GRAP International Conference

[Augustyn Surdyk]

International Academic Conference

Culture-generative function of games
The game as a medium, text and ritual
Poznań November 19 - 20, 2005

We would like to invite you to the first International Conference “Culture-generative function of games”, which will be held on November 19-20, 2005 in the Department of Glottodidactics and Translation Studiees of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.

As a new issue in scholarly studies, games demand establishing consistent terminology, setting the range of research needed for their exhaustive analysis, and finding answers to several crucial questions, such as:
What influence have games exerted on people's life until now?
Have games established a position as an educational tool??
What applications did games have in the past and how will they be used in the future?
Is it necessary and possible to create new research methodology for game studies?
Can ludology be developed only on the basis of the theories created by the humanities and social sciences?

Visit conference site: http://gry.konferencja.org/page.php?id=1111

[Augustyn Surdyk]

2nd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Culture-Generative Function of Games
Game in the Education, Media and Society
Poznań, 25 – 26 November 2006

The Game Research Association of Poland Main Board and GRAP Centre at the Institute of Applied Linguistics of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań have the honour to present the 2nd International Conference of the “Culture-Generative Function of Games.” The enormous interest raised by the previous conference, which is going to result in a two-volume publication, has confirmed the interdisciplinary character of ludology as game-focused studies. As the overall conclusion drawn from the conference has confirmed, games (including computer games) have become rooted in the contemporary culture and constitute a phenomenon infiltrating nearly all spheres of human life. Following are a few among the questions which remain open:
What was the meaning of games in the past, and what is it today?
What are the prospects for games to be applied to a broadly understood education?
Would it be possible and, more importantly, justified, to create a stand-alone game research methodology?
Can game studies evolve exclusively from theories developed by social sciences and humanities?
In what direction does ludology develop in Poland and abroad?

The above issues, together with many other, which concern the position of games in science, education and culture, and especially in multimedia, constitute our proposed discussion objects. We are looking forward to hear voices of media experts, glottodidactic experts, linguists, theorists of literature, historians, philosophers, culture researchers, sociologists, psychologists and psychiatrists, pedagogues, computer experts, economy experts, lawyers and representatives of other disciplines, including sciences. We also invite game authors and journalists.

Suggested discussion topics:
Game research methods and directions of ludology development.
Language and communication games in the foreign language teaching, education, pedagogy and e-learning.
Linguistic, literary and cultural game inspirations.
Interactive narratives: communication in computer and role-playing games.
Historical evolution of games.
Sociological and psychological aspects of games.
Modern technologies used in games.
New types of games and their place in culture.
The image of games in media and in the public opinion.

Applications:
Please submit your applications including the personal information, paper title and abstract, to the conference website http://gry2.konferencja.org. The application deadline is September 20, 2006.


Participation costs:
The conference fee (covering the organizational costs and conference proceedings) is 200 PLN. Students – 50 PLN. For the GRAP members the fee is 190 PLN and 40 PLN (the membership fee for the year 2007 included.) The payments should be to the folowing account: ILS UAM: WBK S.A. oddział w Poznaniu 77 1090 1362 0000 0000 3601 7903, with a special instruction 'Subkonto: 249.30.758 "Konferencja”.' The payment deadline is September 20, 2006. Please send the payment note to the address of the Institute. Conference participants can organize the accomodation and meals on their own or make use of recommended facilities.
The conference proceedings are planned to be published.

Conference Organizational Committee:
Prof. Waldemar Pfeiffer; Dr. Augustyn Surdyk; Dr. Paweł Hostyński; Dr. Jan Stasieńko; Dr. Agnieszka Dytman-Stasieńko; Dr. Jerzy Szeja; Michał Mochocki, MA; Dominika Urbańska-Galanciak, MA; Agata Zarzycka MA.

Translation: Agata Zarzycka M.A.

