Central-Eurasia-L Announcement Archive
2. Conferences and Lecture Series
Page 31

LECTURE- Muslim Question in Late Imperial Russia, Elena Campbell, Nov. 17

Posted by: Stéphane A. Dudoignon <dudoignonaol.com>
Posted: 16 Nov 2008


LECTURE- Muslim Question in Late Imperial Russia, Elena Campbell, Nov. 17


Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales
Institut d'Etude de l'Islam et des Sociétés du Monde Musulman

In collaboration with the Centre for the Study of the Russian, 
Caucasian and East-European Worlds (CNRS & EHESS), we have the honour 
to invite you to a conference given by Dr. Elena I. Campbell, 
Assistant Professor at the University of Washington (Seattle) on:

The International Aspect of the "Muslim Question" in Late Imperial Russia
Monday, November 17, 2008, from 4.00 to 6.00 p.m.

in the Conference Room situated on the First Floor

IISMM/EHESS, 96 blvd. Raspail, F-75006 Paris

Stéphane A. Dudoignon (CNRS, Paris) & Michael Kemper (Université d'Amsterdam)

Seminar "Soviet Islam: Issues, Methods, Knowledge"

For information: wladimir.berelowitchehess.fr, dudoignonaol.com
 

SEMINAR- Azerbaijan: Explaining Regime Continuity, NUPI, Oslo, Nov. 21

Posted by: Farid Guliyev <fareedazyahoo.com>
Posted: 16 Nov 2008


SEMINAR- Azerbaijan: Explaining Regime Continuity, NUPI, Oslo, Nov. 21


The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs [NUPI] has the great 
pleasure to invite you to a seminar:

Azerbaijan: Explaining regime continuity

In the Azerbaijani presidential elections on 15 October 2008 incumbent 
President Ilham Aliyev was reelected for a second term. Azerbaijan is 
experiencing tremendous oil-driven economic growth, but is also 
characterised by growing inequalities and lack of political freedom. 
The lack of a level playing field caused the opposition to boycott the 
elections. This seminar focuses on the underlying issue of regime 
legitimacy, and explores the interconnections between economic and 
political development in the country.

Friday, November 21, 2008, kl. 01:30 pm
NUPI, C. J. Hambros plass 2 D

Programme 13:30-15:30:
 
Sources of regime survival in a petro-state: Rent-seeking and 
   patronage in Azerbaijani politics
Farid Guliyev, PhD candidate, Jacobs University Bremen

Internally displaced persons and the oil boom: A flammable community?
Heidi Kjærnet, Research Fellow, NUPI

Reform or status quo? Interpreting the Azerbaijani regime
Murad Ismayilov, Projects coordinator, Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy

Religion, identity and politics in Azerbaijan
Chingiz Mammedov, Professor, Khazar and Baku State Universities

Website:
http://english.nupi.no/index.php/arrangementer/diverse/azerbaijan_expl
aining_regime_continuity
 

CONF./CFP- History and Subjectivity in Russia, St. Petersburg, June 2010

Posted by: Serguei A. Oushakine <oushakinprinceton.edu>
Posted: 16 Nov 2008


CONF./CFP- History and Subjectivity in Russia, St. Petersburg, June 2010


Call for Papers: 

Chelovek i lichnost kak predmet istoricheskikh issledovanii: Rossiia 
(pozdnii 19 vek-20 vek) 

History and Subjectivity in Russia (late 19th 20th centuries)

The International St. Petersburg colloquium in Russian history, 
organized by historians from Russia, the United States, and Western 
Europe, is held every two to three years. The goal of the upcoming 
conference in June 2010 is to explore how concepts of selfhood shaped 
politics, society, and identities in Russia over the last hundred 
years. The conference draws attention to dialogical practices through 
which individuals in Russia appropriated or modified the blueprints of 
identities prescribed by political, intellectual, religious, or 
cultural authorities, such as activists, professionals, academic 
experts, artists, or priests. 

The conference seeks to engage with historical processes through the 
analytical lens of the self. It will examine the presuppositions about 
human behavior and the ideals of personality and humanity on the part 
of state and cultural authorities from the late Imperial period to the 
breakup of the Soviet Union; it will follow how these notions were set 
into motion over the course of a long century of war and revolution; 
and it will study their effects on the lives, personal horizons, and 
self-understandings of individuals. 

Suggested themes include, but are not limited to:

 * The intelligentsia, the church, and the intellectual history of the 
   personality (lichnost'), from the late 19th through the 20th 
   centuries. Notions of lichnost and humanity in the human and social 
   sciences

 * Wars and revolutions as catalysts of individual self-definition. 
   Relationships between political violence, repression, and self-definition

 * Russian/Soviet formulations of self in dialogue and conflict with 
   foreign models (e.g. Soviet vs. fascist conceptions during the 1930s 
   and 1940s; Soviet vs. capitalist models during the Cold War)

 * Trajectories of the new man, the Soviet person (sovetskii chelovek), 
   russkii chelovek, and the dissident

 * Gender and sexuality. Evolving representations of the human body 
   from the late 19th to the late 20th centuries

 * Subjectivity and the erosion of political legitimacy (from the late 
   Imperial to the late Soviet period)

 * Everyday life, byt, consumption. Popular cultures and alternative 
   forms of identity

 * Writers, filmmakers, and journalists as human engineers, from 
   Symbolism to post-Soviet times

 * Documenting and classifying selfhood in the archives and in the 
   realm of istochnikovedenie. The role of oral history.

 * An institutional history of biography: From The History of 
   Remarkable People (Istoriia zamechatelnykh liudei), the History of the 
   Factories, and A Day in the World (Den mira), to internet diary blogs

We invite paper proposals, based on original archival or ethnographic 
research, from specialists in different disciplines and across 
disciplineshistory, literary studies, cultural anthropology and 
sociology, history of science and religion, film and media studies, 
art historyworking on questions of identity and subjectivity.

Organizational Information 

The conference, jointly organized by the St. Petersburg Institute of 
History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the European University of 
St. Petersburg, and Rutgers University, will take place at the 
European University in St. Petersburg in June 2010. The sponsoring 
institutions will cover the costs for travel and accommodation of all 
participants.

Abstracts in Russian or English (maximum length: 500 words) of the 
paper you intend to give should be sent to chelovekvrossiimail.ru  
Your abstract should include your email address and institutional 
affiliation, the title of your intended paper, and the abstract text. 
Deadline for submission of abstracts: June 1, 2009.

Notification of applicants: no later than September 2009.

Chosen participants will then be asked to submit article-length (at a 
maximum of 10,000 words) original papers in Russian or English by 
March 1, 2010. The papers will be pre-circulated among all 
participants so that there is ample time to read them before the 
conference.

The papers will be grouped in thematic panels. Paper presentations at 
the conference will be limited to 10 minutes. At each panel one 
conference participant will moderate and comment briefly on the 
papers, before opening the discussion. The working language of the 
conference is Russian.

After the conference authors will rework their papers for publication 
in a volume to appear in 2011.

