“Don`t worry! We have it under control.” Transnational expertise in

Call for Papers
“Don’t worry! We have it under control.”
Transnational expertise in environmental and health policy
Workshops on Environment and Security Series
August 28-29, 2015
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Theme of the workshop
Globalization has driven an increasing number of problems facing societies into the
transnational domain. In this workshop, we hone in on the issue areas of the environment
and human health. With impacts that often disregard national boundaries, the responsibility
for addressing these issues falls to intergovernmental, regional, or transnational bodies. Our
interest lies in unpacking how transnational expertise is brought to bear on these issues, and
with what effects? By transnational expertise, we understand bodies of experts affiliated by
issue area, background, or competencies that organize across national boundaries and
engage on transnational or global issues.
The workshop will centre on the following key research question to investigate how
transnational expertise looks and operates in complex, global environmental and health
issues: How is transnational expertise mobilized in answering threats to ecosystems or
human health?
This question opens up a number of considerations. For instance, what is the relationship
between scientific knowledge and expertise? To what extent is transnational expertise on
these issues characterized by consensus or contestation? How does power operate between
experts and policymakers, and among experts themselves? Do experts thrive under
conditions of complexity, or do they try to decrease it?
Workshop format
The workshop is part of the WES Series (Workshops on Environment and Security, see
http://wes-series.ulb.ac.be/). The number of participants will be limited to 24, half of whom
will be invited to submit full papers. Papers will be distributed before the event, and
dedicated discussants will kick off in-depth group discussions of each paper. Authors will
speak only at the closure of the one-hour group discussion of their paper. This format offers
an opportunity for extensive discussions that provide authors with detailed feedback on
their on-going research, and it allows participants to get acquainted in an informal setting.
Submissions of proposals
We invite contributions that speak to the themes and questions raised by this workshop. To
submit a proposal, send a one-page summary and biographical notice by email to
wes.brussels@gmail.com. Please also include your name, current address, and university or
professional affiliations.
The deadline for proposals is: March 30, 2015
Accepted authors will be expected to submit full papers of maximum 8,000 words by:
August 1, 2015
Funding opportunities
There is no registration fee. Travel costs, meals and accommodation during the workshop
will be covered for all participants.
Publication opportunities
The organizers intend to explore the opportunities for submitting a selection of papers as a
special issue in a leading journal in the field.
Workshop organizers
Sameea Ahmed-Hassim (LUISS Guido Carli/Université Libre de Bruxelles)
Jacob Hasselbalch (University of Warwick/Université Libre de Bruxelles)
Jean-Frédéric Morin (Université Laval)
Christian Olsson (Université Libre de Bruxelles)
Leonard Seabrooke (Copenhagen Business School)
Krystel Wanneau (Université Libre de Bruxelles)
Sponsors
WES
Workshop on environment & security