UTRGV hosts Fifth Annual International Conference on Border Studies

EDINBURG, Texas- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas in Mexico will host the fifth annual International Conference on Border Studies from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29 as a virtual event. 

Caroline Miles, Chair Department of Literature and Cultural Studies, is coordinating this event. She said that the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas started this conference years ago; and later an invitation was given to UTRGV to co-host it. 

“Everyday Borders” is the theme for this year’s conference. The focus of the conference is on borders around the world.  With this theme, the conference seeks to expand on the idea of resilience and how communities and individuals react to the everyday challenges of living next to the border. The event not only wants to highlight the socioeconomic, migration and exploitation of the people living in borders but also honor the culture surrounding borders. The conference aims to create a space for comparative study of different borders around the world. 

“The problems associated with borders and also celebrating borderlands cultures as well,” said Miles. “So, it’s not all negative but also balancing that with celebrating people’s resilience and vibrant cultures that are associated with borders and borderlands.”

Miles, who is also an associate professor at UTRGV, says that this year the Fifth Annual International Conference on Border studies will have presenters and speakers from 15 countries and over 30 academic institutions. Presenters are from countries such as the Netherlands, France, Indonesia, Chile, India and Cameroon. 

“We’re really excited about that and about the opportunity to bring these global perspectives together,” said Miles. “And to expose our faculty and students and community here in the Rio Grande Valley to those local perspectives.”

One of the keynote speakers is Ather Zia, an associate professor for the University of Northern Colorado Greeley. She won the 2020 Gloria Anzaldua Honorable Mention award by writing her book “Resisting Disappearances: Military Occupation and Women’s Activism in Kashmir.”

One of the plenary speakers will be Kathryn Cassidy, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences at Northumbria University. Her research investigates the ways in which contemporary societies in borders are challenged through collective and mundane actions.

“Dr. Ather Zia, she’s coming to speak from the University of Colorado. Dr. Cassidy who’s coming from the UK and they both are experts on issues related to borders around the world,” said Miles. “So, there are keynote and plenary speakers, like our special speakers because they’re very, you know, recognized as experts in the field.”

Miles said that the idea for this event is to think about the way that borders impact individuals in their everyday lives as they move away from policy, government and politics. To talk about the people who have lived and or experienced being on the border or crossing the border and to discuss the challenges and success of those lives. 

“It also furthers UTRGV’s strategic mission to engage globalization,” said Miles. “I think it is a really wonderful and unique opportunity for UTRGV and its students and faculty and community to be exposed to these global perspectives.”

Miles hopes that many students will attend this conference since it is a rare opportunity to meet people from all around the world. 

To register for this event or for more information, visit https://www.utrgv.edu/oge/research-and-resources/borderstudiesconf/index.htm.