Conference organizers:

Jochen Hellbeck
Department of History
Rutgers University
hellbeckrutgers.edu

Nikolai Mikhailov
Institute of History, Russian Academy of Sciences
St. Petersburg
mihnvinbox.ru
 

LECTURE- Judicial Corruption, Kairat Osmonaliev, SRC-AUCA, Bishkek, Nov. 19

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 16 Nov 2008


LECTURE- Judicial Corruption, Kairat Osmonaliev, SRC-AUCA, Bishkek, Nov. 19


The Social Research Center (SRC) at American University of Central Asia
(www.src.auca.kg)
Presents a LECTURE within its research track on corruption:
"Judicial corruption: its nature, scale and ways of coping with it"

Speaker:
Kairat Osmonaliev, doctor of law, head of the Yurinfo legal clinic
Time: 5 p.m., November 19, 2008
Venue: Room 315, AUCA's main building

Language: Russian
(Interpretation into English will be provided ONLY if requested in advance)

Synopsis: The annual report for 2007 on the corruption level in the world,
prepared by the well-known international anti-corruption coalition
Transparency International, focused on corruption in the judicial system.
The topic of the report is not unusual, and is explained by the importance
of this problem.

The major conclusion of the report was that judicial corruption undermines
the efforts of the international community to fight transnational crime,
limits access to justice system, and prevents improvements in human rights
protection. Moreover, judicial corruption undermines the activities of
judicial bodies all over the world by depriving citizens of access to laws
and violating one of the major human rights - the right to a just and
unbiased legal system.

>From this perspective, the study of judicial corruption as a whole (and
particularly in Kyrgyzstan) and of effective measures for confronting it,
and the development and implementation of corresponding recommendations are
fundamental steps necessary to improving the state capacity.

Bio: Kairat Osmonaliev graduated from the Academy of the Ministry of the
Interior in Omsk, Russia, in  2005 and defended his doctoral dissertation at
the Academy of Management of the Ministry of the Interior in Moscow. He
worked in the Kyrgyz Republic's Drug Control Agency, and headed the
Department on Administrative Law of the Academy of the Ministry of the
Interior in the Kyrgyz Republic (KR). He has served as an assistant to the
Minister of the Interior, an expert in the UN Office on Drugs and Crime at
the Vienna International Centre (2005), and a researcher at Swedish
University, Uppsala (2004). He currently teaches at Kyrgyz National
University and Chui University. He has authored or co-authored more than 60
publications, including four monographs, six textbooks, and five sets of
commentaries on the criminal law of the KR, regarding crime, corruption and
drug-trade issues.

How to register: Please send RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg with your name and
affiliation.
 

CONF./CFP- Sociology at the Crossroads, Yerevan, June 11-14, 2009

Posted by: Vahe Sahakyan <vahesahakyanyahoo.com>
Posted: 16 Nov 2008


CONF./CFP- Sociology at the Crossroads, Yerevan, June 11-14, 2009


Welcome to the 39th World Congress of the International Institute of Sociology

http://www.iisoc.org/iis2009

The 39th World Congress of the International Institute of Sociology 
will take place, as announced, at Yerevan State University, Yerevan, 
Armenia, Thursday afternoon, June 11 - Sunday, June 14, 2009. The 
theme of the Congress is:

"Sociology at the Crossroads"

The five previous World Congresses of the IIS have highlighted 
dilemmas of human existence and societal institutions in the 
contemporary world. They have examined problems of social existence 
amidst processes of globalization, cooperation and violent conflict. 
They have been conducted in the spirit which guided the formation of 
the IIS, namely that of an engagement and encounter between a variety 
of theoretical positions among members of a truly international 
community of scholars.

The 39th World Congress will reaffirm that spirit. It will have three 
broad foci, namely questions concerning the way sociology can arrive 
at a reformulated understanding of dilemmas of humanity in the 
contemporary era, including the nature of war and violence, of 
political order and states and state-like entities, of religious and 
cultural encounters, of processes of collective memories, traumas and 
reconciliations, and of shifting conceptions of law, legal regulation, 
human rights and international order.

The Congress will also highlight cutting-edge theoretical advances in 
sociology and neighbouring disciplines as well as teaching and 
curricular developments of sociology and social science in general in 
universities in the future.

The structure of the Congress is straightforward. The Congress will 
open on Thursday afternoon, June 11, with two plenary sessions. Each 
morning of the three following days, June 12-14, there will be two 
plenary sessions. The afternoons will be devoted to sessions proposed 
and organized by participants themselves.

The Congress is hosted by Yerevan State University (YSU) and organized 
by Lyudmila Harutyunyan, Dean of Sociology, YSU, and Björn Wittrock, 
Principal of SCAS and President of the IIS, together with Craig 
Calhoun, New York University (NYU), and President, Social Science 
Research Council (SSRC), New York; Yehuda Elkana, Central European 
University (CEU); Peter Hedström, Nuffield College, Oxford and 
Singapore Management University (SMU), Secretary-General, IIS, and 
President, European Academy of Sociology; Hans Joas, Max-Weber-Kolleg, 
University of Erfurt, University of Chicago, and Vice-President, 
International Sociological Association; and Shalini Randeria, 
University of Zürich and President, European Association of Social 
Anthropologists.

The IIS is a community of scholars, not a union of professional 
associations. Thus the IIS plays a complementary rather than a 
competitive role relative to its younger but larger sister 
institution, the International Sociological Association (ISA), of 
which IIS itself is a member and with which IIS is engaged in close 
and friendly interaction. At the previous World Congresses of the IIS, 
President, Vice-Presidents and former Presidents of the ISA have been 
present and have contributed greatly to the intellectual profile of 
the Congresses. We are convinced that there will be an equally strong 
presence of the ISA and of its Research Committees in Yerevan as well.

The 39th World Congress of the IIS is jointly sponsored by YSU and the 
Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS).

We greatly look forward to seeing you at a Congress that promises to 
become a landmark for the extension of sociological dialogue to new 
areas, arenas and regions of the world.

You are warmly welcome to Yerevan in 2009,

Lyudmila Harutyunyan
Björn Wittrock

For more information, please contact: iis2009iisoc. org

Doesn't the iis2009iisoc.org work? Use info.iisswedishcollegium.se 
to contact us.

Download an application form (MS Word) for organizing a regular session:
http://www.scasss.uu.se/iis/iis2009/application_rs.doc

Important dates:
http://www.scasss.uu.se/iis/iis2009/important_dates2009.html

More information regarding the congress (registration, accommodation, 
fees, etc.) will soon be posted on the website: http://www.iisoc.org/iis2009
 

CONF./CFP- REMINDER: Cultural, Economic and Political Linkages, GOSECA, Pittsburgh, Feb. 20-22

Posted by: GOSECA University of Pittsburgh <gosecaconferenceyahoo.com>
Posted: 16 Nov 2008


CONF./CFP- REMINDER: Cultural, Econ. & Polit. Linkages, Pittsburgh, Feb. 20-22


GOSECA Conference Organizing Committee
Russian and East European Studies Graduate Student Conference
University of Pittsburgh


University of Pittsburgh

Graduate Organization for the Study of Europe and Central Asia

Center for Russian and East European Studies present:

Ties that Bind and Ties that Divide: Cultural, Economic and Political 
Linkages in Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia

Sixth Annual Graduate Student Conference
20-22 February 2009

GOSECA outlined in our 2007 conference on globalization, regionalism 
and multiculturalism that belonging to a certain collectivity can 
bring with it privilege, pride, and power today, but disadvantage, 
disrepute and dismemberment tomorrow.  This year's conference is 
motivated by questioning this notion of linkages.  While many 
conferences focus on the transcendence of borders and the remapping of 
regions, we seek to further this theme by exploring how these 
relationships link, yet often simultaneously divide people.

