The registration is now open for the 2024 Global Academy of Liberal Arts (GALA) annual conference which coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the GALA network, and will be hosted by the founding institution, Bath Spa University, England, during 13-15 September.

In the light of the degree to which the world has changed over the past decade and the context in which we now find ourselves in, a world marked by global polarization, ecological crisis, and the rise of disruptive technologies, placing humanity itself under threat worldwide, the theme of the conference is on How can the liberal arts help a world in crisis? The sub-themes of the conference include:  Environmental crisis, Art for Social Change,  Digital  Threats and Opportunities,  Indigenous Voices and Justice, and Power, Peace and Healing.  The provisional programme is detailed below.

The conference event is free to all staff and students who are from any of the partner institutions of the Global Academy of Liberal Arts. The in-person fee for staff from non-GALA partners is £150, and for students from non-GALA partners, £100 (and free to non-GALA partners that wish to attend remotely).  

Registration link for GALA Partners

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bath-spa-university-events-and-conferencing/t-vvdjxer

Registration link for non Gala Partners

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bath-spa-university-events-and-conferencing/t-xmoyeov

 

Day 1 Friday 13 September, 2024   

Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution 16-18 Queen Square Bath BA1 2HN map here 

9 – 9.30 am Tea/ Coffee (Elwin room) 

9.30 – 10.30 am Plenary (Elwin room) 

Introduction by Ian Gadd and Rebecca McGuire-Snieckus  

Roundtable by founding members of the Global Academy of Liberal Arts including Antonella Riem (Udine University, Italy), Josh Goode (Claremont Graduate University, USA), Bambo Soyinka (Bath Spa University, England TBC) and Claudia Egerer (Stockholm University, Sweden).  

10.30 – 11.30 am Session 1 (2 parallel sessions)  

Session 1: Art for Social Change (Duncan room)
Samuel Nyanchoga, CUEA, Kenya (online)	Beyond the Books: Can Liberal Arts Education Nurture Responsible Citizenship in Kenya?
Shilpa Das, National Institute of Design, India	How a Liberal Arts Programme sits in a Design Institute in India: Historical trajectories and Identity Politics

  

Session 1: Power, Peace and Healing (Elwin room)
Tamara Cincik, Bath Spa University, England  (Online)	The Creative Wellbeing Economy
Wesley Beal, Lyon College, USA	Personal Transformation for a World in Crisis

 

11.30 am – 11.45 Refreshments (Elwin room) 

11.45 am – 12.45 Session 2 (2 parallel sessions)  

Session 2: Environmental Crisis (Duncan room)
Steven H. Corey, Columbia College Chicago, USA	Environmental Humanities as the New Liberal Arts
Claudia Egerer, Stockholm University, Sweden	Thinking human-nonhuman relationships with a liberal arts perspective

  

Session  2: Digital Threats and Opportunities (Lonsdale room)
Priya Thapa, Bath Spa University, England	Equipping students with digital literacy and creative problem-solving skills.
Tina Rozsos, University College Roosevelt, Netherlands	Promoting data literacy across the liberal arts curriculum

  

12.45 – 2 pm Lunch break (Duncan and Lonsdale rooms) 

Catering provided 

1.00 – 1.30 pm Optional BRLSI Talk on World in 2050 (Elwin Room) 

2 – 4 pm Session 3 Student Workshop (Lonsdale room) 

Session 3: Student Workshop on Publishing your postgraduate dissertation
	Simon Strange, Bath Spa University, England

This workshop will provide a wider audience for your groundbreaking research, taking the great work you have undertaken and developing it for public consumption. Some of the main areas covered in the workshop will be: 

• Publishing types and proposals 

• Peer review 

• The publishing process 

• Writing styles 

• Unpacking core content 

The workshop will cover how to develop academic journal articles and book chapters but also how to write for non-academic audiences, developing books and writing blog posts. 

2.30 – 4.30 pm Mayor’s Walk (start: in the foyer of Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution 16-18 Queen Square Bath BA1 2HN map here; ending at the Bath Abbey). 

Bath is one of only two UNESCO World Heritage Cities in Europe. Come and find out why!   

5.00 – 6.20 pm –Boat cruise (Pultney Weir map here) 

Join us for a scenic cruise under the historic Pulteney Bridge & out into the beautiful Avon valley. 

6.20 -6.45 *Note: 15-minute walk from Pultney Weir to Burdall’s yard 

6.45 – 8.30 pm Reception (drinks and pizza) 

Burdall’s Yard  

 7A Anglo Terrace, off London Road 

7.15 – 8.00 pm Performance   

Burdall’s Yard  

A Brazilian perspective of resisting through dance and songwriting.
Written and performed by Leandro Maia, UFPel, Brazil   Directed by Maria Falkembach (UFPel), Brazil	The Stray Mongrel Dog: an autobiographical illusion, or Guaipeca

 

Day 2 Saturday 14 September, 2024  

Newton Park Campus,  Bath Spa University
Note: we will advise on transport options nearer the time 

8.30 – 9 am Tea/ Coffee  (Commons, Foyer) 

9 -10am Keynote (Commons, G23)  

