Midwest Slavic Conference

General Information on the Conference

Each year the Midwest Slavic Association and CSEEES partner together to host the Midwest Slavic Conference. The conference has been held on the OSU campus since 2003 and is normally held in the spring. Participation is open to undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and independent scholars from across the United States and abroad. Approximately 30 panels are held each year with over 250 attendees from institutions throughout the country and internationally. Conference events include a keynote address, reception, and panels covering film, political science, culture, history, linguistics, and many other disciplines and that focus on all countries and regions of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Midwestern states map with superimposed photo of the Red Square.

Upcoming Conferences

2024 Midwest Slavic Conference

April 5-7, 2024 - Columbus, OH

2024 Conference Panel Schedule

Register for the Conference

The Midwest Slavic Association and The Ohio State University (OSU) Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (CSEEES) are pleased to announce the 2024 Midwest Slavic Conference to be held in-person at OSU in Columbus, Ohio on April 5-7, 2024. The conference committee invites proposals for papers on all topics related to the Slavic, East European and Eurasian world, particularly those related to the theme of Cold Wars past and present. The impact of Cold War-era tensions can still be felt in many parts of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and the effects continue to shape political and social landscapes. We welcome papers that will examine the ways in which the Cold War has influenced political ideologies, relationships with the West, and ongoing conflicts and pressures in the region. The conference theme will provide students and scholars with the opportunity to discuss these complex political and social dynamics.

The conference will open with a reception at the OSU Faculty Club (181 S Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210) from 5:30PM-7:00PM followed by the keynote address from 7:00PM-8:30PM by Dr. Richard Herrmann (Ohio State U.). Building on the keynote address, a plenary panel will follow on Saturday morning from 8:30AM-10:15AM at the Blackwell Inn and Conference Center (2110 Tuttle Park Pl., Columbus, OH 43210). Panels by conference participants will then be held on Saturday from 10:30AM-4:45PM and Sunday from 8:30AM-11:45AM. 

Abstract and Panel Submissions

Please submit a one-paragraph abstract and C.V. in a combined, single PDF file using our submission portal by 11:59 PM EST February 2nd, 2024. Undergraduate and graduate students are strongly encouraged to participate. Interdisciplinary work and pre-formed panels are encouraged. Proposals for individual papers are also welcome. Have questions? Please send all inquiries to cseees@osu.edu.

Registration is required to attend all conference events and activities. 

Deadlines                                                                                                                     

  • Abstract and C.V. Deadline: February 2                                            
  • Notification of Acceptance: February 19                                           
  • Scheduling Conflicts Due: February 21                                                                    
  • Panels Announced: February 23                                                     
  • Final Papers to Chair: March 22 
  • Presenter Registration Deadline: April 1

Registration Fees

Registration is REQUIRED to attend all conference events and activities. Registration will include entry to all conference panels as well as all special events listed in the Special Events section below.

  • Student Presenters: $35*
  • Faculty/Independent Scholars: $50
  • General Attendees: $25*

*Donated Registrations for Young Scholars of Slavic Studies

Want to support up and coming scholars in our field? This year we have created an option for faculty and independent scholars to donate conference registration(s) for undergraduate and graduate students who are participating as presenters or general attendees. This will allow students to enjoy the conference to the fullest extent.

Students who are interested in receiving a waiver code for donated registrations should email CSEEES at cseees@osu.edu. Donated registrations will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Special Events

Opening Reception and Keynote Address with Dr. Richard Herrmann (Ohio State U.)

Friday, April 5, OSU Faculty Club, Main Dining Room on the 2nd Floor (181 S Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210) 

  • Opening Reception, 5:30PM-7:00PM
  • Keynote Address, 7:00PM-8:30PM

Plenary Panel

Saturday, April 6, 8:30-10:15AM, Pfahl Hall, Room 302 Blackwell Inn and Conference Center (2110 Tuttle Park Pl., Columbus, OH 43210)

Lunchtime Performance: José Limón’s Missa Brevis with Dr. Mara Frazier (Ohio State U.)