Solidarity, a cross-regional, macro-level phenomenon, also operates at 
the local levels between ethnic groups, sub-regions and cities. 
Regions may share a recent historical experience that transcends 
geographic boundaries and leads to the formation of more permeable 
geopolitical landscapes, but the emergence of ideological and 
political alliances, as well as economic uncertainties, has frequently 
led to exactly the opposite. How do these past and present alignments 
influence our evolving understanding of Eastern Europe, Russia and 
Central Asia?

GOSECA strongly encourages submissions from the humanities, social 
sciences and professional schools in areas such as:
 * Literary and artistic movements
 * Cultural and religious identities
 * Diverging historical legacies and past ideologies
 * Emigration and immigration
 * The influence of the European Union, NATO, and the Shanghai 
   Cooperative Organization
 * Foreign trade and international finance
 * New energy policies

This conference is interdisciplinary in nature and aims to deepen our 
understanding of these regions through a broad range of approaches to 
examine an intricately woven matrix of issues.

Abstracts should be no more than 250 words long. Please submit 
abstracts by 01 December 2008 to the following email address: 
gosecaconferenceyahoo.com

For more information and submission requirements, please visit: 
http://www.pitt.edu/~sorc/goseca/Goseca2009/
 

CONF./CFP- International Conference on Central Eurasian Studies, March 17-19, 2009, Istanbul

Posted by: Guljanat Kurmangaliyeva <guljanatkegmail.com>
Posted: 16 Nov 2008


CONF./CFP- Int'l Conference on Central Eurasian Studies, Mar. 17-19, Istanbul


Call For Papers

International Conference on Central Eurasian Studies: Past, Present and Future
March 17-19, 2009, Istanbul, Turkey
Maltepe University (Turkey) - University of Tokyo, Islamic Area 
   Studies (Japan) - University of Tsukuba (Japan)

The organizing committee is pleased to invite paper proposals for the 
International Conference on Central Eurasian Studies, organized by the 
Maltepe University (Turkey), the University of Tokyo, Islamic Area 
Studies (Japan) and the University of Tsukuba (Japan) to be held on 
March 17-19, 2009 at the Maltepe University Campus, Istanbul, Turkey. 

This multidisciplinary conference will focus on history, politics, 
international relations, sociology and media of Central Eurasia in 
several panels. The aim of the meeting is to bring together 
international group of scholars with academic and professional 
interest in Eurasia, to share research experiences, and to discuss 
topics and trends in Central Eurasian Studies. Thus, paper topics 
relating to the historical, political and socio-cultural aspects of 
Central Eurasian studies are welcome. The working language of the 
conference is English. Translation will be provided for a key note and 
closing lectures. The conference program will feature key note 
lecture, panels, a welcome reception, a conference dinner and 
additional cultural events to acquaint attendees with the host 
institution and the city of Istanbul. 

A conference program and papers of the participants will be published 
in the conference proceedings format. Proceedings will be available at 
the conference. 

To apply, please submit the registration form, which may be found at 
the end of this announcement, including a 300-word abstract until 
December 15, 2008 via e-mail as an attachment (.doc or .rtf formats 
preferred) to the conference secretariat at cesmumaltepe.edu.tr. 

Travel and Accommodations

To our regret, conference organizers do not have resources to provide 
for travel and accommodation of participants. However, organizing team 
can assist in booking accommodation for the duration of the conference 
at participants' expense, in the Marma Kongre Merkezi Istanbul, which 
is situated within the campus. The special rate for conference 
participants have been arranged as 80 USD per night (single room) and 
120 USD per night (double room). Please contact Mr. Barlas Özbey at 
barlasozbeyhotmail.com if you wish to benefit from the special rates.

Information about the Maltepe University, transportation options, 
maps, and lodging information is available on the Maltepe University's 
web page at www.maltepe.edu.tr.

Registration Fee

The registration fee for the conference is 120 USD and should be paid 
to the conference account (we expect to give the bank name and account 
number in the 2nd circular). 
The fees are intended to cover the expenses of refreshments, lunch, 
dinner, cocktails and excursions. 

Schedule of Key Dates

Deadline for submission of paper abstracts: December 15, 2008.
Applicants will be notified of acceptance by December 30, 2008. 
Deadline for submission of full paper texts: January 30, 2009
Conference: March 17-19, 2009.

If you have any questions related to the conference, please do not 
hesitate to contact the conference organizers by e-mail at 
cesmumaltepe.edu.tr.

International Conference on Central Eurasian Studies: Past, Present and Future
Center for Eurasian Studies, Maltepe University (CESMU)
Address: Marmara Egitim Köyü
Maltepe/ Istanbul 34857
Telephone: +90 216 626 10 50 / ext. 1841 or ext. 1849
Fax: +90 216 626 10 99
e-mail: cesmumaltepe.edu.tr   

Organizing Committee

Assistant Professor, Dr. Güljanat Kurmangaliyeva Ercilasun, Maltepe 
   University, Turkey
Professor Hisao Komatsu, University of Tokyo, Islamic Area Studies, Japan
Associate Professor, Dr. Timur Dadabaev, University of Tsukuba, Japan
 
Registration Form

1. The author of the paper
   Name: 
   Surname: 
2. Institutional affiliation and title/position: 
3. Contact information
   e-mail: 
   Postal address: 
   Telephone numbers: 
   Fax number: 
4. Brief Curriculum Vitae (max. 1 page): 
5. Title of paper: 
6. Abstract of the paper (max. 300 words): 
7. Requests for any audio-visual equipment requests: 
 
 

EVENT- Student Proj. Presentation: Chinese Trade Migration in Kyrgzystan, Social Research Center, AUCA

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 16 Nov 2008


EVENT- Student Proj. Presentation: Chinese Trade Migration in Kyrgzystan, AUCA


The Social Research Center (SRC) at the American University of Central Asia
(www.src.auca.kg) under its Migration Research Track presents

Student Research Project: "Chinese Trade Migration in Kyrgyzstan"

under the Supervision of Ruslan Rakhimov, Migration Research Track, SRC,
Assistant Professor, Anthropology Department, AUCA

Presenters: Students of the Sociology and Economics Departments, AUCA

Time: 5 p.m., November 21, 2008
Venue: Rm. 232, AUCA (main building)

Language: Russian (interpretation into English will be provided only if
requested in advance)

Historically, in spite of bordering Kyrgyzstan, China has been a relatively
closed country, economically and culturally. After the Soviet Union's
collapse though, for the first time in Kyrgyzstan's history, the local
markets became centers for labor migration by Chinese nationals. This
situation raises a number of questions, including: what are the
characteristics and dynamics of the integration of Chinese entrepreneurs in
the Kyrgyz market?; how one can define the formation of Chinese community in
Kyrgyzstan?; what role does the Dungan Diaspora play in this process?...