Developing strategic partnerships for tackling global emergencies: challenges and opportunities 

Juliet Thondhlana  

University of Nottingham, England 

UNESCO Chair in International Education and Development  

10 – 11 am Session 4 (2 parallel sessions)  

Session 4: Environmental Crisis   (Commons, G24)
Alessio Malcevschi, University of Parma, Italy	Living in the age of the polycrisis: how complex crises emerge and how humanities can confront them.
Julia Bistrova – Riga Technical University (Riga, Latvia/Herens Quality Asset Management  Colinne S. Bartel – Truffle Time/Herens Quality Asset Management, Germany Romanus Shivoro – University of Namibia, Namibia	The Importance and Implementation of ESG Standards in African Stock Listed Companies

Session 4: Power, Peace and Healing  (Commons, G23)
Douglas Andrews, The University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa	An exploration of how school leaders navigate the possible tensions between the ‘ideals of inclusion’ and the ‘ideals of excellence: a CHAT perspective.
Gavin James Bower, Bath Spa University, England	The Future of the Humanities: Crisis or Opportunity

11 am – 11.30 Refreshments (Commons, Foyer) 

11.30 am- 12.30  Session 5 (2 parallel sessions)  

Session 5: Power, Peace and Healing   (Commons, G23)
Tanja Sakota, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa	Unveiling hidden memories: exploring the relevance of autoethnographic film for social change
Sheku Ahmed Fofanah, Bath Spa University, England	A Framework for Building a Responsive Local Government System in Sierra Leone: Integrating Felt Needs Fulfilment Model with the Hybridity of Paramount Chiefs

  

Session 5:  Digital Threats and Opportunities   (Commons, G24)
Yara Gawrieh Ekmark, Stockholm University, Sweden	The Ecocritical Instapoet: Digital Media Ecofeminist Poetry
Luca Cossettini, Udine University, Italy	For whom the algorithm tolls?

  

12.30 – 2 pm Lunch & networking  (Commons, Foyer) 

Catering provided 

12.45– 1.45 pm Delegates meeting with lunch (Commons, 119) 

2 – 3.30 pm Session 6 (2 parallel sessions)  

Session 6 Panel: Liberal Arts Across Borders   (Commons, G24)
Joshua Goode,  Graduate University,  USA	This panel will address how the liberal arts can address the resurgence of borders. Underpinned by research on the impact of borders on the formation of the historical disciplines, museums and heritage ideas in the modern period, we will explore the lessons derived from international exchanges, both within and outside the GALA network, that have been particularly focused on museums dedicated to local and national histories. The focus of all three presentations is on how the liberal arts narrow a wide world by clarifying what real similarities and differences exist between places and how the comparison can help the creation of new transcultural approaches and experiences that transcend borders.
David Sprott, Claremont Graduate University,  USA
Astrid Swenson, Natalia Brazao-Cortas, Claremont Graduate University, USA

  

Session 6: Indigenous Voices and Justice + Power, Peace and Healing  (Commons, G23)
Hayley Haynes-Rolando and Phethile Zitha, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa	The stories of a community-based intervention, collaboratively addressing the violence in a Johannesburg township high school in South Africa.
Mattia Mantellato, Università degli studi di Enna “Kore”, Italy	Shaman Caliban: Shakespeare’s The Tempest as a Native/Indigenous Narrative to Rethink the Other and the World
Agata Vitale (Bath Spa University, England), Helena Enright (Art Practitioner, Limerick, Ireland) and Husam Abbed (Bath Spa University, England)	The role of art in supporting minority groups to heal from prolonged trauma.

 

3.30– 4.30 pm Session 7 (2 parallel sessions)  

Session 7: Digital Threats and Opportunities   (Commons, G23)
Samson Mekonnen, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia	Media and Peace: Towards Constructive Journalism Philosophy in Ethiopia
Małgorzata Wójcik, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Poland	RESQL: A Digital Solution for Addressing Bullying and Cyberbullying in Schools

  

Session  7: Art for Social Change    (Commons, G24)
Jennifer Clark, University of Adelaide, Australia	‘Re-Dressed’: Using an artistic response to study historic collections in the Foundling Museum, London
Alemtsehay Lemma Tadesse, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia  (Online)	Invisible theatre for social change

  

4.30 – 5pm Refreshments  (Commons, Foyer) 

5 – 6 pm Session 8 (2 parallel sessions)   

Session 8: Art for Social Change     (Commons, G24)
Penny Hay, Bath Spa University, England	Forest of Imagination as an Aesthetic Imaginary
Renzo Filinich Orozco, The University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa	Towards a possible future of Latin American Cosmotechnics

 

Session 8: Environmental Crisis  (Commons, G23)
Abere Fenta Getie (ONLINE), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia	Heavy metal levels in water and sediment samples of Dire and Aba-samuel Reservoir Ethiopia
Engdaye Mersha Weldemariam, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia	Repercussions of land use and land cover on natural ecosystems and socioeconomic systems.

