Hej from cold and snowy Umeå (http://webcam.educ.umu.se/),
Two items for your attention.
* FIRST, I encourage you to book your place at the PSA conference in April. Booking forms are available at the PSA website (http://www.psa.ac.uk/2004/default.htm).
The Scandinavian Politics Specialist Group has one panel this year. Its title is: Beyond Consensual Politics in Scandinavia?
The papers to be presented are:
Nick Sitter, Department of Public Governance, Norwegian School of Management BI "Beyond Government and Opposition? Flanking Opposition and Quasi-Coalitions in the Norwegian Party System"
Dimitris Tsarouhas, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield "Industrial Relations in Sweden: The 1990 SAF Decision from a Game-Theoretical Perspective"
I will be the discussant.
I’ll book a group meeting at the conference. But, in any case, do let me know if you’ll be there.
* SECOND, I've received a request for a report on the group's activity in 2003.
In my request for funding from the PSA for 2003, I wrote:
"We plan a one-day workshop next year, probably in London, on the theme of multiculturalism and contemporary Scandinavian politics. This is likely to be in collaboration with the Nordic History Group. We intend to apply to the PSA's special scheme for Specialist Group Conferences and Visitors long before next year's deadline, once our proposal has been worked out properly, its participants identified and costs estimated.
"In the meantime, we would find some additional money very useful both for preparing the ground for this workshop – short-term student help in securing facilities and correspondence with potential participants is one potential expense – and for maintaining the group's general activities."
I can give a reasonable explanation as to why this workshop hasn't yet happened - workloads, saving resources for an additional year, etc. But I don't think that I'll be able to do it again next year; nor will a further request for funding this year be very likely to succeed unless we have some realistic plans to do something.
I'm really tied up for the next year or so. But there is quite a bit of cash available for someone who does want to arrange an event: we have a few hundred in the bank, and the PSA is offering up to £1,500 to specialist groups this year. If you want to take this chance, let me know - and please do so soon, because my annual report, and my bid for further funds, needs to be in by mid-April.
Best,
Nick Aylott.
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Dr Nicholas Aylott, research fellow
Department of Political Science, Umeå University
www.pol.umu.se (click Personal)
