The Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences of America and the Polish Studies Program at Central Connecticut State University are pleased to invite proposals for a joint conference/anniversary celebration to be held at Central Connecticut State University, June 9-11, 2023.

Proposals are solicited for complete sessions or individual papers in any of the disciplines in the liberal arts, sciences, or business/economics. The Polish Studies Program at CCSU celebrates its fiftieth anniversary in 2024; this joint PIASA/CCSU conference comprises the main event of that anniversary celebration. The general theme of the conference is “Migrations,” for which New Britain, Connecticut, a destination of generations of Polish and other immigrants, is a most appropriate setting. It was those Polish immigrants who helped fund an endowed chair in Polish and Polish-American Studies at Central Connecticut State University, whose library also houses the Connecticut Polish American Archive. Therefore, we particularly welcome panel and paper proposals which discuss the determinants, processes, and outcomes of human migration in all of its manifestations and from various disciplinary perspectives, including the migration of ideas and material culture. However, papers do not necessarily have to address the conference theme. Since we value comparative sessions that place the Polish and East Central European experience in context, papers need not focus specifically on Poland or the Polish diaspora but could revolve around a central theme of a panel. Similarly, sessions including presenters from more than one country are encouraged.

Each session is scheduled for 90 minutes to accommodate three papers or about 20 minutes per paper, with suitable time left for discussion. The conference language is English. All conference rooms will be equipped with AV for PowerPoint presentations. Presenters are invited to submit their conference papers to be considered for possible publication in The Polish Review subsequent to the conference.

To submit a paper or complete session, please send the name, e-mail address, institutional affiliation, tentative paper title and brief one-paragraph abstract for each presenter to program chairs Patrice Dabrowski at and Lynn Lubamersky at . The deadline for proposals is March 1, though earlier submissions are welcome since capacity, including the possibility of virtual participation, is limited. All participants are expected to pay the conference registration fee of $80, discounted to $40 for students.

In addition to the conference panels, several additional events are being organized. Our traditional pre-conference tour is scheduled for the afternoon and evening of Thursday, June 8 (3:00-8:00 p.m.). The tour consists of a trip to the New England Air Museum to see the Polish National Home in Hartford. One must pre-register and pay for the tour. There will also be a reception on Friday, June 9, free to all registered participants. The conference banquet will be held on Saturday, June 10, for which participants are again asked to pre-register and pay a separate fee.