[Augustyn Surdyk]

3rd INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONFERENCE
on the
Culture-Generative Function of Games
cycle, entitled:
The Civilization of Fun and Games
or the Fun and Games of Civilization?
The Role of Games
in Contemporary Culture
Poznań, 24 – 25 November 2007

The Game Research Association of Poland’s Main Board and the GRAP Centre at the Institute of Applied Linguistics of Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań have the honour of presenting the 3rd International Conference on the “Culture-Generative Function of Games” cycle. The enormous interest raised by the previous conferences, which has, so far, resulted in a two-volume publication, has confirmed the interdisciplinary character of ludology as the broadly understood game-focused studies. The two past conferences have shown games as one of the crucial issues in the contemporary reality. The most important questions and research directions are as follows:

What was the meaning of games in the past, and what is it today?
Can game studies provide new tools for exploring and evaluating our civilization?
What are the prospects for the application of games to a broadly understood education?
Would it be possible and, more importantly, justified, to create a stand-alone game research methodology?
In what direction is ludology developing in Poland and abroad?
What is the status of e-sports / e-gaming and electronic sports towards from the perspective of traditional sport disciplines?
The above issues, together with many others, which concern the position of games in science, education and culture, constitute our proposed discussion subjects. We are looking forward to hearing the voices of media experts, glottodidactic experts, linguists, theorists of literature, historians, philosophers, culture researchers, sociologists, psychologists and psychiatrists, pedagogues, computer experts, economy experts, lawyers and representatives of other disciplines, including sciences. We also invite game authors and journalists.

Suggested discussion topics:
The position of games in contemporary civilization – a continuation or a breakthrough?
Game as a medium of communication between societies
Language and communication games in foreign language teaching, education, pedagogy and e-learning
Interactive narratives in games
Linguistic, literary and cultural game inspirations.
Historical evolution of games.
Entertainment / hobby / passion / addiction. Games in the individual, group and community life.
Modern technologies used in games.
New types of games and their place in culture.
The image of games in the media and public opinion.
E-sports and their place among other sport disciplines.
Ludology in Poland - the development prospects. Game research methods.
Winners and losers. Competition, victory and failure in contemporary culture.

Applications:
Please submit your applications including personal information, paper title and abstract, to the conference website http://gry3.konferencja.org. The application deadline is October 31, 2007.

Participation costs:
The conference fee (covering the organizational costs and conference proceedings) is 200 PLN; students – 50 PLN. For the GRAP members the fee is 190 PLN and 40 PLN respectively (membership fee for the year 2008 included.) Payments should be made to the following account: Polskie Towarzystwo Badania Gier; bank account number: PKO BP SA, Oddział 14 w Poznaniu: 39 1020 4027 0000 1902 0396 6587, with a special instruction: "Konferencja 2007". The payment deadline is October 31, 2007. Please send the payment note to the GRAP address. Conference participants may organize accommodation and meals individually or make use of recommended facilities. The conference proceedings are planned to be published.

Conference Organizational Committee:
Prof. Waldemar Pfeiffer;
Dr. Augustyn Surdyk;
Dr. Paweł Hostyński;
Dr. Jan Stasieńko;
Dr. Agnieszka Dytman-Stasieńko;
Dr. Jerzy Szeja;
Michał Mochocki, MA;
Dominika Urbańska-Galanciak, MA;
Agata Zarzycka MA.

Translation: Agata Zarzycka M.A.
Proof-reading: Mairéad Mooney B.A.