A group of AUCA sociology and economics students, under the supervision of
Mr. Ruslan Rakhimov, has conducted research on the impact of the labor
migration inflow from the People's Republic of China to Kyrgyzstan. The goal
of the project was to define the level of trade relations between Kyrgyzstan
and China at the level of labor migration.

The team conducted interviews with Chinese traders at the Dordoi and Tataan
markets, with Kyrgyz government officials, and with some entrepreneurs in
Bishkek's industrial sector. The work consisted of three stages:
 - developing research questions and reviewing literature;
 - fieldwork (observations and interviews); and
 - analysis of the observations and interviews.

The results of the study reveal three tendencies in Chinese labor migration:
 - extension of Kyrgyz-Chinese trade relations;
 - use of Kyrgyz market as a transit zone for Chinese traders on the way to
   Central Asia, Russia and other countries; and
 - formation of vague traits of a Chinese community in Kyrgyzstan.

Chinese trade migration has a mutually beneficial character. However, it
still needs to be effective control by the Kyrgyz Republic's government, and
adequate attitude of local entrepreneurs towards the Chinese merchants.

How to register: Please send RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg with your name and
affiliation.
 

CONF./CFP- Postcommunist Visual Culture and Cinema, U. of St. Andrews, Mar. 20-21, 2009

Posted by: Serguei A. Oushakine <oushakinprinceton.edu>
Posted: 11 Nov 2008


CONF./CFP- Postcommunist Visual Culture and Cinema, U of St Andrews, Mar. 20-21


Please find the following call for papers (forward to people concerned).
Closing date of abstract submission: 15 December 2008

Postcommunist Visual Culture and Cinema: Interdisciplinary Studies,
Methodology, Dissemination
AHRC-St. Andrews Postgraduate Conference
University of St. Andrews, Scotland
20-21 March 2009

This AHRC sponsored conference is organised jointly by the Centre for 
Film Studies and the Centre for Russian, Soviet and Eastern European 
Studies at the University of St. Andrews. It will bring together 
doctoral students from the United Kingdom and Europe, whose work is 
focused on the visual culture and cinema of the post-Communist period. 
The main objective is to launch a productive dialogue on 
methodological and practical issues affecting all those engaged in the 
study of the film and visual culture of the postcommunist period.

We invite participants from across Social Sciences and Humanities: 
Language, Literature, Culture, Law, International Relations, Politics, 
Media, Film and Television Studies, Art History, Architecture, Design, 
Museum Studies, Russian, German, East European languages and cultures, 
Law, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Publishing, and other disciplines.

Opening on Friday afternoon (5 pm) and continuing throughout the day 
on Saturday, the conference will feature thematic talks dedicated to 
the status of the field and the profession. Postgraduate participants 
will be able to present their work in the context of two sessions, at 
panels moderated by the featured speakers. You are welcome to discuss 
aspects of your work, and talk of its challenging and exciting moments.

We propose to structure the discussion in the context of the following 
questions:

 * How are post-Cold War divisions reflected in cultural production in 
   the former communist world?
 * What are its specificities and what are the challenges for 
   researching cultural production?
 * How do the global and the local interplay in the region?
 * Can the umbrella of "postcommunism" be explored as shared experience?

Confirmed speakers/convenors include:

Prof. Ib Bondebjerg (Film and Media, University of Copenhagen)
Prof. Ewa Mazierska (Film Studies, University of Central Lancashire)
Prof. Brian McNair (Media Sociology, University of Strathclyde)

Conference opening

Prof. Andrew Wachtel (Slavic and Cultural Sociology, Graduate Dean,
   Northwestern University, Chicago, USA)
Prof. Dina Iordanova (Film Studies, University of St. Andrews)


Please send an abstract of 150 words outlining the theme of your 
intended presentation (about 15 min. length), together with your 
contact details and a brief biographical note to Lars Kristensen at
llfkst-andrews.ac.uk

Ten bursaries of £50 will be awarded to selected participants (please 
indicate you would like to be considered for a bursary at the time you 
send in your abstract).

Further information will be available at 
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/filmstudies/
 

LECTURE- Turkish-Russian Relationship and Its Importance for Eurasia, Istanbul, Nov. 6

Posted by: Guljanat Kurmangaliyeva <guljanatkegmail.com>
Posted: 5 Nov 2008


LECTURE- Turkish-Russian Relation & Its Importance for Eurasia, Istanbul, 11/06


As the first lecture of its Lecture Series on Eurasia,
Maltepe University presents:

"Turkish-Russian Relationship and Its Importance for Eurasia"

By Professor Norman Stone (Department of International Relations,
Bilkent University, Turkey).

Time: Thursday, November 6, 2008, 2:00 PM
Venue: Marma Congress Center, Maltepe University, Maltepe, Istanbul


Norman Stone is a professor of Modern History and an expert on the
history of the Central and Eastern Europe as well as the
Turkish-Russian relations. He has served at Cambridge and Oxford
Universities, and now lectures at Bilkent University. Some of his
books are "The Eastern Front 1914-1917", "Europe Transformed
1878-1919" and "Czechoslovakia: Crossroads and Crises, 1918-88". He 
is also a co-author of "The Other Russia" with Michael Glenny.

For further details:

Dr. Güljanat Kurmangaliyeva Ercilasun
Maltepe University
Faculty of Fine Arts
ercilasunmaltepe.edu.tr
+90 (216) 626 10 50 ext. 1841
www.maltepe.edu.tr
 

SEMINAR- Alternative Literature in Uzbekistan, Hamid Ismailov, SOAS-London, Nov. 13

Posted by: Jane Savory <js64soas.ac.uk>
Posted: 5 Nov 2008


SEMINAR- Alternative Lit. in Uzbekistan, Hamid Ismailov, SOAS-London, Nov. 13


Seminar

The seminar is free and open to the public.  No booking is required.

Date: Thursday, 13 November 2008

Time: 5.30-7pm

Title: The phenomenon of alternative literature in Uzbekistan: a
historical and comparative perspective 

Speaker: Hamid Ismailov (Uzbek writer, Head of Central Asia and
Caucasus service BBC World Service)

Venue: G50, Main Building, SOAS

Contact: Bhavna Dave (bd4soas.ac.uk) or Jane Savory (js64soas.ac.uk)

All Welcome


Jane Savory
Office Manager, Centres and Programmes Office
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

tel  +44 (0)20 7898 4892   email js64soas.ac.uk        
fax +44 (0)20 7898 4489   web www.soas.ac.uk/centres/
 

LECTURE- Reduction of Regulatory Barriers in Kyrgyzstan, K. Omuraliev, AUCA, Bishkek, Nov. 5

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 5 Nov 2008


LECTURE- Reduction of Regulatory Barriers in Kyrgyzstan, AUCA, Bishkek, Nov. 5


The Social Research Center (SRC) at American University of Central Asia
(www.src.auca.kg)
Presents a LECTURE within its research track on corruption:
"Reduction of regulatory-administrative barriers to the development of
entrepreneurship in Kyrgyzstan: major results and unsolved problems"

Speaker:
Kubanychbek Omuraliev, executive director of Kyrgyz Parliamentarians Against
Corruption
Time: 5 p.m., November 5, 2008
Venue: Room 315, AUCA main building
Language: Russian

Synopsis:

Entrepreneurship is one of the major goals of reforms aimed at creating
effective economic systems, and one of the components necessary for the
successful development of a state as a whole. To develop entrepreneurship,
in turn, it is necessary to reduce regulatory-administrative barriers such
as high tax burdens, frequent and groundless inspections, unstable and
unpredictable business regulations; legislation gaps; and unwieldy customs
regulations. Such barriers, in one way or another, promote corruption in
Kyrgyzstan and create an unhealthy atmosphere for the development of
businesses. In his lecture, Kubanychbek Omuraliev will present his
recommendations for addressing these problems, which he developed in a
policy brief written as part of SRC's project on corruption.

