The Second International Conference on Lao Studies will be held in early May 2007 at Arizona State University. I have recently received a notice from the Centre for Lao Studies about the conference which is worth passing along.

Sabaidee!

This is a reminder that the deadline for an early registration of the Second International Conference on Lao Studies is on April 5, 2007–ONLY ONE WEEK AWAY. Pre-registration fees are: $65.00 for students and $120.00 for other participants. After April 5, 2007 the price for registration will be: $75.00 for students and $140.00 for other participants. Please visit our website at www.laostudies.org http://laostudies.org/vinya/RegistrationForm.pdf for the registration form. Registration form must be postmarked on or before April 5, 2007.

The program for the conference is now available from the Centre for Lao Studies website. At this three-day conference there will be a keynote address from Vatthana Pholsena.

The program also includes well over 90 other paper presentations.

These papers range across a huge range of issues. Some interesting examples include:

  • Chuthatip Maneepong’s “Sustainability of Solid Waste Management in Laos”;
  • Leedom Leefert’s “Where Did the Oy of Baan Chuomphouy Get Their Pot Making From?”;
  • Panpilai Kitsudsaeng’s “The Involvement of Tai Dam Women in Market Economy in the Northern Lao PDR”;
  • Liao Shaolian’s “Border Trade Between Laos and China: Development Process, Problems and Prospects”;
  • Kritsana Athapanyawanit’s “A Tonal Study of Lao Dialects in Kanchanaburi Province”;
  • and, Chansouk Insouvanh’s “Social Exclusion and Gender Discrimination in the Khmu People in the Lao PDR”.

It is a packed schedule!

If any New Mandala readers are planning to attend this Lao Studies conference in Arizona, we would be delighted to publish a conference review.

Please do let me know if you are interested in writing one.