The largest Italian studies conference in the U.S. will be held at the College of Charleston from May 3, 2012 through May 5, 2012. More than 260 delegates from across the U.S., Europe and Canada are expected to attend the annual conference of the American Association of Italian Studies (AAIS 2012). Host of the conference is Dr. Giovanna De Luca, Associate Professor of Italian Studies at the College.
The keynote speech by Professor John Dickie from the University College London is open to the public and will be held on Friday, May 4 from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m. in the New Science Building on the College of Charleston campus.
Dickie is the author of : Darkest Italy. The Nation and Stereotypes of the Mezzogiorno, 1860-1900, Una catastrofe patriottica. 1908: il terremoto di Messina, Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia and Mafia Brotherhoods: The Rise of Italian Mafia. In 2005, the president of the Italian Republic appointed him a Commendatore dell’Ordine della Stella della Solidarieta Italiana. Dickie has also published widely in academic journals on various topics in Italian history and has written extensively for the press in the UK, Italy and other countries.
The AAIS is a 30-year old organization with a membership of more than 400 scholars of Italian, hailing from universities in North America and Europe. The conference includes more than 70 roundtables and sessions and will be attended by hundreds of scholars.
The conference is sponsored by the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs, the Department of French, Francophone and Italian Studies, and the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program, the Italian Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C. and the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
For more information about the 2012 AAIS conference at the College of Charleston, check the conference website: http://aais2012.cofc.edu/