Saturday, April 6, 12:15-1:15PM, Pfahl Hall, Room 302 

New Roundtable: Exploring REEE Careers Beyond Academia 

Saturday, April 6, 1:30-3:00PM, Pfahl Hall, Room 330

Chair: Dr. Theodora Kelly McGee (Denison U.)
Speakers

  • Alicia Baca (U. of Colorado - Boulder, Ohio State U.)
  • Eric Connelly (Ohio State U., Riverside Research)
  • Dr. Sara Ceilidh Orr (Ohio State U., Moonstream)

2024 Ohio Russian, East European and Eurasian (REEE) Undergraduate Poster Forum

Saturday, April 6, 3:15-4:45 PM, Pfahl Hall, 3rd Floor Foyer

Midwest Slavic Association Meeting

Saturday, April 6, 5:00-5:30 PM, Pfahl Hall, 3rd Floor Foyer

General Conference Information

Lodging

We do not provide lodging for any participants at the conference. We encourage undergraduate and graduate students to apply for travel grants from their home universities to cover all travel costs. If any documentation is needed to apply for funds, please email cseees@osu.edu.

Lodging options include:

Transportation and Parking

For those driving to campus, self-pay parking is available at parking garages close to the conference site in the Lane Avenue Garage and the Tuttle Garage.

A variety of taxi cab services also operate in the Columbus metro area, as well as Lyft and Uber.

Tips for Presentations and Submitting Papers to Panel Chairs 

You should prepare a presentation of 15-20 minutes in length, generally material that can be covered in an 8-10 page paper. If presenting or reading from a paper, be aware that reading directly from a paper is less engaging. Try to make eye-contact with the audience and not read word-for-word from the paper. Each panelist will present, then questions and discussion led by the chair will be at the end of the panel. Be respectful of other panelists' time to allow equal discussion and time for all members. Send your presentation materials to the panel chair promptly and do not send them longer versions of your paper, what you send them should represent what you will present at the conference. The conference rooms will each have a projector and internet access. Attendees should bring their own laptops and any special cords needed for connecting to a/v equipment. You can use PowerPoints or another presentation program, film clips, or other visual aids. Please prepare a backup in case you encounter any issues accessing your presentation. The conference site will have staff on hand to help. If you have any questions about a/v or software in the conference rooms, please email cseees@osu.edu in advance.

Dining Options

There are many dining options located in easy walking distance from the conference location, the Blackwell Inn and Conference Center. Below are a few close options but by no means is it an inclusive list.

Knowledge Bank

Knowledge Bank is a digital repository maintained by OSU's University Libraries. Conference participants can elect to have their abstracts, papers, and PowerPoints included in Knowledge Bank. Within Knowledge Bank, CSEEES has created a community for the Midwest Slavic Conference that contains programs and participants' materials. Knowledge Bank is accessible through the University Libraries' website and is open to everyone, including those not affiliated with OSU. Papers are searchable and downloadable, helping to increase the impact of the conference and providing a way to spread participants' work. Learn more about the Knowledge Bank.

Check out CSEEES' community today!

Prior Conferences

2023 Conference

Friday, March 24 - Sunday, March 26, 2023 

Co-sponsored by The American Councils for International EducationThe Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian StudiesThe Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures at The Ohio State U.The Havighurst Center at Miami U.The Society for Slovene StudiesU. of Pittsburgh’s Summer Language Institute, and U. of Washington's Roma Boniecka Endowed Program for Slovene Studies.

Keynote address: "Gothic Displacements and the Russian Imperial Conquest: Literary Cases of Finland and Ukraine" with Dr. Valeria Sobol (U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)

Plenary panel: "Fostering Community and Solidarity in a Time of Plague: Uniting Readers Across the Globe Through Russian Literature" by Dr. Anna Barker (U. of Iowa), "The Quotidian and the Crisis: Documenting the Immigrant Experience through Food Writing" by Dr. Philip Gleissner (Ohio State U.), and "Demopolitics, A Key to Understanding Modern Central-Eastern Europe and Beyond: Evidence from Poland" by Dr. Jarosław Szczepański (U. of Warsaw)

2022 Conference

Friday, April 1 - Sunday, April 3, 2022

Co-sponsored by Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies.

