We seek proposals for scholarly presentations in the form of ten-minute ‘lightning talks’, that explore the complex cultural connections between Japanese and British science in the 19th century. This was a period when intellectuals around the globe began to interact more intensively due to increased opportunities to travel and due to the growth in translations of important scientific works into many languages. Japanese intellectuals were searching for ways to modernize their culture, while in Britain there was a renewed interest in Japanese culture as traditional forms of thought were being interrogated.

In addition to the open call, we have six invited speakers who will deliver longer talks that examine a range of scientific disciplines including chemistry, mathematics, ornithology, evolutionary biology, and anthropology.

Confirmed speakers:

- Bernard Lightman (York University, Canada)
- Tomoko Yoshida (Cornell University)
- Efram Sera-Shriar (Durham University)
- Yoshiyuki Kikuchi (Aichi Prefectural University, Japan)
- Nathan Bossoh (University College London)
- Russelle Meade (Cardiff University)
- Takuji Okamoto (University of Tokyo)

While the confirmed speakers will integrate Japanese and British perspectives by focusing on British figures who encountered Japan from a scientific perspective and Japanese intellectuals who engaged with British science, we welcome proposals dealing with the following questions: How did Japanese and British figures appropriate ideas from each other’s culture? How did these ideas shape their conceptions of each other’s culture as well as their conception of their own culture? Where, when, and how did Japanese and British figures engage with scientific ideas in these two contexts, and where, when, and how did they communicate their ideas on the larger cultural meaning of modern science?

Proposals should include a 200-word abstract and a one-paragraph biography. We will select up to ten papers on this topic for the workshop. All presentations will be recorded and shared at the workshop. The due date for proposals is: 15 August 2022.

We strongly encourage the use of visual materials for these presentations because it is typically much more difficult to engage an audience purely by speaking without visual aids online via Zoom.

Please send your proposals as PDF attachments to Dr. Sera-Shriar at: efram.sera-shriar@durham.ac.uk.