CESS Conference, October 9 - 11, 2009

The Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies and the Central Asia Program are delighted to be hosting the annual conference of the Central Eurasian Studies Society in October 2009. Information regarding local arrangements at the University of Toronto may be found on this website. For more information on CESS, please visit http://www.cess.muohio.edu/.

THE CONFERENCE
 1. Call for Papers
2. Registration information
3. Keynote Speaker
4.Canadian Visa and Letter of Invitation Request
5. University of Toronto
6. Getting to Toronto
7. Accommodation
8. Maps
9.Dining
10. Visiting Toronto

1. Call for Papers

The Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS) invites panel and paper proposals for the Tenth Annual CESS Conference, October 8-11, 2009, in Toronto, Canada. The event will be held at The University of Toronto, hosted by the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (Munk School of Global Affairs). Panels begin Friday morning, October 8, and continue through mid-day on Sunday, October 11.
Panel and paper topics relating to all aspects of humanities and social science scholarship on Central Eurasia are welcome. The geographic domain of Central Eurasia extends from the Black Sea and Iranian Plateau to Mongolia and Siberia, including the Caucasus, Crimea, Middle Volga, Afghanistan, Tibet, and Central and Inner Asia. Practitioners and scholars in all humanities and social science disciplines with an interest in Central Eurasia are encouraged to participate. This year, due to the increased opportunity for scholars from Iran to obtain visas to the host country, we especially encourage proposals that touch on Iran in the broader context of Central Eurasia.
The program will feature approximately 45 panels and there will also be a supplementary program including a welcome reception on Thursday, a conference dinner and a keynote speaker.
Deadline for submission of panel/paper proposals: February 1, 2009.
For complete details, please see the complete Call for Papers on the CESS website.

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2. Registration information
The registration fees covers a welcome reception on Thursday and the conference dinner on Friday. The deadline for pre-registration payment (required for all presenters) is August 1.
Fees for 2009 are as follows:

* "Regular fee members" are those who have paid their annual dues at $50US.
** "Reduced fee members" are those who qualify and have paid for membership at reduced fees ($0-$20US).
Panel participants may submit the registration fee at the same time as submitting their proposal form, or at any time before the pre-registration deadline of August 1. We accept payment by 1) cash (Canadian or U.S.; only at the conference), 2) check or money order (Canadian or U.S.), 3) credit card (see the Credit Card Payment Form; all payments are in US$). Check and money order payments should be mailed to: Central Eurasian Studies Society, Havighurst Center, Harrison Hall, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA. Please consult the CESS Membership Form for full details on methods of payment.
NOTE: CESS does not have funds to support the costs of conference participation, and does not waive the conference fee for participants who cannot afford it. Participants must obtain their own funding -- from personal resources, their own institutions, or grant-giving organizations which provide conference travel grants. Some further information about possible sources is available on the conference website.

3. Keynote Address

Friday, October 9, 5:30 pm
Graham Fuller, Simon Frasier University, "The New Face of Eurasianism"
Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles Street West
Lecture is open to the public.

Graham Fuller is a prolific writer and analyst of global affairs. Among his many publications are the books New Turkish Republic: Turkey as a Pivotal State in the Muslim World (2007), The Future of Political Islam (2004), and the forthcoming A World Without Islam.

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4. Canadian Visa and Letter of Invitation Request

Applying for a Canadian Visa
Citizens and Residents of CIS countries (except Turkmenistan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan)Citizens and residents of most CIS countries will need to apply for a Canadian visa well in advance of travel, since visas are issued by the Embassy of Canada in Moscow. The Embassy in Moscow has a service provider agreement with the office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Almaty, in Yerevan, in Dushanbe and in Bishkek, as well as with Pony Express in Almaty and Yerevan. By this agreement, the IOM and Pony Express will, for a fee, courier the necessary documents to and from Moscow. Citizens of other countries can also use these service providers. Please consult http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/missions/russia-russie/visas/visas-temporary_residence-eng.asp (English) or http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/missions/russia-russie/visas/visas-temporary_residence-rus.asp (Russian) for details.
Citizens and Residents of Turkmenistan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan
In the cases of Turkmenistan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, the Canadian Mission in Ankara (http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canada-europa/turkey) handles visa applications. Please apply for a visa well in advance of travel.
 All CIS Citizens and Residents For more info on visa points of service, please visit: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/apply-where.asp).  
 Neither the University of Toronto nor CESS has funds to cover visas or associated costs. Please consider this as you apply to funding agencies for support.

