. In an era marked by rapid urbanization, globalization, and environmental challenges, understanding how people navigate and negotiate these complex intersections is paramount. This Conference seeks to foster dialogue, share insights, and promote innovative research across a variety of disciplines.

A sampling of topics includes, but is not limited to:

Environmental Sustainability

-   Sustainable Practices in Science and Humanities

-   Ecological Literature and Artworks

-   Creation, Interartistic Approaches or Digital Humanities as a Response to Climate Crisis

-   Environmental Justice

-   Queer Ecology

-   Environmental Sustainability and Cultural Relativism

Identity, Migration, and Space

-   Diaspora Communities and Identity Formation

-   Refugee Narratives and Belonging

-   Migration Policies and Social Integration

-   Migration and the Environment

-   Shifting Space and Identity Resilience

-   Concerns of Location

-   Labour Market Integration

-   Educational Attainment

Ecological Space and Cultural Globalization

-   Cultural Hybridity and Identity

-   Transnational Literature and Art

-   Global Media and Cultural Impact

-   Ecocritical Approaches to Literature in the Anthropocene

-   Geopoetics and the Power of Geographical Imagination

-   Environmental Linguistics

Migration and Development

-      Remittances and Family Well-Being

-      Return Migration

-      Impact on Community Development

Gender and Migration

-      Underemployment and Deskilling

-      Migration of Highly Skilled Women

-      Immigration and Gender-Based Violence

Vulnerability and Uncertainty in Shifting Space

-      Refugee Integration

-      Temporary Foreign Workers and Labour Market Experiences

-      Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

Key dates

Conference: March 21–22–23, 2024

Proposals submission deadline: December 31, 2023

Notification of Acceptance: January 15, 2024

Abstracts of no more than 250 words, complete with paper title, affiliation, and short biography of the speaker

should be sent through the form on the website https://rootsonroutes.webnode.es/.

No registration fee is required.

The conference will be held both in-person and online

(a Zoom link will be provided to the participants).

Each speaker will have 15 minutes for their presentation.

There will be time for questions and discussion at the end of each panel.

Join us at the “Roots on Routes” Conference as we explore the intricate connections between environment, identity, and space.

Share your research, engage in meaningful discussions, and contribute to the collective understanding of this vital intersection.

We look forward to your participation and to creating a dynamic and inspiring Conference!

Featuring:

Jennifer Long — MacEwan University

Jenna Robar — YMCA Toronto

Victoria Jara — Western University

Surveyor Efik — Climate Poet

For more information about the Conference,

please contact rootsonroutes@gmail.com

or visit the website https://rootsonroutes.webnode.es/

and our Instagram page @rootsonroutes2024