Grad students & URPE sum conf

["Lee, Frederic" <leefs@xxxxxxxx>]

Dear Colleague,

Attached is a letter inviting Political Economy Graduate Students to the URPE summer conference.  If you have any graduate students that might be interested in attending the summer conference could you foward the letter to them.

Fred Lee

April 12, 2002

Dear Political Economy Graduate Student:

     On behalf of the Steering Committee of the Union for Radical Political Economics (URPE), I am writing to invite you to attend our summer conference, taking place this year from Saturday August 17 through Tuesday, August 20 in Bantam, Connecticut, about 90 miles outside of New York City (and about 70 miles from Amherst).  I'm e-mailing this invitation directly to you and your fellow students in the major graduate programs in political economy because one of our key aims in designing this year's conference is to elicit and address your concerns as part of the rising generation of political economists on the left.

     In case you're not already a member, I'll note that URPE, founded in 1968 and having about  400 current members, is the chief U.S. professional organization of leftist economists, and the major such association sponsoring research sessions at the annual Allied Social Sciences Association convention.  We publish the Review of Radical Political Economics (RRPE), one of the leading journals of leftist economic scholarship.  In addition to publishing RRPE, sponsoring sessions at the ASSA meetings, and holding an annual summer conference, we put out occasional books of readings on topics in political economy, oversee a speaker's and informational outreach bureau called the Economy Connection, publish a quarterly newsletter to promote networking and report on matters of political economic interest, and generally work to promote the cause of workers and the disenfranchised the world over.

     In keeping with that mission, the theme of this year's summer conference is "Challenging Global Capitalism:  An Invitation to Develop Strategies of Opposition."  The "invitation" mentioned in the theme is to everyone working toward fundamental social change to promote equality and empowerment for the world's peoples.  We are structuring this year's conference differently than in the past so as to encourage an active dialogue among the individuals and groups devoted to this cause.  In addition to current URPE members and political economy graduate students, we are inviting a number of activist organizations and leftist think tanks working on the front lines against the destructive forces of globalizing capitalism.  The conference itinerary will be set up to maximize the opportunities for sharing views and ideas.

     Why you, and why now?  There are several reasons why you should consider attending this year's summer conference and becoming an URPE member if you have not already done so.  First, the conference will provide you with an opportunity to meet and forge connections with other like-minded graduate students and with people addressing real-world concerns that will provide the substance for your future work.  Second, the conference generally attracts many current URPE members who belong to the academic departments and political organizations that may be your future employers and professional contacts.  It's not too early to start establishing these relations. Third, if you are currently working on your dissertation, we invite you to present your work in an evening plenary session devoted specifically to this purpose.  Students who've presented their work in past conferences have gotten useful suggestions from colleagues working on similar topics.

     Finally, as a student in one of the major graduate programs in left political economy, you are the lifeblood of URPE's future, and URPE should be the organization that supports and promotes your social and intellectual concerns.  If for some reason you feel that it doesn't fully serve that purpose now, it's time for you and your peers to get involved, and shape the URPE of the future as needed to address those concerns.  Even if you don't personally run for election to the Steering Committee or the RRPE Editorial Board, you can help shape the identity and direction of these bodies by participating in the elections and the membership business meeting held at the summer conference.

     I hope you will seriously consider joining us in August.  The low-income fee is $140, housing and meals included, for the entire conference, and we offer scholarships to offset this cost to those who need them.  The low-income and student RRPE subscription rate, which includes membership in URPE, is currently just $30. I'll be forwarding to you the conference registration form when it comes out later in the spring.  Until then, please feel free to e-mail me with any questions you might have.  In particular, I encourage you to contact me if you're currently working on your dissertation and are potentially interested in presenting your work in progress at the summer conference.

Sincerely,



Gil Skillman
gskillman@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Wesleyan University and
URPE Steering Committee