Letter of Invitation Request

If you need a letter of invitation to attend the conference, please fill out this form and send it back to us at cess2009@utoronto.ca as an attachment in MS Word format. Letters are processed and e-mailed in PDF format at the end of each week. If you do not receive your letter within two weeks of submitting the form please contact us at cess2009@utoronto.ca.

5. University of Toronto
Established in 1827, the University of Toronto is Canada's largest university, recognized as a global leader in research and teaching. U of T's distinguished faculty, institutional record of groundbreaking scholarship and wealth of innovative academic opportunities continually attract outstanding students and academics from around the world. U of T is committed to providing a learning experience that benefits from both a scale almost unparalleled in North America and from the close-knit learning communities made possible through its college system and academic divisions. Located in and around Toronto, one of the world's most diverse regions, U of T's vibrant academic life is defined by a unique degree of cultural diversity in its learning community. The University is sustained environmentally by three green campuses, where renowned heritage buildings stand beside award-winning innovations in architectural design

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6. Getting to Toronto
Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, farther south than Minnesota and much of Michigan, Toronto is one of the most accessible cities in North America by road, air, rail and water. We are only a one hour drive away for about five million Canadians, and within a 90-minute flight for 60 per cent of the U.S. population.
By air
Lester B. Pearson International Airport
Located just west of the city, the airport is accessible from highways 401, 427 and 409. In terms of transportation from the Pearson Airport, please see the options below but note that taxis and limousines from the airport usually do NOT accept credit cards.
 Taxis & Limousines (416) 776-9867 or
http://www.gtaa.com/en/travellers/airport_information/ground_transportatio/taxis__limousines
Airport limousine services (416) 504-9797 or 1-866-682-9797 or
http://www.airportexecutivelimoinc.com/index.html
Public transportation to & from Pearson International Airport
http://www3.ttc.ca/Riding_the_TTC/Airport_service.jsp
Toronto City Centre Airport
Located on the western tip of a series of islands in Toronto Harbour, the island airport handles scheduled, private and corporate flights. Major airlines operating from the island include Air Ontario, Trans Capital Airlines and Grand Aviation. Call 416-203-6942.
By road
Whether approaching Toronto by car or by bus, the traveler will reach Toronto by one of several major routes paralleling the shore of Lake Ontario. Highways 401 and 2, and the Queen Elizabeth Way, enter Toronto from the west. Highways 401 and 2 also enter Toronto from the east. Hwy 400 runs from the north and connects with Hwy 401. Major bus routes converge in Toronto. Out-of-town buses arrive and depart from the Bus Terminal, located at 610 Bay St. Service to/from points all over Ontario, Canada and the U.S. National and regional bus lines serve the Greater Toronto area. Call 416-393-7911 for bus company fares and schedules.
By rail
Toronto is served by the VIA Rail System, the network that provides all rail service throughout Canada (with connections to the Amtrak system through Niagara Falls, New York). Union Station is located on Front Street, between Bay and University (across the street from the Fairmont Royal York Hotel). The station is right on Toronto's subway line, and is within walking distance of SkyDome, the CN Tower, the financial district and many downtown hotels, shops and restaurants.

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7. Accommodation

Holiday Inn Midtown
280 Bloor St. West
Tel: 416. 968.0010, Fax: 416. 968.7765
Please be advised that 50 rooms have been reserved at the Holiday Inn, Midtown for conference participants. To book a room, please fill in this form and follow the instructions included there. Rooms not reserved by Saturday, August 08, 2009, will be automatically released back into the hotel’s open inventory. Request for reservations after the release date will be subject to availability.