  

6.00 – 6.15 pm Refreshments & Introduction to Emblaze (University Theatre) 

Introduction by Bambo Soyinka, Bath Spa University 

6.15 – 7.00 pm  Performance  (University Theatre) 

A Brazilian perspective of resisting through dance and songwriting.
Written and directed by Alexandra Dias,  UFPel,   Brazil Performed by Maria Falkembach UFPel , Brazil	BITCH, a dance spectacle

  

7.00 – 7.30 pm Transport will be provided for delegates attending the conference dinner and for those heading back to the city. 

7.30 – 9.30 pm Dinner (Optional event, pre-registration required) 

Fairfield House 

GALA and EMBLAZE are hosting a special evening event at Fairfield House, Bath. This will bring together attendees from the GALA conference and members and supporters of the EMBLAZE project for dinner and entertainment at Fairfield House, the former Bath home of the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.

The evening will begin at 7.30pm. It will include a 3-course meal with refreshments and feature several guest speakers.  

Fairfield House is a Grade II listed building that was the residence of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, during the five years he spent in England. Following his return to Ethiopia in 1958, he donated this Italianate c19th villa to the city of Bath. 

The cost of the dinner is £25 per person..  

If you have registered interest in this event, you will have been contacted with details for booking. If you have not requested further information during registration and would like to join the wait list, please complete this form. 

Day 3: Sunday 15 September, 2024   

Locksbrook Campus,  Bath Spa University
(Walking distance from city centre, bus route information and timetable to follow)  

9.30 – 10.00 Tea/ coffee (Corridor) 

10.00- 11.00 am Session 9 (2 parallel sessions)  

Session 9: Environmental crisis    (Room 201)
Paul Reid-Bowen, Bath Spa University, England	Teaching in the Ruins: from collapsology to collapsosophy
Renée van de Schaft, University of Utrecht, Netherlands	Between Human Guilt and Hopeful Shadowplaces: Purity, Chemosociality and Multispecies Relations in Ned Beauman’s Venomous Lumpsucker

  

Session 9: Power, Peace and Healing   (Room 207)
Camilla Pontiggia The University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa	The Hi-Stories of whitenoisewhitegirl: Unravelling a Colonial Blueprint.
Mohamed Mahid Shareef, Visiting Lecturer, Cyrix College, Maldives.	Understanding Leadership Role in Local Councils for Effective Service Delivery: A Staff-Centric Approach

  

11.00am – 12.30 Session 10 (2 parallel sessions)  

Session 10 Workshop   (Room 201)     Workshop: Crowdsourcing a Manifesto for the Humanities.
Rebecca DiCorpo, Bath Spa University, England  Joshua Goode, Claremont Graduate University, USA

 

Session  10: Power, Peace and Healing   (Room 207)
Anusia Govender-Elshove, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa	The Silent Dancers
Aklilu Dessalegn Zewdu, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (Online)	South African post-apartheid literature: shaping a better future for the next generation of South Africans
Obsu, Fiseha Moreda, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia   (Online)	Interdisciplinary Approaches in the Liberal Arts: Bridging Gaps and Addressing Global Challenge

 

 

12.30 – 1.30  pm Lunch  (Corridor and outside) 

 Catering provided 

1.30 – 2.30  pm  Session 11 (2 parallel sessions)  

Session 11: Art for Social Change   (Room 201)
Amanda Bayley, Bath Spa University, England (In-person) and Perminus Matiure, University of Namibia, Namibia  (Online)	Transforming Lives through Ethnomusicological Engagement in Kwando, Namibia
Leandro Ernesto Maia, Bruna Oliveira and Maria Fonseca Falkembach, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil	Cultural Policies as Social Change: from dance mapping towards arts policies

  

Session 11: Environmental Crisis (Online)  11.00am – 12.00 (Room 207)
Sarah Hayes, Bath Spa University, England	Postdigital Citizen Science and Humanities: how do citizen researchers understand their roles and contributions towards helping a world in crisis?
Shimelis Gizachew Desalegn, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia	Sustainable supply chain management in the agricultural sector in Ethiopia

   

2.30 – 3.30 Plenary Conclusion & Next steps (Room 201) 

* Please note the provisional programme is subject to change 

Accommodation   

We recommend three hotels that are located in the Bath city centre  

Travelodge, Waterside, Bath  

Explore the historic city of Bath with an affordable stay at the Travelodge Bath Waterside hotel, close to the Roman Baths and the Jane Austen Centre  

Holiday Inn, Bath  

Holiday Inn Express Bath is a 15-minute walk from the magnificent Roman centre of Bath, a World Heritage city. Free WiFi is available throughout.  

DoubleTree by Hilton Bath  

Set on the banks of River Avon, we’re half a mile from Thermae Bath Spa, The Roman Baths, and great shopping.  

  

About the  Global Academy of Liberal Arts  

The Global Academy of Liberal Arts is an international community of diverse, innovative, and socially responsible universities and colleges, transforming lives and enhancing global understanding through interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching and research. With 17 partners in 13 countries, it is a truly global network.    

  

About Bath Spa University    

GALA was established in 2014 by Bath Spa University, a creative, innovative and enterprising University in the South West of England. With nine dedicated research areas, nearly 60% of research was ranked in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework as ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘world leading.’,  

For any enquiries you can contact gala@bathspa.ac.uk