26th EGOS Colloquium

10
WAVES OF GLOBALIZATION 26TH EGOS COLLOQUIUM LISBON 2010
DEAR EGOSIANS,
For the first time, the EGOS annual colloquium
travels to Lisbon. It is our pleasure
to warmly welcome you to the School of
Economics and Management at Nova and
to our city. In this year’s program we chose
to invite you to explore globalization from
an historical perspective. It makes all the
sense, we believe, to engage in discussions
on globalization and history from this part
of the world. Lisbon is the capital city of a
country whose frontiers were established
with almost no variation, in the 13th Century.
Lisbon was the port from which Portuguese
explorers such as Vasco da Gama,
Bartolomeu Dias, or Diogo Cão departed
to make history as we now know it. Lisbon
is also the city of fado and of poets like
Pessoa. This environment, full of history is,
we consider, the perfect scenario to discuss
how history and interdependence continue
to mold our society.
In this years’ program, we feature 47 sub-
-themes, including 8 Standing Working
Groups. We have, as it is always happening
in our meetings, a remarkable diversity of
topics. In response to our call, globalization
is at the core of a number of sub-themes.
Despite the strong presence of the topic in
academic and societal discussions, we will
not be discussing more of the same. We
will rather have the possibility to explore
globalization from new and refreshing
theoretical perspectives. For the plenary
sessions we will have four notable guest
speakers: Stewart Clegg, Mary Crossan,
John Meyer, and Susan Schneider. Their
work in fields such as power, learning, institutions,
and cross-cultural issues, shaped
our field and it’s with enthusiasm that we
look forward to attend their sessions. If
you have the chance, enjoy the pleasures
of open, informal coming together in the
EGOS conversation café, imagined by Stefan
Meisiek, one the team members. It is a
post-Colloquium offering, where a number
of renowned scholars, who have generously
agreed to meet with interested colleagues
to talk about research, life, and the globalized
world. You will find them in cafes in
the city center and this way the Colloquium
opens up to the city around it.
Lisbon is a great host city. It interweaves tradition
and modernity. You can feel history in
places such as the Castelo de São Jorge, in
Alfama, or in the monumental area of Belém,
where the city’s ex libris, the tower of Belém
is located, and where EU’s Lisbon treaty was
recently signed. You can in alternative prefer
to enjoy new perspectives of the city in such
places as the Parque das Nações, CCB (in
Belém) or in Santos Design District. Or, you
may just enjoy the Baixa, the city’s center,
a few minutes away from the Colloquium
venue. The Coliseum, where our plenary sessions
will take place, is just there.
As you can see, there are many cities in Lisboa.
Layers of history, or historical waves if
you prefer, helped to build this vibrant and
friendly place. Let us again welcome you
and the entire EGOS community to Lisbon.
On behalf of the local organizing team, I
hope you enjoy the Colloquium and that
you’ll learn the meaning of one of the most
beautiful words of the Portuguese language
that cannot be easily translated, saudade.
Welcome, bem vindos!
Miguel Pina e Cunha
CHAIR OF THE 26th EGOS COLLOQUIUM