Bio:

Mr. Omuraliev graduated from the Skryabin Kyrgyz Agricultural Institute,
worked as the national coordinator for the Kyrgyz Republic in the
consultative group of the Secretariat of the Anticorruption Network of
Transition Countries, OECD; served as deputy to the Ambassador in the Kyrgyz
Embassy in the USA and Canada; and has authored a number of publications,
including "Review of the Legislative and Institutional Bases for
Anticorruption Activities in the Kyrgyz Republic," which was published in
Bishkek in 2005.

How to register: Please send RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg with your name and
affiliation.
 

CONF. PROG.- Globalisation and Eurasia, JNU, New Delhi, Nov. 9

Posted by: Ajay Patnaik <patnaik.ajaygmail.com>
Posted: 5 Nov 2008


CONF. PROG.- Globalisation and Eurasia, JNU, New Delhi, Nov. 9


Programme

International Seminar
on
Globalisation and Eurasia
Centre for Russian & Central Asian Studies,
School of International Studies, JNU

9 November 2008

Inauguration
10.30 - 11.30
Chief Guest:
Dr. Karan Singh
President Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)

Key Note Address:
Prof. S. K. Thorat, Chairman University Grants Commission of India (UGC)

Tea Break - 11.30-12.00

Round Table on Civil Society: Uzbek and Indian Experience
Session I (12.00 - 13.30)
Chair: Prof. A. K. Ramkrishnan and Dr. Djamaliddin Khakimov

Marufjon Usmanov - Director of the Institute for the Study of Civil 
   Society (ISCS)
Conceptual issues of formation of the civil society in Uzbekistan

Mirhamdam Abdullaev - Chief of International Relations Department of ISCS
Globalization and role of government in the forming of the civil society

Nivedita Menon - Professor, School of International Studies, JNU
Civil Society and Media in India

Asha Sarangi  - Associate Professor, Centre for Political Studies, 
   School of Social Sciences, JNU
Nehru and the Communicative public sphere: Making of Civil Society in 
   Post-Colonial India

Djamaliddin Khakimov - Director of Public Fund for Support and 
   Development Independent Printed Press and News Agencies of Uzbekistan
Role of Mass-media in the forming of civil and informational society 
   in Uzbekistan
Dynamics of societal responses to environmental change in Jammu and Kashmir

Nirmal Kumar Azad - Private Secretary, Minister of State, Ministry of 
   Human Resource Development, Govt of India.
Indian Policing and the Role of Civil Society

Lunch Break (1.30-14.30)

Round Table on Civil Society: Uzbek and Indian Experience
Session II (14.30 - 16.30)
Chair: Prof. Nivedita Menon and Dr. Marufjon Usmanov

Dilafruz Buranova - Leading research fellow of ISCS
Youth of Uzbekistan in conditions of  Globalization

A. K. Ramkrishnan   - Professor and Director, Department of West Asian 
   Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
Civil society and contemporary social movements in India

Sally Daultrey, Programme Manager, Cambridge Centre for Energy Studies 
   & Central Asia Forum, University of Cambridge
Dynamics of societal responses to environmental change in Jammu and Kashmir

Doel Mukherjee - formerly with UNDP and other International Organisations
Civil Society in India: A Partner for democracy

Vikas Jha - Project Coordinator, NGO PRIA
Panchayati Raj System in India and the Role of Civil Society

Shobha Sharma - Coordinator, Commonwealth Human Rigths Initiative
Policing and Human Rights in India

Dinner (8.00 pm): Hosted by Vice-Chancellor, JNU


10 November 2008

Academic Session I (9.30 - 11.00)
Globalistation: Political, Economic and Strategic Dimensions
Chair: Prof. Devendra Kaushik and Prof. Viachaslau Ivanovich Menkouski

Peter Rutland
Post-socialist states and the evolution of a new development model

M. Bhadrakumar,
Globalisation as it impacts on geopolitics of Eurasia

R. R. Sharma
Globalisation and conflict in Eurasia

P. L. Dash
Russia in the process of globalization

Anita Sengupta
Globalization and Eurasian geopolitical discourses

Tea Break (11.00-11.30)

Academic Session II (12.00-13.30)
Sustainable development, Social Welfare and Human Resources
Chair: Dr. Najam Abbas and Dr. Raju Thadikkaran

R. G. Gidadhubli
Russia's economy: Development and challenges

Tahir Asghar
Environment and sustainable development in Central Asia

Abel Polese
'Surviving welfare state reforms' in Ukraine: Illegal practices as a 
   way to survive and ineffective transition towards a welfare economy

Bhavna Dave
Transnational Migration Patterns in Eurasia and the Challenges of Regulation

Arun Mohanty
Russia's economic development strategy and globalisation

Lunch Break (13.00 - 14.00)

Academic Session III (14.00 - 16.15)
Civil Society, Informal networks and Local governance
Chair: Dr. Bhavana Dave and Dr. Sally Daultrey

Marfua Tokhtakhodjaeva
Trafficking of Women. The Case of Uzbekistan

Najam Abbas
How Globalization Impacts Tajikistan's Youth: Exploring the Human Development
   Aspect

Lessya Karatayeva
Articulation of Transnational Terrorism in the Information Space of  Kazakhstan

Sofia Kasymova
Globalization of the Labor Market and the status of women in 
   post-Soviet Tajikistan

Nandini Bhattacharya
New challenges towards Nationalism in Central Asia with the advent of 
   Globalisation

Tea Break (16.15-16-30)

Academic Session IV (16.30 - 17.30)
Chair: P. L. Dash and Prof. Ashok Patnaik
State and Political system in Eurasia

Kuldip Singh
Political Constraints of Globalisation in Central Asia

Sanjay Pandey
Federalism in Russia

Phool Badan
State and democracy in Central Asia

Rajan Kumar
Putin's legacy and the state of democracy in Russia

Dinner (7.30 pm): Hosted by Ministry of External Affairs


11 November 2008

Academic Session V ((9.30-11.00)
Chair: Prof. R. R. Sharma and Dr. Peter Rutland
Eurasian Geopolitics

Devendra Kaushik
Russia and the geopolitics of Eurasia

Ajay Patnaik
Geopolitics of energy in Eurasia

Anuradha M. Chenoy
Foreign policy of Russia

Viachaslau Ivanovich Menkouski
Republic of Belarus between the West and the East in the Context of 
   Globalization

Alexey Dundich
Global Stability with 'American face': problem or solution for Central Asia?

