[Air-l] AoIR conference venues

[Han Lee]

"Internationalization" of AoIR was in fact one of the main discussion topics
for AoIR AGM of the conference on Monday. So, I assume that it is a growing
concern for the organization and its identity, and the exec. board members
are working on this issue.

As a member, I wonder what this "internationalization" really means, though.
I myself am having a trouble grappling with the concept. It seems more
complicate than just picking up cities in "Asia, Southeast Europe or Latin
America for conference venues." Having been born and raised in Korea for
most of my life, me attending conferences in the US (or Canada or England)
is still somewhat "international?!?" to me (although I am getting my
academic training done at a US institution). Going to an AoIR conference in
Korea would be more like being "domestic" to me although it may be being
"international" to some others.

What seems paradoxical here is that by arguing that the conferences should
occur in Non-US, Non-English-speaking, Non-White, etc. places, perhaps we
are reinforcing the idea that those US, English-speaking, White, etc.
characteristics are the very defaults for AoIR and Other-izing "Asia,
Southeast Europe or Latin America"? (And yes, I do think that AoIR is still
mainly US-based, English-speaking, and White.) I guess my point is that it
may be much more fruitful to approach this issue of "internationalization"
with a different conceptual angle than to merely discuss what "exotic,
foreign!?!?" cities to pick for the next conference sites.

Cheers,

Han Lee
Department of Communication
University of Illinois at Chicago


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Philipp Budka" <philbu at gmx.net>
To: "Association of Internet Researchers " <air-l at aoir.org>
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 4:33 AM
Subject: [Air-l] AoIR conference venues


> Dear AoIR list members,
>
> I am participating on the list for about three years. In this period the
> AoIR conference took place in the Netherlands (2002), in Canada (2003), in
> England (2004) and will take place in the US (2005). These venues have at
> least two things in common: they are all countries of the north, and,
apart
> from Holland, they are all English speaking countries.
> I can imagine that it is very hard to find a conference venue with the
> proper infrastructure, academic and financial background, etc. But
wouldn't
> it be real international to look at Asia, Southeast Europe or Latin
America
> for conference venues. I would love to attend an AoIR conference in Sao
> Paulo, Cairo or Budapest. I am sure this would send real international
> signals to the global internet interested community.
> Greetings from Vienna,
>
> Philipp
>
> -- 
> Philipp Budka
> philbu at gmx.net
> Rustengasse 5/10
> A-1150 Wien, Austria
> http://www.philbu.net
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