The European Society for Oceanists (ESfO) was established on the occasion of the First European Colloquium on Pacific Studies in Nijmegen (The Netherlands) in 1992. The society addresses itself to researchers with a regional interest in Oceania.
In the context of an increasingly integrated Europe the Society aims to enhance intellectual exchange and cooperation between individual researchers and between scholarly institutions, both within and outside Europe. This goal is to be achieved by maintaining an information network, by organizing conferences and by other appropriate means.
14th ESfO Conference
Lucerne, Switzerland
24-27 June 2025
Organizers: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Lucerne, Switzerland
CONFERENCE THEME
Connections within and beyond Oceania
Oceania has always been interconnected in a myriad of ways. From the first peopling of Australia and the Pacific to today’s age of the internet, social media, and mobile phones, people of the Pacific have initiated, strengthened, reinforced, and affirmed, but also blocked, interrupted, resisted, and broken off connections with humans and non-humans alike. They have established complex relations within and between communities, societies, and nation states, formed and recognized links with their physical environment, circulated objects, visions and ideas that shape and redefine their worlds, created artistic expressions celebrating all kinds of connections, and continue to be affected by and contribute to global processes that impact us all.
This conference opens a forum for establishing which connections are central to the lives of Pacific people, but also which connections are neglected, de-emphasized or forgotten. We invite participants to reflect on the nature, shape, direction, and durability of connections, how they are initiated and maintained, and the goals and aspirations towards which they are established. We seek to explore the complex interplay between the environmental, social, and cultural landscapes of Oceania and their local, regional, and global connections and disconnections in the past, present and future.
The conference is also an opportunity to reflect on future connections in Oceania and beyond. With new and continuing challenges like climate change, geopolitical shifts, migration, pandemics and other health crises, the impact of extractive industries, or enduring legacies of colonialism and racism, what new connections and alliances are being forged, which new pathways created? How do people remain connected with their heritage in an increasingly globalized world? And what are the objects and ideas that continue to connect people within Oceania and beyond?
Special Invitation to Pacific Scholars: We warmly welcome scholars from the Pacific, recognizing the essential perspectives they bring to the discussion. The organizers are committed to supporting the participation of these scholars, making concerted efforts to facilitate their involvement and ensure their voices are heard prominently throughout the conference. We would also like to ask prospective panel organizers to already keep in mind scholars from the Pacific they might want to invite to submit a paper to their panel.
REGISTRATION
We invite you to register for the 2025 ESfO conference in Lucerne, Switzerland, scheduled for June 24-27, 2025.
To register, please log into the pacific-studies.net website, and check the conference page.
The deadline for early bird fees is April 15th, 2025