Nursin A. Guney
Nuclear Crises in the Realm of Eurasian Security: What Brings the 
   Iranian Crises?

Sheel K. Asopa
Problems of Eurasian Security

Tea Break (11.30-12.00)

Academic session VI (12.00-13.30)
Social and Cultural Dimensions of Globalisation
Chair: Marfua Tokhtakhodjaeva and Dr. Premlata

Zaal Kikvidze
Gender and women's studies as by-products of globalization in Georgia

Rashmi Doraiswamy
Russian literature and culture in the era of globalization

Preeti Das
Globalisation: socio-cultural conflicts and implications for Russia

M. Kaw
Globalisation & Central Asian Culture

Sofia Kasymova
Globalization of the Labor Market and the status of women in 
   post-Soviet Tajikistan

K. B. Usha
Social impact of globalization on Baltic States

Lunch Break (13.30 - 14.30)

Academic Session VII (14.30-16.00)
Chair: Dr. Adil Kaukenov and Dr. Matadin Gupta
Eurasian Integration and Regional Organisations

Visne Korkmaz
The Nexus of Globalisation and Regionalism within the Eurasian 
   Security: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

P. Stobdan
Evolving Security Architecture in Eurasia

Meena Singh Roy
Regional Organisations in Eurasia

Sattar F. Mazhitov
Eurasianism: Searching for Dzhamshid's Bowl

Bek-Ali Yerzhan
Central and South Asia in the globalized world

Tursunay Usubalieva-Oktai
International trade development of the Kyrgyz Republic within the 
   Central Asian Region

Tea Break (16.00-16.15)

Academic Session VIII (16.15 - 18.00)
Security interests and Diplomacy
Chair: Prof. Mansura Haidar and Prof. Nursin A. Guney

Enayatollah Yazdani
The Importance of Central Asia for the International Powers: A case 
   study of Iran-Central Asia relations

Selcuk Colakoglu
The Turkic Brotherhood Policy and Its Effects on Globalization Process 
   in Central Asia?

Adil Kaukenov
Specifics of Chinese Diplomacy in Central Asia

A. P. S. Chouhan
Turkey's interest in Central Asia

Sanjay Deshpande
Russia's geopolitical interest in the Caspian region

Archana Upadhyaya
Islamic factor in Russia's security perspective

Nalin Kumar Mahapatra
India's energy diplomacy in CIS

Dinner (8.00 pm): Hosted by ONGC Videsh


12 November 2008

Valedictory Session
11.00-13.00
Lunch (13.00 - 14.00)


Prof. Ajay Patnaik
Director
Russian and Central Asian Area Studies Programme
Jawaharlal Nehru Unviersity
New Delhi
 

PANEL- Uyghurs in China and Central Asia, OASIES, Columbia Univ., Nov. 7

Posted by: Gulnar Kendirbai <gk2020columbia.edu>
Posted: 4 Nov 2008


PANEL- Uyghurs in China and Central Asia, OASIES, Columbia Univ., Nov. 7


OASIES presents

Forgotten Communities of Inner Eurasia
China, Central Asia and the Uyghurs: Exploring the Challenges of  
Cultural Hybridity

A conversation moderated by Robert Barnett with leading scholars of  
the Uyghurs

Panelists Include:

Sean Roberts (George Washington University)
Nabijan Tursun (Radio Free Asia)
Gardner Bovingdon (Indiana University)
James Millward (Georgetown University)

Friday, November 7, 2008, 6-8 pm
Columbia University in the City of New York
420 East 118th Street International Affairs Building, Room 707

Uyghur food to follow discussion.  This event is free and open to the 
public.  For more information about this or other events visit 
www.oasies.org or e-mail contact[at]oasies.org
 

CONF.- Chechnya After the War, SOAS, University of London, Nov. 27

Posted by: Jane Savory <js64soas.ac.uk>
Posted: 29 Oct 2008


CONF.- Chechnya After the War, SOAS, University of London, Nov. 27


Centre of Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus, SOAS
in collaboration with
Medical Aid and Relief for Children of Chechnay (MARCCH) 
 
Invite you to the 'Chechnya After the War' Conference

on Thursday, 27th November 2008
in the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, Brunei Gallery, SOAS, 
University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H OXG
 
A panel of experts and distinguished speakers will be setting the 
present situation in context. Many aspects of the current situation 
will be explored with particular emphasis on the humanitarian 
situation, using relevant material, information and experience. They 
will explain and convey a better understanding of what is going on in 
Chechnya at present and what the future is likely to hold for the area.

This is an important one day conference in which a panel of experts 
and distinguished speakers will be setting the present post-war 
situation, humanitarian, social and political in context.
 
Speakers

Lord Judd will be opening the morning session at 9:30
Lord Rea will be introducing the afternoon session of speakers
 
Speakers include: 

Lord Rea (Save Chechnya Campaign)
Lord Judd (Former Rapporteur for Council of Europe on Chechnya)
Akhmed Zakaev (A former minister in the Chechnya government)
Dr Zukhra Kharkimova (Director of the children's hospital in Grozny 
   and deputy minister of health in Chechnya)
Tom Porteous (Director, Human Rights Watch, London)
Elena Burtina (Civic Assistance Committee, NGO, Russian Federation)
Willem de Jonge (Head of Mission, Medecins Sans Frontieres, (MSF) Russia)
Professor John Russell (Institute of Peace Studies at Bradford and 
   author of Chechnya: Russia's "War on Terror")
Dr Cerwyn Moore (Birmingham University)
Tony Wood (Assistant editor of the New Left Review)
Murad Batal Al-Shishani (Jordanian-Chechen Journalist for the BBC)
 
To Book a Place

To book a place for the conference please call MARCCH or visit their 
website on www.marcch.org. 
Payment by cash or cheque ACCEPTED.  For more information: call MARCCH 
on 020 8883 9999
Ticket Price: £15  or  Free for Students,OAPs, and those on benefit

Marcch, Medical Aid and Relief for Children of Chechnya, 
www.marcch.org (ref: 1086499)
 
 
Jane Savory
Office Manager, Centres and Programmes Office
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

tel  +44 (0)20 7898 4892   email js64soas.ac.uk        
fax +44 (0)20 7898 4489   web www.soas.ac.uk/centres/ 
 

LECTURE- Models of Social Democratic Development of Kyrgyzstan, Social Research Center, AUCA, Oct. 29

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 27 Oct 2008


LECTURE- Models of Social Democratic Development of Kyrgyzstan, SRC-AUCA, 10/29


The Social Research Center (SRC) at the American University of Central 
Asia (www.src.auca.kg) introduces the first in its new series of 
public presentations "Development of Kyrgyzstan: Political Parties' Visions"

Presentation: Models of Social Democratic Development of Kyrgyzstan

Speakers:
Prof. Bakyt Beshimov, Member of the Parliament (Jogorku Kenesh)
Dr. Asylbek Bolotbaev, head of the Faction Secretariat of the Social
   Democratic Party

Time: 5 p.m., October 29, 2008
Venue: Room 315
Language: Russian (Interpretation into English will be provided ONLY if
requested in advance)

Synopsis:

Recent amendments to the Constitution and the Election Code of the Kyrgyz
Republic have strengthened the role of political parties. Parties are now
considered the main political institution for the development, promotion and
realization of ideas for the political and socioeconomic development of the
country. So the Social Research Center of the American University of Central
Asia is launching a series of public presentations to familiarize the
general public with the programs/platforms of the key political parties of
Kyrgyzstan.

