Dear Colleagues,
International Plato Society Newsletter, Issue 3 (2010-13)
our activities for the Symposium in Pisa are proceeding very well and I am happy to tell you that an Organizing Committee, composed of Isabella Bertagna, Michele Corradi, Dino De Sanctis, Margherita Erbì and Mario Regali, is at work. For any requests, you can now contact our new address: symposium.pisa@humnet.unipi.it.
In the third Newsletter of my engagment for the IPS, I would like to give you a summary of the results of the Executive Committee meeting held in Paris, on 2nd March during the conference promoted by Luc Brisson and Olivier Renaut.
Scope of the IPS
The Executive Committee considered the total amount of Members: more than 500 worldwide, therefore a very positive answer to our efforts. However, the situation is quite different if we look at the total amount of paid-up Members: no more than 100, mostly thanks to fees given in Tokyo. We remind you that the privilege of proposing abstracts for plenary sessions or parallel sessions is confined to paid-up Members. You can find the information in the first Newsletter. In any case, the financial situation is quite good and we can confirm the availability of the IPS in supporting initiatives for promoting research on Plato worldwide.
Activities of the IPS
In the meeting, I summed up the general programme of conferences promoted in 2012: Coimbra, Brasilia, Michigan, after Paris of course. We also spoke about our Series, the International Plato Studies, and about our efficient website. Once again the IPS is grateful to Luc Brisson for the ongoing collection of the Plato Bibliography.
Our Internet Journal was the subject of a fertile dialogue: the Executive Committee confirmed that it should have a strong relationship with the IPS and be directed by an editor in close collaboration with our Editorial Board. The main aim is to publish papers accepted by peer review. At the moment the prospect of a printed version has been excluded.
FISP Athens
The FISP conference in Athens has been planned for August 2013: from the 4th to the 13th. The IPS will participate, if possible, with a panel and we will soon contact Luca Maria Scarantino, the Secrétaire Général, to obtain the opportune space, for example four hours. The Executive Committee decided to release a call for papers. The deadline is end of May, the topic is of course Plato, but, if possible, the literary component of his work. Abstracts, with references, a title and no more than 500 words, should be sent to our Organizing Committee: symposium.pisa@humnet.unipi.it. Please remember that abstracts are accepted only from paid-up Members.
FIEC Bari
On 7th September 2012, the meeting of the FIEC will be held in Bari. I will participate as President of the IPS in the hope of continuing and developing the commitment of the IPS in the general context of research activities on classical antiquity.
Editorial Board
We considered in the meeting the opportunity of a reshuffling of the Editorial Board: in particular Michael Erler would like to dedicate himself exclusively to his role of Vice President and invites us to find a new solution for the German area, and consequently for the role of Coordinator. The Executive Committee has planned to arrive at a decision in August,
Pisa, 13th April 2012
during the conference in Brasilia. X Symposium Pisa
In the last Newsletter, I included details about the preparation of the Symposium in Pisa. Fortunately, we can announce that the University of Pisa will grant us the use of the Palazzo dei Congressi and of the halls of the Sapienza. The availability of the Certosa of Calci is now confirmed. We can announce that the prestigious Scuola Sant’Anna, with its wonderful structures, will offer us one day of hospitality. The Auditorium of the Palazzo dei Congressi can receive a very large number of scholars and the Sapienza will allow for both plenary sessions and workshops. Furthermore, the Ministry will provide us with a little funding. I now hope to obtain a positive answer from our bank and from the administrative bodies of the city. Perhaps some local economic realities will also be interested in making a contribution. I trust that I will be able to maintain the same registration fee as the Symposium in Tokyo. As well as the Monastery of Santa Croce in Fossabanda, we will have the option of booking rooms in the main hotels near Palazzo dei Congressi or the Sapienza, for example the “Repubblica Marinara”, the “Victoria” or the “Duomo”. For the three excursions planned, a closed number will be unavoidable.
The final programme will include 14 plenary papers and 90 short papers for workshops. Furthermore, I think it would be a positive sign to give the new voices of young scholars access to the Symposium in the form of a special section with short papers, for example 8, from PhD dissertations in progress or just discussed. The funding of the Ministry will allow us to have 2 plenary papers by invitation, and the generous commitment of the Cornelia de Vogel Foundation will kindly add 1 invitation, I hope. In the meeting, I suggested the possibility of 5 plenary papers in each official IPS language with a direct call from the Executive Committee. My proposal, expressed in the hope of encouraging an equal geographical distribution, obtained unanimous approval. The Executive Committee will select the remaining 6 plenary papers on the basis of abstracts.
A preliminary schedule: 30th June 2012
31st October 2012
31st December 2012 31st January 2013
31st May 2013 30th June 2013
Call for papers
Deadline for abstracts
Evaluation by the Executive Committee Final decision
Deadline for the volume of Proceedings Final programme
It is perhaps opportune to remind you that in 2013 three representatives will conclude their period of appointment in our Executive Committee: Arnaud Macé for Europe, David Runia for Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Maria Isabel Santa Cruz for South America. During the Symposium in Pisa we also have to vote on the place and the topic of our XII Symposium, to be held in 2019. We are looking forward to considering candidatures.
Wishing you all the best, Sincerely
Mauro Tulli