ANNOUNCEMENT! June 21 - 22, 2000. Department of Philosophy, Kharkov National University (Ukraine), and The London European Research Centre, and the Ukraine center University of North London (Great Britain), are organizing a joint international seminar THE WORLD-SYSTEM THEORY AND CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL TRANSFORMATIONS The aim of the seminar is to put into discussion the main ideas of world-system theory, and evaluation of its prospects in the context of contemporary global transformations. The seminar is held in the year of 70-th anniversary of Immanuel Wallerstein, and is practically the first academic meeting in the countries of the former USSR which focuses on the World-System Theory perspective. This interdisciplinary seminar will join efforts of specialists in the fields of social philosophy, sociology, economics, and political science. Particular attention will be paid to the following issues: -- The Origins and Development of World-System theory, its place in the Modern Social Theory (Macrosociology and Historical Sociology, "Western Marxism" and Critical theory, Global and World History, Political Economy and Economic History, International Relations Theory, Geopolitics and Political Geography); Advantages and Constraints of WST as research paradigms; -- Recent discussions around World-System theory in the works of Chr. Chase-Dunn and T. Hall, A.G. Frank, D. Wilkinson (Macrohistorical Dynamics; Periodization and Interpretation of the World History; Continuity vs. Discontinuity; Precapitalist/Premodern World Systems; East/West relations; the Origins of the Capitalism and Modernity; Civilizations and World Systems); -- Globalization in the World-System perspective; World-System interpretation of the processes of Geopolitical, Geo-economic and Geocultural Transformation of the Contemporary World; Historical Dynamics of the Cycles of Hegemony; possible directions of development of the Modern World-System and variants of reconfiguration of "Great Powers" in 2000-2050; Europe/EU in the Global Gamble; -- The Changing Role of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Ukraine in Core/Periphery relations and in the New World Geopolitical and Geo-economic Order; Geo-historical factors of Diversification, Conflict and Cooperation of national interests, and Genesis of the Conflict Zones and Formation of Security Systems in region; -- World-System Dimensions of the "Third Wave" of Democratization and of Post-Communist Political, Economic and Social Transformations; Political Regimes Model's of the Post-Soviet Democracies and the type of the Post-Soviet Capitalism; the development options for the New European Semiperiphery. The Seminar will be held on June 21 - 22, 2000 at Kharkov National University. The Organizers invite for participation all specialists interested in the topics announced. There is no registration fee. Unfortunately we cannot pay for your travel expenses, but we shall provide you hotel accommodation and meals. If you are interested in our event, we would be delighted to welcome you in Kharkov. Let us know if you are interested, and we will provide you with all necessary information on the seminar. Please submit your proposals indicating the topic of your presentation to the Organizing committee by May 31, 2000. Hope to see you in Kharkov! Members of Organizing Committee, Aleksandr Fisun Tatiana Zhurzhenko Contact information and address: Department of Philosophy Kharkov National University pl. Svobody, 4, Kharkov 610077, Ukraine tel/fax ++380-572-326897 e-mails: zh@wella.kharkiv.com sad@ticom.kharkov.ua -- Vyacheslav Sadovnikov ul.Chernishevska - 88/21 Kharkov, Ukraine 61 023 tel. (++380 572) 438-431 e-mail: sad@ticom.kharkov.ua