This particular presentation will review the development problems of
Kyrgyzstan and reflect on the experiences of social democracy in western
countries. The presentation will discuss in detail a set of proposed
measures for the social democratic development of Kyrgyzstan. These are the
major proposals of the Social Democratic Party, dealing with securing civil
rights and democratic processes, fighting corruption, promoting economic
development, creating new jobs and social protections, financial and tax
policies, education and healthcare, administrative and territorial reforms,
and regional policy.

Bios:

Professor Bakyt Beshimov holds a Candidate of Historical Science degree from
the History Department of Kyrgyz National University. He has served as
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to
India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. From 2005 until 2008, he was Vice
President for Academic Affairs of the American University of Central Asia.
In December 2007, he was elected as a Deputy of the Kyrgyz Parliament
(Jogorku Kenesh).

Dr. Asylbek Bolotbaev holds a Candidate of Philosophy Degree. He headed the
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Service under the President
and served as deputy director of the Agency on Public Service. He holds the
official rank of State Adviser of the Kyrgyz Republic. He has written a
number of books, including a manual on administrative ethics for state
officials.

How to register: Please send RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg with your name and
affiliation.
 

LECTURE- Armenia in Old Maps and Old Armenian Maps, Rouben Galichian, Oct. 29

Posted by: Lussy Danielyan <lussystaryahoo.com>
Posted: 27 Oct 2008


LECTURE- Armenia in Old Maps and Old Armenian Maps, Rouben Galichian, Oct. 29


American University of Armenia Extension Program

Presents

Armenia in Old Maps and Old Armenian Maps
Illustrated Talk in English by

Rouben Galichian

October 29, 18:30-20:00
AUA, 5th floor, Small Auditorium

Free Admission

The presentation is prepared to give the layman an idea how 
non-Armenian mapmakers have shown Armenia in their maps, accompanied 
by the images of the important maps. Some common misconceptions 
generally used by many specialists regarding Armenia are also discussed.

Armenia has existed for millennia and this fact is well displayed on 
the maps prepared by various mapmakers all over the world. The 
earliest map showing Armenia is in fact the oldest World Map, a 
Babylonian clay tablet displaying the known world and dating form the 
6th century BC.

>From then on all major cartographers and mapmakers have shown Armenia 
in their maps, notwithstanding the fact that at certain times Armenia 
as an independent kingdom has not existed, but all that time the 
territory where the Armenian people lived has been entitled Armenia. 
Various maps of the Greek, Roman, early Christian, Latin, Assyrian and 
Islamic maps come to prove this fact.

Samples of all these maps collected from major libraries and museums 
of the world are displayed, followed by maps made by Armenian authors, 
some of which are not well known.

Speaker: Rouben Galichian has been seriously studying geography and 
cartography since 1970s. He is the author of three monographs: 
"Historic Maps of Armenia: The Cartographic Heritage" (I. B. Tauris, 
London, 2004), "Armenia in World Cartography" (2005) and "Countries 
South of the Caucasus in Medieval Maps: Armenia, Georgia and 
Azerbaijan " (2007). He represents the huge cartographical heritage 
related to Armenia not only by books and articles but also by public 
lectures and speeches at different scientific conferences and by media 
in the USA and in Europe.


About AUA Extension:

American University of Armenia Extension Department (AUA Extension) 
serves as University's principal interface with the community. At AUA 
Extension we plan, design, develop and deliver a number of quality 
courses to target certain sectors of government, academia, private 
organizations and individuals to help them fulfill professional and/or 
career goals through flexible and innovative adult and continuing 
education and training programs. We offer a comprehensive English 
Language Training Program, a multitude of Computer Literacy and 
Information Technology training and a number of Leadership, Business 
and Entrepreneurial courses. Our mission is to foster individual, 
organizational, and community growth and transformation, through 
accessible, high-quality programs.  Our Vision is to become the 
Education and Training Organization of choice to meet the changing 
needs of those seeking the best in lifelong learning.
 

LECTURE- Sada Aksartova, US Support for Post-Soviet NGOs, George Mason U., Oct. 28

Posted by: Eric McGlinchey <emcglincgmu.edu>
Posted: 27 Oct 2008


LECTURE- Sada Aksartova, US Support for Post-Soviet NGOs, GMU, Oct. 28


George Mason's Focus on Central Asia Program is pleased to announce a 
public lecture by Sada Aksartova, Tuesday, October 28, 7:20 PM. All 
are welcome.

Lecture Title: US Support for Post-Soviet NGOs: A Sociological Analysis

Time and Location: October 28, 7:20 PM, Student Union Building I, Room 
A/B, George Mason University

Lecture Abstract:

Since 1992, the US government and private American foundations have 
spent more than two billion dollars on promoting democracy and civil 
society in the 12 post-Soviet states of Eurasia.  In her talk, Dr. 
Aksartova will present a sociological analysis of US assistance 
targeting post- Soviet nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).  How do 
US donors and local NGOs interact?  What does a post-Soviet NGO look 
like?  Aksartova will discuss how US civil society assistance operates 
on the ground, focusing in particular on (i) the material and symbolic 
resources that US donors have deployed to diffuse the institutional 
form of the professional NGO in host societies and (ii) the 
implications of her analysis for the ongoing debate about the impact 
of US democracy promotion in Russia and the rest of post-Soviet 
Eurasia.  Sada Aksartova is a Postdoctoral Fellow at George Mason's 
Center for Global Studies.

Information on this and previous GMU Central Asia events can be found 
on the GMU Focus on Central Asia website:

http://mason.gmu.edu/~cenasia/events.htm


Eric M. McGlinchey
Assistant Professor of Government and Politics

Department of Public and International Affairs
George Mason University
Robinson A201 - MSN 3F4
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030

Tel: 703-993-2960, Fax: 703-993-1399
http://mason.gmu.edu/~emcglinc/
http://mason.gmu.edu/~cenasia/
 

CONF./CFP- Central Asian Visions of the Other, Univ. of Leeds, UK, June 8, 2009

Posted by: Geoffrey Humble <g.f.humbleleeds.ac.uk>
Posted: 27 Oct 2008


CONF./CFP- Central Asian Visions of the Other, Univ. of Leeds, UK, June 8, 2009


Call For Papers

Central Asian Visions of the Other: Views from Inside and Out

A one-day Symposium at the University of Leeds, 8th June 2009.

Keynote Speaker: Dr Shirin Akiner (SOAS)

This symposium is intended to bring together postgraduates working on 
or around Central and Inner Asia, acting as a training forum and 
leading to improved information exchange and networking across the 
range of research on the region. It is hoped that the theme will allow 
participants to compare and combine approaches to the huge variety of 
nuanced identities, and perceptions of identities, interacting in an 
extending arc from the Caspian Sea to Mongolia.