Isabella Hotel & Suites
556 Sherbourne Street
Tel: 1-800-359-6279

Howard Johnson Hotel
89 Avenue Rd.
Tel.: 416. 964.1220, Fax: 416. 964.8692

The Cromwell Apartment Suite Hotel
55 Isabella Street
Tel: 416. 962.5670, Fax: 416. 962.3674

Days Inn
30 Carlton St.
Tel: (416) 977-6655, Fax: (416) 977-0502

The Sutton Place
955 Bay Street
Tel: 416. 924.9221, Fax: 416. 924.1778

Annex Guest House
83 Spadina Road
Tel: (416) 922-1934, Fax: (416) 533-3925

Comfort Hotel Downtown
15 Charles Street East
Tel: (416) 924-1222

Park Hyatt Toronto
4 Avenue Road
(416) 925-1234

Bed and Breakfast Homes of Toronto
http://www.torontobandb.com/
http://www.bbcanada.com/ontario/greater_toronto_area/toronto

College Hostel
http://www.affordacom.com

Other Useful Links
http://toronto.express-hotel-guide.com/

8. Maps
Conference Location: Munk School Toronto, Ontario
University of Toronto Campus Map
Toronto City Map
TTC (Public Transportation) Map (1.2MB) from www.ttc.ca

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9. Dining

We suggest the following list of restaurants for your Toronto dining experience. 

Canadian
The Boathouse
207 Queens Quay W.; 416-203-6300

Canadian Bar & Grill
370 King St. W.; 416-595-2525

Courthouse
57 Adelaide St. E.; 416-214-0379

Patriot Restaurant & Brasserie
131 Bloor W.; 416-922-0025

Chinese
Bright Pearl Seafood Restaurant
346 Spadina Ave; 416-800-3160

Dynasty Chinese Cuisine
131 Bloor W.; 416-923-3323

Lee Garden
331 Spadina Ave.; 416-593-9524

French
Brasserie Aix
584 College Street; 416-588-7377

Café La Gaffe
24 Baldwin Ave.; 416-596-2397

La Palette
256 Augusta Ave.; 416-929-4900

Le Saint Tropez/Marcel’s
315 King St. West; 416-591-3600

Greek
Ampeli
526 Danforth Ave.; 416-465-4001

Ouzeri
500-A Danforth Ave.; 416-778-0500

Penelope Restaurant
225 King St. W.; 416-351-9393

The Friendly Greek
551 Danforth Ave.; 416-469-8422

Italian
Mercurio
270 Bloor W.; 416-960-3877

Noce
875 Queen St. W.; 416-504-3463

Spanish/Portuguese
Embrujo Flamenco Tapas Restaurant
97 Danforth Avenue; (416) 778-0007

Sintra Wine Bar & Grill
588 College St.; 416-533-1106

Plaza Garibaldi
467 Danforth Ave.; 416-463-7969

Russian
Pravda Vodka Bar
44 Wellington St. E; (416) 800-1593

Rasputin Vodka Bar
130 Bloor St. W; (416) 469-3737

Life Breeze Café
130 Bloor St. W.; (416) 966-2345

Thai/Vietnamese/Asian Fusion
Pho Hung
350 Spadina Ave.; 416-593-4274

Spring Rolls  
693 Yonge St.; 416-365-7655

More Restaurants
http://www.dine.to/
http://www.opentable.com/rest_list.aspx?m=74
http://www.menupalace.com/menupalace/default.aspx

10. Visiting toronto

About Toronto  (http://www.toronto.ca/about_toronto/index.htm)
Highlights
CN Tower (http://www.cntower.ca/)
Rogers Centre (http://www.rogerscentre.com/)
Tourism Toronto (http://www.seetorontonow.com/)
Toronto’s Historic Museums (http://www.toronto.ca/culture/museums/index.htm)
Attractions (http://www.toronto.ca/events/index.htm)
Entertainment and night life  http://www.seetorontonow.com/Visitor/Experience/Entertainment-and-Nightlife.aspx
Shopping
Toronto’s countless markets, boutiques, malls and galleries create a shopper’s paradise (http://www.seetorontonow.com/Visitor/Experience/Shopping.aspx).

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