[Augustyn Surdyk]

4th INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONFERENCE

on the

Culture-Generative Function of Games
cycle, entitled:

The 21st Century - the Century of Games?
The Usefulness of Games in Exploring and Shaping of Social Phenomena
Poznań 22 – 23 November 2008

The Game Research Association of Poland’s Main Board and the GRAP Centre at the Institute of Applied Linguistics of Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań have the honour of presenting the 4th International Conference on the “Culture-Generative Function of Games” cycle. The enormous interest raised by the previous conferences, which has, so far, resulted in a two-volume publication, has confirmed the interdisciplinary character of ludology as the broadly understood game-focused studies. The two past conferences have shown games as one of the crucial issues in the contemporary reality. The most important questions and research directions are as follows:

- The position of games in contemporary civilization – a continuation or a breakthrough?
- Usefulness of games in the economical, political and social development
- Ludology in Poland and in the world - the development prospects. Game research methods.
- Language and communication games in education
- Entertainment / hobby / passion / addiction. Games in the individual, group and community life.
- Intercultural differences in contents and reception of games.
- Intercultural games – a medium of communication between societies?
- Game from the creator’s perspective – fun, craft, art, mission?
- Modern technologies used in games.
- New types of games and their place in culture.
- The image of games in the media and public opinion.
- E-sports and their place among other sport disciplines.
- Winners and losers. Competition, victory and failure in contemporary culture.

The above issues, together with many others, which concern the position of games in science, education and culture, constitute our proposed discussion subjects. We are looking forward to hearing the voices of media experts, glottodidactic experts, linguists, theorists of literature, historians, philosophers, culture researchers, sociologists, psychologists and psychiatrists, pedagogues, computer experts, economy experts, lawyers and representatives of other disciplines, including sciences. We also invite game authors and journalists.

Participation costs:

The conference fee (covering the organizational costs and conference proceedings) is 200 PLN; students – 50 PLN. For the GRAP members the fee is 190 PLN and 40 PLN respectively (membership fee for the year 2009 included.) Payments should be made to the following account: Polskie Towarzystwo Badania Gier; bank account number: PKO BP SA, Oddział 14 w Poznaniu: 39 1020 4027 0000 1902 0396 6587, with a special instruction: "Konferencja 2008". The payment deadline is October 31, 2008. Please send the payment note to the GRAP address. Conference participants may organize accommodation and meals individually or make use of recommended facilities. The conference proceedings are planned to be published.

The next publications from the following conferences (2nd - 2006, 3rd - 2007) will be released within „Homo communicativus” journal by Department of Theory of Philosophy of Communicatioin at the Institute of Philosophy, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.

The editorial committee will do their best for the two volumes to be released before the forthcoming conference, so that all the participants would receive both volumes (2006, 2007) in the conference materials within the conference fee.

Persons who pay the conference fee but for some reasons will not be able to participate will receive the conference materials including the books via post at an address indicated in the participant’s profile.

Conference Organizational Committee:

Prof. Waldemar Pfeiffer,
Prof. Bogusław Bakuła,
Dr. Augustyn Surdyk,
Dr. Paweł Hostyński,
Dr. Britta Stőckmann,
Dr. Jerzy Szeja,
Conference Secretary: Dr. Michał Mochocki,
Dr. Agata Zarzycka
Dr. Dominika Urbańska-Galanciak,
Emanuel Kulczycki M.A.,
Roman Budzowski M.A.

More details and call for papers in a pdf poster available to download here: http://gry.konferencja.org/page.php?id=1954

[Augustyn Surdyk]

4. INTERNATIONALE AKADEMISCHE KONFERENZ

zur

KULTURSCHAFFENDEN FUNKTION VON SPIELEN

Das 21. Jahrhundert –
das Jahrhundert der Spiele?
Der Nutzen von Spielen
zur Erforschung und Gestaltung gesellschaftlicher Phänomene

Weitere Informationen

Die Konferenz findet vom 22. bis 23. November 2008 in Poznań, Polen, im Kon-ferenzzentrum auf dem Posener Messe-gelände statt. Zeitgleich mit der Konferenz wird die Poznań Game Arena veranstaltet, zu der Konferenzteilnehmer freien Eintritt haben.


