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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Please feel free to distribute this CFP broadly to scholars working on countries and regions other than Korea, as the goal of this conference is to place Korea’s total fertility rate in a global
context.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Bruce Acker, Assistant Director<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Asia Research Institute, University at Buffalo, State University of New York<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Call for Papers<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">(Re)Thinking Lowest-Low Fertility in Korea and Beyond<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Fifth Annual University at Buffalo (SUNY) Korean Studies Conference<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">September 30 - October 2, 2026<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Background
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">South Korea currently has the lowest fertility rate in the world, with a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 0.72 in 2023, and it has been the only OECD country with a TFR below 1.0 since 2018. The
profound demographic and socioeconomic implications of this decline led the Korean government to declare a “National Population Crisis” on June 19, 2024. Yet Korea is not alone. Lowest-low fertility — conventionally defined as a TFR at or below 1.3 — is now
a sustained feature of many societies across East Asia, Southern and Eastern Europe, and, increasingly, parts of Latin America. Whether Korea’s trajectory represents an extreme outlier rooted in distinctive socioeconomic and cultural conditions, or a leading
edge of changes to come elsewhere, remains an open and pressing question.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">This conference will bring together scholars from diverse fields and methodological traditions to provide a comprehensive understanding of lowest-low fertility observed in South Korea and other
countries within the contemporary global context and to facilitate theoretical discussions grounded in rigorous empirical research.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Conference Structure<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The program will consist of two parts:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Invited Keynote and Panel<br>
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The conference will feature a keynote address by Dr.<b>
</b>James Raymo (Princeton University), followed by an invited panel of presentations and discussion featuring Dr. Hyunjoon Park (University of Pennsylvania), Dr. Alcia Adser (Princeton University), Dr. Joeun Kim (Korea Development Institute), Dr. Sojung
Lim (University at Buffalo, SUNY), and additional invited scholars whose work has shaped current thinking on Korean and comparative fertility dynamics.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="2" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Contributed Papers (this Call)<br>
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">A set of paper sessions will be organized from submissions received through this open call.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Scope of the Call<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Invited speakers and panelists will focus primarily on Korea and East Asia. To facilitate discussions of lowest fertility from global and comparative perspectives, this call also invites papers
examining lowest-low fertility in countries beyond Korea, including but not limited to:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Cross-national comparative perspectives situating Korea within broader global patterns
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Other East Asian societies (e.g., Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">European countries with sustained sub-replacement or lowest-low fertility (e.g., Southern, Central and Eastern European cases)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Latin American countries that have recently entered, or are approaching, the lowest-low range<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Proximate and structural drivers of fertility decline to lowest-low levels, including tempo–quantum dynamics and the role of migration
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Gender inequality, work–family conflict, and labor market conditions<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Housing affordability, education costs, and economic precarity<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Marriage, cohabitation, and union formation trends<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Cultural, normative, and ideational change<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The role and (in)effectiveness of family policies, broadly defined
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Submission Guidelines<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Please fill out the form below and submit:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Either a four- to six-page extended abstract or a full working paper (PDF format).
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">A short abstract of no more than 250 words.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">A brief CV (PDF format).
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Submission deadline:
<b>July 31, 2026</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Notifications of acceptance:
<b>August 5, 2026</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><a href="https://sunyatbuffalo.formstack.com/forms/annual_korean_studies_conference_call_for_papers">Submit your proposal here</a></span></b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Travel Support
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Asia Research Institute (ARI) at the University at Buffalo will provide up to three-nights of hotel accommodation, conference meals, and local transportation for accepted participants.
In addition, ARI will provide a travel subsidy of up to $500 to participants traveling within North America and up to $800 for scholars traveling from outside North America, payable by standard procedures and regulations of the University at Buffalo and the
State University of New York. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">For academic questions, please contact Sojung Lim (Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies, University at Buffalo) at
<a href="mailto:sjlim25@buffalo.edu">sjlim25@buffalo.edu</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">For logistical questions, please contact Mia Arnold (Project Coordinator, Asia Research Institute, University at Buffalo) at
<a href="mailto:miaarnol@buffalo.edu">miaarnol@buffalo.edu</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Bruce Acker<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Assistant Director<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Asia Research Institute<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">212 Baldy Hall<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Buffalo, NY 14260<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><a href="mailto:backer@buffalo.edu">backer@buffalo.edu</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">716.645.2580<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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