Roundtables

In order to have a collective discussion rather than a collection of individual papers, the discussion focused on two questions in each roundtable, to which all participants in the roundtable were invited to give a written answer well in advance. Those answers were circulated among participants prior to the conference. On the day of the conference, at the beginning of each roundtable, participants presented in 5 minutes the main argument of their contribution. A general discussion followed, between contributors to the roundtable and other participants in the conference.

Roundtable 1. Albanian studies during the last 20 years: a change of paradigm?

Moderator: Nathalie Clayer

Contributors: Victor Friedman, Mikaela Minga, Lura Pollozhani

— According to you, has there been a change of paradigm in your field of studies?

— Has your own research been affected by this change?

Roundtable 2. Interdisciplinary research in the Albanian context

Moderator: Robert Pichler

Contributors: Gianfranco Bria, Bledar Kondi, François Lerin, Mentor Mustafa, Saimir Shpuza

— What does it mean to study materialities, practices and places within an interdisciplinary framework?

— How do you assess your own interdisciplinary experience?

Roundtable 3. Communist and post-communist studies: their impact on Albanian studies and perspectives from communist and post-communist Albania

Moderator: Enriketa Pandelejmoni

Contributors: Idrit Idrizi, Ermir Hoxha, Dorian Koçi, Elidor Mëhilli, Eckehard Pistrick

— How has your field of research been affected by communist and post-communist studies?

— What models, paradigms and comparative framework related to communist and post-communist studies can we use to explore materialities, spaces and practices in the Albanian context?

Roundtable 4. Albanian studies within area studies: locating Albanian studies in the (post-)Ottoman, European and Mediterranean studies

Moderator: Armanda Hysa

Contributors: Konrad Clewing; Markenc Lorenci, Joachim Matzinger, Enis Sulstarova

— What are the advantages and limits of considering Albanian studies in relation to Ottoman and post-Ottoman studies, Mediterranean studies, European studies?

—How do you use the change of focal and scale in your own research?

Roundtable 5. The “material turn” and Albanian studies

Moderator: Esmeralda Agolli

Contributors: Claire Bernard-Mongin, Arsim Canolli, Emily Glass, Smoki Musaraj, Visar Nonaj

— What is your assessment of the ‘material turn’ in your field of studies?

— How do you approach ‘materiality’ in your own work?

Roundtable 6. The “visual turn” and Albanian studies

Moderator: Olsi Lelaj

Contributors: Gilles de Rapper, Agata Fijalkowski, Ana Grgic, Zef Paci, Irida Vorpsi

— What is your assessment of the ‘visual turn’ in your field of studies?

— How do you approach ‘visuality’ in your own work?

Roundtable 7. The “spatial turn” and Albanian studies

Moderator: Gentiana Kera

Contributors: Nathalie Clayer, Denis Ermolin, Juli Vullnetari

— What is your assessment of the ‘spatial turn’ in your field of studies?

— How do you approach space in your own work?

Roundtable 8. The “temporal turn” and Albanian studies

Moderator: Nataša Gregorič Bon

Contributors: Nebi Bardhoshi, Cecilie Endresen, Bledar Kondi, Eli Krasniqi, Shemsi Krasniqi

— What is your assessment of the ‘temporal turn’ in your field of studies?

— How do you approach ‘temporality’ in your own work?