CESS Annual Conferences have been held at universities around North America since 2000, with conferences as large as 70 panels and attracting around 300 participants from all over the world. The CESS Annual Conference in 2023 was hosted by The University of Pittsburgh. The conference ran from October 19 to 1pm on October 22, 2023 with pre-conference workshops held in the morning of October 19. Read about the conference here.
The conference took place in Pittsburgh in October 2023. Conference venue address: David Lawrence Hall, 3942 Forbes ave, Pittsburgh.
For CESS 2023, we invited submissions relating to all aspects of humanities and social science scholarship across the region. The geographic domain of Central Eurasia encompasses Central Asia, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Tibet, Mongolia, Siberia, Inner Asia, the Black Sea region, the Volga region, and East and Central Europe. Practitioners and scholars in all fields are encouraged to participate.
Program
Online access
Conference Logistics (ARRIVAL INFO)
Conference Host
Conference Rules and Guidelines
Registration
Travel, Accommodation & Local Information
Program
The conference program can be viewed in full here.
Access for online delegates
If you have registered for online access to the conference please read this page to understand how to find the Zoom links in the program.
Conference Logistics
The University of Pittsburgh main campus located 18 miles from the Pittsburgh International Airport can be reached by public transportation or taxi. Numerous convenient accommodations and restaurants are located within walking distance from campus. View their page of logistical info related to the conference.
Conference venue address: David Lawrence Hall, 3942 Forbes ave, Pittsburgh
On arrival: In-person participants: registration location: 230 South Bouquet Street, Center for Governance and markets
Internet and printing: Free Pitt Guest Wi-Fi (Anyroam) is available for guests in academic and administrative buildings on campus.
Campus Tour – You can set up self-guided virtual tours, showing routes, what buildings look like, etc.
Map: there is an interactive map available.
CESS Annual Conference 2023 on social media: The conference hashtag on Twitter is #CESS2023. Find CESS on Twitter @CESS_news and on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/cess.info.
Conference Host: The University of Pittsburgh Center for Governance and Markets
This year’s conference will be hosted by the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Conference venue address: David Lawrence Hall, 3942 Forbes ave, Pittsburgh
Launched in 2019, the Center for Governance and Markets (CGM) is a multidisciplinary research center that analyzes the diverse institutions and governance arrangements that affect social order and human well-being around the world. From a bottom-up perspective, CGM generates knowledge of ways individuals and communities overcome challenges to living free, prosperous, and peaceful lives. It is a hub of a global network of researchers and practitioners in the areas of governance and institutional analysis, whose work focus on three key themes: political order and conflict, governance of emerging technologies, and economic institutions and property rights. The center achieves its mission through cutting-edge research, development of real-world policy applications, and through deep engagement with the public and communities where it conducts research.
CGM is home to the Afghanistan Project, an effort to preserve the intellectual communities of Afghanistan. Since 2021, the center has hosted a range of social scientists and practitioners from Afghanistan who were displaced after the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and subsequent Taliban takeover. The Afghanistan Project is a hub for Afghanistan-related research and policy work, providing mentoring and support to scholars with the goal of amplifying and supporting their voices.
Conference Rules and Guidelines
Please read CESS’ conference rules and guidelines.
The primary language of the CESS Annual Conference is English; however, proposals for panels to be conducted primarily in a non-English language are welcome and encouraged. Panel proposals should indicate the planned working language in brackets after the title (e.g. [Uzbek], [Russian], etc.) and submit an abstract in English followed by the abstract in the non-English language. Individual paper proposals can only be accepted if they will be delivered in English. Please read the CESS conference language policy for more information.
Registration
CESS2023 conference takes place at the David Lawrence Hall, 3942 Forbes ave, Pittsburgh, from October 19 – 22. Registration is now open.
Conference Pricing
Members:
Early Bird Rate (Before July 1, 2023 )
- In-person participation, members with annual income <$25K — $70/person
- In-person participation, members with annual income $25-49K — $100/person
- In-person participation, members with annual income $49-75K — $125/person
- In-person participation, members with annual income over $75K –$140/person
- Online rate – $70/person
Regular Rate (After July 1, 2023)
- In-person participation, members with annual income <$25K — $85/ person
- In-person participation, members with annual income $25-49K — $120/person
- In-person participation, members with annual income $49-75K — $145/person
- In-person participation, members with annual income over $75K –$175/person
- Online Rate — $85/ person
Non-Members – Early Bird Rate (Before July 1, 2023)
- In-person participation, members with annual income <$75K –$130/ person
- In-person participation, members with annual income over $75K –$150/person
- Online rate – $100/person
Non-Member – Regular Rate (After July 1, 2023)
- In-person participation, members with annual income <$75K –$155/ person
- In-person participation, members with annual income over $75K –$185/person
- Online rate – $120/person
One Day Walk-in Pass will be available for Saturday only, $35.
Non-presenting delegates are welcome to register right up to the start of the conference.
Membership is valid from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.
During registration, conference delegates are given an opportunity to sponsor conference attendance for a scholar from the region ($70 per person). The registration sponsorships will go toward free vouchers to the participants who applied for this year’s travel grants but did not receive any funding from CESS.
Visa Support Letters for the CESS2023 Conference presenters
Accepted conference presenters who need to obtain a US visa to attend the upcoming conference in Pittsburgh may request a letter of support from the conference organizers.
To obtain the letter, please email CESS info@centraleurasia.org the following information:
1. Name as it appears on your passport
2. Your country of citizenship
3. Your professional affiliation (institution and position)
4. Title of the paper to be presented at CESS2023 conference
All letters will be forwarded to the applicants over email in .pdf format. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing.
Please note that the letter from conference organizers does not guarantee approval of a US visa application.
2023 Conference Transfer, Cancellation and Refund Policy:
If you would like to transfer a registration to a colleague, please contact the CESS Office at info@centraleurasia.org. Additional charges may apply if a registration is transferred from a member to a non-member.
All cancellations and refund requests must be received in writing.
- Any refund requests received before July 31 (5 PM EST) will receive a full refund minus the $25 administrative fee.
- Any requests received after July 31 at 5 PM EST will receive no refund.
- No-shows at the CESS conference are not eligible for a credit or refund.
If the conference may be cancelled or postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, registration fees will be refunded; however, CESS will not be responsible for additional costs, charges, or expenses, including cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines, hotels, and/or travel agencies.
CESS is not responsible for weather-related travel delays or other issues in regard to personal travel and no refunds will be given due to these occurrences.
Please note that to be sent your registration invoice, you must be a member of CESS for 2023.
Travel, Accommodation & Local Information
The costs of registration, transportation, hotels and other expenses are each delegate’s responsibility.
Hotel Options
Wyndham Pittsburgh University Center for $199 USD per night
Residence Inn Pittsburgh Oakland/University Place for $174 USD per night
Hilton Garden Inn for $189 USD per night
Key Dates and Deadlines
| Call for proposals opens | December 30, 2022 |
| Deadline for proposal submissions | March 12, 2023 |
| Proposal outcomes communicated | May 5, 2023 |
| Conference registration opens | May 2023 |
| Preliminary conference program published (Online program will be continuously updated from this date) | September 15, 2023 |
| Presenter registration deadline Any presenters not registered by this date will be removed from the program | October 2, 2023 |
| Final conference program published | October 16, 2023 |
| Deadline to send paper to panel members | Confirm with chair/discussants |
| Annual Conference | October 19-22, 2023 |