Calling for Economic Geographers’ observations on flexibility

Flexibility has been a recurring theme in economic geography. Organisers of an upcoming one-day workshop in Brisbane are calling for submissions from potential attendees.

There has been much academic discussion around flexible production, accumulation and specialisation in the spatial economy. This is a reminder of the vast literature emerging from observations of intensifying globalisation in the 1990s. More recently, the post-pandemic spatial economy has kick-started conversations around flexible landscapes and circuits of labour, capital, mobility and space.

An upcoming workshop called New Flexibilities in Economic Geography is being planned by the Economic Geography Study Group – a research group funded by the Institute of Australian Geographers. The one-day in-person event will be held in Brisbane.

Workshop co-organiser, Associate Professor Kirsten Martinus said: “We invite scholars from economic geography, and related disciplines, to get involved with a renewed dialogue on flexibility in a post-pandemic world.

The organisers welcome all perspectives on economic geography in a post-pandemic world. They encourage a specific focus on how flexibility and related concepts shape economic geography practice, method, and theory.

“We hope the workshop will generate some lively discussions and foster new collaborations between Australian Economic Geographers,” said Associate Professor Martinus.

Submissions can be made by economic geographers based in Australia and overseas, though the symposium is in person only.

Event details

• Location: The University of Queensland
• Date: Friday, 1 December 2023
• Organisers: Kirsten Martinus, Thomas Sigler and Andrew Warren

How to apply for the Economic Geographers workshop

If you would like to participate in the workshop, send your submission to Dr Kirsten Martinus (kirsten.martinus@uwa.edu.au) and Andrew Warren (awarren@uow.edu.au)

Include a submission title and a 200-word abstract. Submissions can be made in Word or PDF. Ensure your name, title, institution or organisation, and contact details are clearly indicated in your document. The submission deadline is 15 October 2023.

Participants will be notified by email about the outcome of their submission, and detailed event information.  

Travel funding

The Institute of Australian Geographers Economic Geography Study Group has some travel funding available to support participation by PhD students and early-career scholars, primarily from Australia and New Zealand.

To be considered for a travel stipend, attach an additional separate 200-word statement, to your workshop submission. In the travel stipend application, explain:

1. How this workshop fits within your existing and/or future work, and
2. The anticipated level of required support for return travel to Brisbane

Find out more about an IAG membership

You can join up to three Study Groups as an Institute of Australian Geographers member. Find out more.