Participation in the ICLA 2010 is open to all individuals or groups interested in the field of Comparative Literature. The Organizing Committee of the ICLA 2010 welcomes the submission of abstracts related to the six sub-themes described below. All abstracts presented at the congress will be published in the abstract book.

The 21st century having brought us properly into the age of globalization, Comparative Literature must now re-establish a new concept and identity for literature through theory and practice founded on a new knowledge that reaches beyond the boundaries of race, culture, region, politics, and scholarship to expand and unify its horizon. In particular, the globalization of Comparative Literature must seek out a means to expand the direction and range of research by breaching the fence of Eurocentric literary theory and discourse, and canonizing the long-standing and tenacious literary traditions of other regions. To this end, we must find a new consilience through the in-depth discussion of different literary theories accompanied by a comparative study of Western literary theory.

Comparative Literature must present a new method of co-existence within the complex culture of a hypertextual age. With the appearance of hypertext, cutting-edge technology seems on the verge of replacing the classical concept of text culture. Thus, literary texts must seek out a means of surviving the age of text-surpassing multiple media. In this advent of the age of hypertext, Comparative Literature must be able to present a concrete vision and plan regarding the existential value and direction of literary text.

Comparative Literature must carry into a new arena of discussion the issues of nature and environment, science and technology, humanity and ethics-issues addressed by the diverse cultures of many nations-and thereby present a new discourse that may be jointly owned by all of humanity. The advancement of technology continues to bring environmental destruction, and this damage will be carried over to the next generation. In particular, the First and Third Worlds hold sharply divergent views on such issues. Therefore, to approach and discuss from a comparative perspective such issues of environment and technology, and the issues of humanity and ethics to which everything eventually returns, is especially important for the direct connection of such discussion to the survival of human civilization.

In the 21st century we have moved beyond the age during which ideological differences brought about the Cold War. But humanity still faces an endless array of new discriminations and conflicts of region, religion, ideology, wealth, and generation. By embracing cultural diversity, and by expanding and re-manufacturing such concepts of acceptance, Comparative Literature must offer a concrete means of co-existence and reconciliation. In this way, Comparative Literature will be able to take on the practical and revolutionary function that falls to literature when it faces the concrete problems of the real world. We will re-visit the various concepts of otherness that have been discussed thus far, and seek out the role of Comparative Literature in creating a foundation of dialogue and reconciliation that moves beyond politics and conflicts of difference.

Translation has emerged as one of the most important means of exchange and communication between diverse cultures. Translation can overcome the gap between nations, races, periods, cultures, and languages to provide a new space of exchange and communication. If existing works of translation have contributed primarily to the one-sided transmission of Western culture to the Third World, translation in the 21st century must stand on the front lines of genuine mutual exchange between different cultures. In this light, cultural translation that examines the negotiations of culture taking place at many levels between source-text and target-text offers a new direction for translation in the 21st century.

Asia has developed various paradigms of knowledge, sensibility, and value through its long tradition and history. Asian literary tradition and culture have also disseminated and transformed through communication and exchange within Asia as well as across Asian boarders. After a century of western modernization, the significance of Asian classical literature and culture is being discussed once again and is being distinguished as a way of providing new vision. Expectantly, discussions on such Asian paradigms will go beyond the limitations of Orientalism and Occidentalism and give Asia a chance to self-examine productively. In the midst of dynamic change in the concept of Comparative Literature and World Literature, Asia must be actively discussed as the focal point for the integration and re-construction of knowledge for the future.

Group Sections are divided into 5 categories (Panel, Roundtable, Seminar, Symposium, and Workshop). These sections are proposed by individuals or group organizers for a group of people who share the same interest in specific issues related to the Congress Theme. In addition to the six Congress Sessions, these group sections are also open to the individuals or groups interested in the special topics listed below. The abstracts and descriptions of these topics are available on the official website of ICLA 2010 (www.icla2010.org).