Humanities after Fukushima: Dialogues between cultural studies and philosophy in the post-nuclear age of critical junctures

This small-scale international symposium is inspired by Nishiyama Yuji’s documentary film “The Right to Philosophy”, comprised of his interviews with those associated with the International College of Philosophy founded in Paris by Jaques Derrida and Francois Chatelet in 1983. This gathering will try to address issues surrounding the past, present and future of Humanities education and research in the age of crisis. The “crisis” particularly resonates with the natural disasters on March 11, 2011 in Japan, and the following calamitous events centered on the nuclear power-plant’s meltdown at Fukushima.

- What could be the roles and responsibilities of Humanities scholars facing this crisis?
- Can University education stand up to the multiple challenges posed by the now increasingly technologically sophisticated neoliberal/capitalist politics?
- What could be the viable relationship between Cultural Studies and Philosophy education?
- And is it too vulgar to talk about Art and Literature after “Fukushima”?

Speakers include
Naoki Sakai (Cornell University)
Sabu Kosho (New York, Artist/Activist),
Koichi Iwabuchi (Waseda University)
Ryuta Imafuku (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) and more.

Discussants include
Costas Couzinas (Birkbeck)
Angela McRobbie (Goldsmiths) and more.

Screening: 'The Right to Philosophy'
from 11:00 to 14:00 on Saturday 29th October
Followed by panel discussion with director Yuji Nishiyama

Registration is free of charge. For more details and registration visit : http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2154622534

Organized by London Asia Pacific Cultural Studies Forum and Birkbeck's Centre for Media, Culture and Creative Practices
http://lapcsf.blogspot.com/
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/creative/