The Institute for the Study of International Expositions (ISIE) announces its 2024 Emerging Scholars Symposium: “New Voices in Expo Research,” where emerging scholars and established experts will come together to explore fresh perspectives on the history and legacy of international expositions. The symposium aims to highlight innovative research, curation, and preservation strategies while providing outreach opportunities for new and existing members.
ISIE facilitates both scholarly and popular understandings of the significance of these global events that serve as mirrors of concurrent (both real and visionary) political, cultural, and technological conditions of the times in which they’re held. The underlying goals for the symposium are for participants to leave the event with an expanded understanding of the roles international expositions have played in political, cultural, and technological developments across time and space and stronger connections to the global community of scholars from a vast range of disciplines involved in the study of world’s fairs.
In addition to paper sessions, the symposium will include a roundtable event focused on the Institute, as well as opportunities to informally socialize and network with others sharing related interests. We also invite those interested in the study of world’s fairs to become involved in the future development of ISIE.

The ISIE “Emerging Scholars Symposium: New Voices in Expo Research,” will be held online via Zoom (with previous registration required) on March 22, 10:30am - 6:00pm EDT.

Registration
Before 21 March 2024: Student Free (University email required) / / Regular US$40
After 21 March 2024: US$75
Register Here: https://bit.ly/ISIEnewvoices

Program
[Note: All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)]

10:30am: Welcome and Introduction
James Fortuna, University of St Andrews
Constanza Robles, Boston University

10:45am: Session 1: Crafting Immersive Experiences: Visitor Interactions and Exhibition Design. Chair: Charles Pappas
- “The Medium is the Message: Evolution of Communication and Information Dissemination at the Expo,” Wang Shu, World Expo Museum, Shanghai
- “Exploring the Impact of Youth Ambassadors: An Analysis of Program Structure and Recruitment Processes,” Lian Feng, Inspire Brands/United States Department of State (2022)
- “Theme Development and National Image Construction of World Expo Pavilions in the Era of Transformation,” Li Qian, Tsinghua University
- “The Journey to Osaka & Expo 2025: The importance of pavilion design for ‘co-creating the future,’” Toby Shulruff, Arizona State University and Levi Wyman, New York University

12:30pm: Session 2: Questioning Global Narratives: Cultural Reflections and Competitive Histories. Chair: César Corona
- “The Queen and Her World: The Iran Pavilion at EXPO 6,” Ali Reza Shahbazin, McGill University, Montreal
- “Oriental Encounters in the Occident: Architecture of the Ottoman Empire and British India in the 1893 Columbian Exposition,” Robin Thomas, Middle East Technical University, Ankara
- “Competitive forms of anchoring the past at world's fairs: the Greek pavilion at the 1911 International Exhibition of Art,” Ketty Iannantuono, Radboud University, Nijmegen

2:00pm: Session 3: Beyond Borders: Architectural Utopias, Political Stages, and Paradigms of Representation. Chair: Guido Cimadomo
- “Visions of Heaven: The 1893 World’s Fair Transportation Building as a Gateway to Paradise,” Morgan Ross, University of Oklahoma
- “Fascist Italy’s Universal Exposition E.42 in Rome as A Stage for Imperialist Triumph,” Wim Boerefijn, Independent Scholar
- “Exhibition Design as a Political Statement. State Representations at the International Press Exhibition 1928,” Anna Gonchar, Technische Universität München

3:30pm: Session 4: Charting New Horizons: Exploring Future Frontiers - A Round Table Discussion
Charles Pappas, Senior Writer, Exhibitor Magazine
César Corona, CEO, ExpoMuseum.com
James Fortuna, Historian, PhD, University of St. Andrews
Constanza Robles, Art Historian, PhD candidate, Boston University

End of Day: Social Gathering and Book Giveaway
Stay for our social hour to connect with expo colleagues and continue conversations, as well as a chance to win a copy of Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, and Robot Overlords by Charles Pappas in our book giveaway!

Recording
The recordings of the presentations will be available for seven days after the event to those who register but are unable to attend live and to all ISIE members.

About ISIE
ISIE, the Institute for the Study of International Expositions, is a global interdisciplinary network focused on the exploration of world fairs since 1851. Rooted in the fields of architecture, science, diplomacy, art, and technology, ISIE is dedicated to advancing research and collaboration by exploring new frontiers in the evolving landscape of world fairs and expositions and welcomes individuals from various academic disciplines and professions.
ISIE’s first major event, the online symposium International Expositions: Looking to the Past, Seeing the Future in March 2022, was attended by 75+ participants from 15+ countries. Its second, Best Practices in International Exposition Design, took place in March 2023 with 80+ participants from six continents. Other ISIE initiatives include an ongoing speaker series, an upcoming academic publication, and soon an enhanced website for networking.

Contact Symposium Chairs
James Fortuna, University of St Andrews: fortunajtcd.ie
Constanza Robles, Boston University: cnroblesbu.edu
Questions may also be sent to: infoisie-global.org.