Keynote address: "Looking Across Species in the Anthropocene: Carnivores and Compassion" by Dr. Ian Helfant (Colgate U.)

Plenary panel: "Who Owns Icebergs? Seeking Multidisciplinary Solutions in a Legal Vacuum" by Dr. Matthew Birkhold (Ohio State U.), "What Can a Cosmic Collision Teach Us about Climate Change? The 1908 Tunguska Explosion and Environmental Perils of the Future" by Dr. Andy Bruno (Northern Illinois U.), and "Fighting "Future Famines" after the First World War" by Dr. Maria Fedorova (Macalester College).

2021 Conference

Thursday, April 15 - Saturday, April 18, 2021

The 2021 conference was held in a virtual, online format. Information is available on the 2021 Midwest Slavic Conference Website.

Keynote address: “The Geography of Joy: Alex Dubas, Voices of Russian Happiness, and the Art of Translation”, by Dr. Yvonne Howell, University of Richmond

Plenary panel: “Manufacturing Consent: The Politics of Showmanship in Putin’s Russia” by Dr. Hannah S. Chapman, Miami University, “Temporalities of Concrete: Housing Imaginaries at the Margins of Europe” by Dr. Smoki Musaraj, Ohio University, and “War Memory as Entertainment in 21st Century Russia” by Dr. Karen Petrone, University of Kentucky

2020 Conference

Sunday, September 13, 1:00 - 4:00PM EDT

Co-sponsored by The Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, Department of History OSU, Department of Linguistics OSU, Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures OSU, Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies OSU, the Undergraduate International Studies Program OSU, and University Libraries.

The 2020 Conference was originally scheduled for April 2020 but cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The originally scheduled conference keynote and plenary panel were held on September 13 online. No panels were held.

Keynote address: "Ordinary Apocalypse and Everyday Science Fiction" by Dr. Anindita Banerjee, Cornell University

2019 Conference

Friday, April 5th - Sunday, April 7th, 2019

Co-sponsored by Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, Department of History, OSU, Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures OSU, The John Glenn College of Public Affairs OSU, and the Undergraduate International Studies Program OSU.

The 2019 conference had over 60 panelists and over 100 attendees. Papers, abstracts, and the conference program can be found in the conference's Knowledge Bank collection.

Keynote address: “A Farewell to an Empire Revisited” by Dr. Vitaly Chernetsky, University of Kansas

2018 Conference

Friday, March 23rd - Sunday, March 25th, 2018

Co-sponsored by The Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian StudiesCenter for African Studies, OSU, Center for Latin American Studies, OSU, Department of History OSU, Department of Political Science, OSU, Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, OSU, Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, OSU, East Asian Studies Center, OSU, The Global Mobility Project OSU, The John Glenn College of Public Affairs, OSU, The Mershon Center for International Security Studies, OSU, Middle East Studies Center, OSU , The Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies, OSU, The Undergraduate International Studies Program OSU

Keynote address: "The Great Departure: Mass Migration from Eastern Europe and the Making of the Free World" by Dr. Tara Zahra, University of Chicago

2018 Midwest Slavic Conference Knowledge Bank Community

2017 Conference

Friday, April 7th - Sunday, April 9th, 2017

Co-sponsored by The Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, The Center for Slavic and East European Studies OSU, The Department of Comparative Studies OSU, The Department of History OSU, The Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures OSU, The Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies OSU, The Hilandar Research Library OSU, The Mershon Center for International Security Studies OSU, The Midwest Slavic Association, The Office of International Affairs OSU, The Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies OSU, and The Undergraduate International Studies Program, OSU.

Over 70 panelists presented at the conference with close to 150 attendees. Papers, abstracts, and program from the conference can be found in the conference's Knowledge Bank collection.

Keynote Address: "Putin Country: A Journey into the Real Russia, The Challenge of Covering Russia" by Anne Garrels

Prior Conference Programs

Programs from prior conferences can be found on CSEEES' Knowledge Bank community along with other materials from the conference.