Das Wichtigste zur Konferenz unter:
www.gry.konferencja.org


Bei weiteren Fragen gibt es Auskunft

auf Englisch von:
SurdykMG@amu.edu.pl
(Dr. Augustyn Surdyk)

auf Deutsch von:
bstoeckmann@googlemail.com
(Dr. Britta Stöckmann)


Organisatoren:
Prof. Waldemar Pfeiffer, Prof. Bogusław Bakuła, Dr. Augustyn Surdyk, Dr. Paweł Hostyński, Dr. Britta Stöckmann, Dr. Jerzy Szeja, Dr. Michał Mochocki, Dr. Dominika Urbańska-Galanciak, Emanuel Kulczycki M.A., Roman Budzowski M.A.

[Augustyn Surdyk]

5th INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONFERENCE
on the
Culture-Generative Function of Games

cycle, entitled:
Social and academic status of ludology

Poznań 17 – 18 October 2009

The Game Research Association of Poland’s Main Board and the GRAP Centre at the Institute of Applied Linguistics of Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań have the honour of presenting the 5th International Conference on the “Culture-Generative Function of Games” cycle. The projects undertaken by the Society to date, as well as four volumes of post-conference publications, are evidence that research on games mainly conducted in the West has found its way to Poland. It is our wish therefore, to further develop and increase the public interest in this vital aspect of modern times.
In 2009 the suggested topics for discussion are:
The status of ludology in Poland and abroad,
Associations, conferences, journals, individual researchers,
Those who create games: from programmers to distributors,
The society of game researchers in Poland and in the world,
Problems of games research: methodological, practical, ethical,
Playing and its results (positive, negative) from the perspective of scholars, game designers, players, public opinion,
Game users: scholars, game creators, players, people of the media - the meaning of cooperation or its lack,
Intercultural context of games,
Games and economy,
Game journalists,
Theory and practice of game design,
Traditional and electronic sports,
Possibilities of popularising of ludological knowledge,
Social and economical aspects of games,
Communicative and linguistic games,
The meaning of games in education.
Many of these issues have already been covered at previous PTBG conferences. Two themes seem new, however, and deserve additional emphasis. The first of these is the scientific status of ludology.

How do we describe ludology? Is it a discipline spanning, integrating and transcending many disciplines? Is it independent or subordinate to others? Can it be regarded as a science or does it merely imitate one?
The answer to these questions has great significance for placing ludological reasoning within the academic world.

The social status of our area is the second issue. We decided to direct attention towards the people and organisations without whom ludology would not exist. These are not only academics but also game designers, gamers and journalists. We hope that a discussion on the subject will not only increase our ludological consciousness but will also improve the relations between the various groups in relation to games.
We cordially invite all those interested in the topic of the conference, be they researchers, game creators, gamers or journalists.

Conference Organizational Committee:

Prof. Camilla Badstübner-Kizik,
Prof. Remigiusz Mielcarek,
Dr. Augustyn Surdyk,
Dr. Paweł Hostyński,
Dr. Jerzy Szeja,
Emanuel Kulczycki M.A.,
Roman Budzowski M.A.
Stanisław Krawczyk,
Conference Secretary: Dr. Michał Mochocki,
Dr. Agata Zarzycka,
Dr. Britta Stőckmann,
Dr. Dominika Urbańska-Galanciak.

[Augustyn Surdyk]

6th INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONFERENCE
on the
Culture-Generative Function of Games

cycle, entitled:
Between pleasure and usefulness

Poznań 13 – 14 November 2010

The Games Research Association of Poland’s Main Board, the Poznań GRAP Centre at the Institute of Applied Linguistics of Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań and the Centre for Ludological Research in Glottodidactics and Intercultural Communication (IAL AMU) have the honour of presenting the 6th International Conference on the “Culture-Generative Function of Games” cycle.

Games research more and more significant in the world’s science have rooted also in Poland . Among others, the achievements and publications of GRAP show it. Therefore we wish to continue the consideration on this important phenomenon carrying hope not only for fruitful academic reflection but also for collaboration of people differently related to games.

In 2010 we will concentrate on the following problems:
· Games as a subject of academic research

· Social usefulness of games research

· What can be the purpose of designing games?

