JMI organizes Online Young Researchers’ Conference on “As A Matter of Affect: Making Sense of Planetarity”
New Delhi. : The Department of English, Jamia Millia Islamia(JMI) organized a Young Researcher’s Conference titled ‘As A Matter of Affect: Making Sense of Planetarity’ from 2nd - 3rd December 2021 on Zoom platform.
Prof Simi Malhotra, HoD, English, JMI and the organiser of the conference welcomed everyone on behalf of the robust English department. Underscoring the relevance of the themes of the conference she shared how the CFP received hundreds of abstracts. This was followed by the Inaugural Address, delivered by the renowned critic, translator and the Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Languages, Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof. Mohd. Asaduddin.
Applauding the entrepreneurial spirit of the organisers, Prof. Asaduddin also praised the interdisciplinary nature of the conference. He invited the research community to engage vociferously with affect studies and planetary relationality with a hope that it will lead to a new climate of research and herald a novel era of literary and cultural studies.
The stimulating address was followed by a brief introduction of the theme of the conference by Ms Jubi C. John and Ms Sakshi Dogra, co-organisers and research scholars at the Department of English, JMI.
The first paper presentation session titled ‘Inhabiting the Planet and Sense of Place’ started immediately after the inaugural with Md Faizan Mouqim as the session chair. The session had presentations by Abu Talha Farooqi, Deeksha Yadav and Joya John.
This was followed by the second session and Special Keynote Address by Prof Tim Ingold titled “Living Together in Difference”. In his very lucid and engaging lecture, Prof Ingold spoke about the need for a community bound by difference, but not bounded by it. He affirmed the idea of coming together in an organic way, in a way that allows not just co-existence but thriving with and in spite of differences emphasizing an ontogenetic strain in philosophy.
Chaired by Vasundhara Gautum, the third session titled ‘Planerity, Performance, Motion and Emotion’ included paper presentations by Suman Bhagchandani, Ved Prakash, Soumava Maiti and Shikha Maharshi.
The fourth session and Special Keynote Address by Prof Ben Highmore titled “Getting a feel for the world, Getting a taste for Planetarity” followed shortly after this. Prof Highmore revisited many representations of the planet. Using ideas and modes opened up by the figuration of oceanic crumble, weatherscapes, Daniel Sterne’s Diary of the Baby (1990), and abstract paintings, he directed our attention to emotions and feelings – how we get affected by climatic changes and other behavioural events.The day was brought to a close by a Vote of Thanks by Jubi C John.
Session 5 titled ‘Digitizing the Planetary with Immersive Mediums’ opened the next day. It included paper presentations by Shweta Khilnani, Zahra Rizvi, Ananya Punyatoya and Aparna Pathak and was chaired by Saneya.
This was followed by Session 6 titled ‘Posthuman Bodies, Becoming and Belongings’ which included paper presentations by Monica Yadav, Bijoy Philip, Indrani Das Gupta and Lisa Weideman and was chaired by Kashish Dua.
Session 7 titled ‘Planetarity and Affective Experiences of Marginality’ was chaired by Grace Marian Raju, which followed next. It included papers by Mansi Grover, Vandana, Sumant Salunke and Amrita Singh. The penultimate session and Special Keynote Address was delivered by Prof Kathleen C Stewart. Titled “Wordling”. Prof. Stewart’s talk was centered on her upcoming book Worlding, which as a concept is constantly altering the reality horizon.
In her talk, Prof. Stewart defined worlding as a “realism of what’s coming”. She talked about the concept as an ontologically mixed category which is immediate in its becoming. Comprehensive and stimulating Prof. Stewart’s talk opened new avenues for further research into this idea of ‘world-making’.
To ensure a wide range of viewership and participation, the entire conference was also live streamed on YouTube.
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