· What can games give to their users?

· Researchers, designers, users, journalists: separated or communicating vessels?

· What does the pleasure of playing consist in?

· The place of games in cultural transformations

· Games as a medium of popular culture

· Games in education and popularisation

· Communicative and linguistic games

· The language of games

· Intercultural games

· Modern technologies and new types of games

· Games from the perspective of economics, market and economy

The two main themes of this year’s conference are questions about the pleasure and the usefulness. That games can be pleasant – all would probably agree, but what does this pleasure consist in? And if games are useful – then in what way, for whom, in what circumstances? When does the pleasure go together with usefulness and when do they become sworn enemies? And perhaps the pleasure that games deliver is useful in its own right?

We hope that the discussion on these and other issues will deepen our knowledge about games and will open new fields of discussions about them, among other things, thanks to the point of contact of many different horizons: scholars, game designers, journalists, players. We cordially invite anyone interested – see you in Poznań!

Conference Organizational Committee:
Prof. Camilla Badstübner-Kizik,
Rector WSEIiI Dr. Dariusz Grzybek,
Prof. Henryk Noga,
Dr. Augustyn Surdyk,
Dr. Paweł Hostyński,
Dr. Jerzy Szeja,
Emanuel Kulczycki M.A.,
Roman Budzowski M.A.,
Stanisław Krawczyk,
Conference Secretary: Dr. Michał Mochocki,
Dr. Agata Zarzycka,
Dr. Britta Stőckmann,
Dr. Dominika Urbańska-Galanciak.

[Augustyn Surdyk]

7th INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONFERENCE
on the
Culture-Generative Function of Games

cycle, entitled:
Perspectives on the development of ludology

Poznań 18 – 19 November 2011

The Games Research Association of Poland’s Main Board, the Poznań GRAP Centre at the Institute of Applied Linguistics of Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań and the Centre for Ludological Research in Glottodidactics and Intercultural Communication (IAL AMU) have the honour of presenting the 7th International Conference on the “Culture-Generative Function of Games” cycle.

The 7th conference on the cycle initiated in 2005, with the popularity of all the previous editions, makes us think about the present status and future of ludology as a scholarly discipline dealing with games research. Therefore this year, apart from still open questions concerning the place of games in contemporary culture, their usefulness in social studies and applications in education we are proposing the following topics to discuss:


1. Subject, methods and aims of ludology
2. Place of ludology among other sciences and humanities
3. Ludological organisations and academic associations
4. Game research – between theory and practice
5. Educational applications of games
6. Ludic techniques in glottodidactics and intercultural communication
7. Place of games in contemporary media culture
8. Games as a medium for popular and fan culture
9. Gamification – application of games in different spheres of life
10. Games and their designers – fun, art, mission or craft?
11. E-sports – olympic disciplines or non-sport video entertainment?

The variety of the proposed topics reflects the multiplicity of aspects of the phenomena connected with games, numerous possible research perspectives and the evolving form, content and role of games in human’s everyday life.
We are looking forward to hear voices of media experts, glottodidactic experts, linguists, theorists of literature, historians, philosophers, culture researchers, sociologists, psychologists and psychiatrists, pedagogues, computer experts, economy experts, lawyers and representatives of other disciplines, including sciences. We also invite game authors and journalists. We are also inviting game designers, journalists, e-sportsmen and gamers. See you in Poznań !

Conference Organizational Committee:
Prof. Camilla Badstübner-Kizik,
Prof. Henryk Noga,
Dr. Augustyn Surdyk,
Dr. Paweł Hostyński,
Dr. Jerzy Szeja,
Dr. Emanuel Kulczycki,
Roman Budzowski M.A.,
Stanisław Krawczyk M.A.,
Conference Secretary: Dr. Michał Mochocki,
Dr. Agata Zarzycka,
Dr. Britta Stőckmann,
Dr. Dominika Urbańska-Galanciak.

For more details see: http://gry.konferencja.org