Suggested subjects for papers include, but are not limited to:

 - Concepts of linguistic, ethnic, religious, and cultural purity and 
   hybridity, such as Mongol-Turk, Turk-Tajik, steppe-oasis, and 
   rural-urban identity divisions - their construction and mediation over time

 - Negotiated post-Soviet and post-socialist secular identities and 
   images of political Islam and other faiths

 - Construction and transmission of gender roles and sexualities

 - Travel, trade and cultural exchange - from the Silk Route and the 
   Mongol Empire to package tours and oil reserves

 - Images and experiences of outsiders - examples might include 
   Chinese, Russian, and NATO involvement in the region

Abstracts (of up to 300 words) should be submitted electronically to 
g.f.humbleleeds.ac.uk by Monday the 15th of December 2008.

As this event is primarily intended as an opportunity for 
postgraduates working on and around the region to gain contacts and 
experience, any suggestions for activities and projects to make use of 
contacts made, and to extend the legacy of this event would be very welcome.
 

CONF./CFP- ASN 2009 Convention, Deadline Reminder: 5 November 2008

Posted by: Dominique Arel <dareluottawa.ca>
Posted: 27 Oct 2008


CONF./CFP- ASN 2009 Convention, Deadline Reminder: 5 November 2008


[A PDF of this announcement can be downloaded at 
http://www.nationalities.org/convention/convention.asp]


 ***Call for Papers Deadline Reminder: 5 November 2008***

"Imagined Communities, Real Conflicts, and National Identities"

14th Annual World Convention of the
Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN)

International Affairs Building,
Columbia University, NY
Sponsored by the Harriman Institute
23-25 April 2009
www.nationalities.org

Contact information:
proposals must be submitted to:
dareluottawa.ca and darelasn2009gmail.com

100+ PANELS on the Balkans, Central Europe and the Baltics, Russia, 
Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Central Asia and Eurasia, the Caucasus, 
Turkey, Afghanistan, China and surrounding territories

SPECIAL SECTIONS on
Theoretical Approaches to Nationalism and Empire
The Independence of Kosovo and Its Implications
The War in Georgia and Its Implications

THEMATIC Panels on
Islam and Politics, Genocide and Ethnic Violence, Anthropology of 
Identity, Citizenship and Nationality, Religion, Language Politics, 
Conflict Resolution, Autonomy, Gender, EU Integration, NATO Expansion, 
Diaspora Politics, International Law, and many more...

AWARDS for Best Doctoral Student Papers

SCREENING of Recent Films and Documentaries

The ASN Convention, the most attended international and 
inter-disciplinary scholarly gathering of its kind, welcomes proposals 
on a wide range of topics related to national identity, nationalism, 
ethnic conflict, state-building and the study of empires in 
Central/Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans, Eurasia, 
and adjacent areas. Disciplines represented include political science, 
history, anthropology, sociology, international studies, security 
studies, economics, geography and geopolitics, sociolinguistics, 
psychology, and related fields.

The Convention also features a section devoted to theoretical 
approaches to nationalism, from any of the disciplines listed above. 
The papers in this section need not be grounded in an area of the 
former Communist bloc usually covered by ASN, provided that the issues 
examined are relevant to a truly comparative understanding of 
nationalism-related issues. In this vein, we are welcoming 
theory-focused and comparative proposals, rather than specific case 
studies from outside Central/Eastern Europe and Eurasia. A dozen 
panels are normally featured in the Nationalism section.

In the wake of the dramatic events that have unfolded in late summer 
2008, the Convention will also present a special section on "The War 
in Georgia and its Implications." The Convention is inviting paper, 
panel, roundtable, or special presentation proposals on various 
aspects of the conflict, as it relates to Georgia, the South Caucasus, 
the North Caucasus, Ukraine, the "frozen" conflicts, Russian 
nationalism, Russophone minorities in the "near abroad", domestic 
politics, the Fate of the "Coloured" Revolutions, NATO enlargement, 
US-Europe-Russia relations, the European Union and related topics. A 
special section will also be devoted to "The Independence of Kosovo 
and its Implications," with emphasis on Balkans post-war 
reconstruction, international law, self-determination, ethnic 
conflicts, minority rights, regional security and so forth.

Since 2005, the ASN Convention has acknowledged excellence in graduate 
studies research by offering Awards for Best Doctoral Student Papers 
in five sections: Russia/Ukraine/Caucasus, Central Asia/Eurasia, 
Central Europe, Balkans, and Nationalism Studies. The winners at the 
2008 Convention were Jesse Driscoll (Stanford U, Political Science) 
for Russia/Ukraine/Caucasus, Sarah Cameron (History, Yale U) and 
Kristin Fabbe (Political Science, MIT, US) for Central 
Asia/Eurasia/Turkey, Helena Toth (Harvard U, History) for Central 
Europe, Valentina Burrai (UC London, UK, Political Science) for the 
Balkans, and Lee Seymour (Northwestern U, Political Science) for 
Nationalism Studies. Doctoral student applicants whose proposals are 
accepted for the 2009 Convention, who have not defended their 
dissertation by 1 November 2008, and whose papers are delivered by the 
deadline, will automatically be considered for the awards. For 
information on past awards, go to 
http://www.nationalities.org/convention/prize.asp

The 2009 Convention is also inviting submissions for documentaries or 
feature films made within the past few years and available in DVD 
format (either NTSC or PAL). Most films selected for the convention 
will be screened during regular panel slots and will be followed by a 
discussion moderated by an academic expert. Films on the 2008 Program 
included Milosevic On Trial (Denmark, 2007), Nanking (US, 2007), 
Around Mostar, the Bridge and Bruce Lee (Italy, 2007), Yippee (US, 
2007) and The More You Speak, The More You Cry (Greece, 2007).

The 2009 Convention invites proposals for INDIVIDUAL PAPERS or PANELS. 
A panel includes a chair, three presentations based on written papers, 
and a discussant. Proposals using an innovative format are encouraged. 
Examples of new formats include a roundtable on a new book, in which 
the author is being engaged by three discussants (twelve book panels 
were featured in the 2008 Convention); a debate between two panelists 
over a critical research or policy question, following rules of public 
debating; or special presentations based on original papers where the 
number of discussants is equal to or greater than the number of presenters.

The 2008 Convention is also welcoming offers to serve as DISCUSSANT on 
a panel to be created by the program committee from individual paper 
proposals. The application to be considered as discussant can be 
self-standing, or accompanied by an individual paper proposal.

There is NO APPLICATION FORM to fill out in order to send proposals to 
the convention, BUT A FACT SHEET IS REQUIRED; TO BE DOWNLOADED AT 
www.nationalities.org. All proposals and fact sheets must be sent by 
email to Dominique Arel at both dareluottawa.ca and darelasn2009gmail.com.

INDIVIDUAL PAPER PROPOSALS must include the name, email and 
affiliation of the author, a postal address for paper mail, the title 
of the paper, a 500-word abstract and a 100-word biographical 
statement that includes full references of your last or forthcoming 
publication, if applicable. Long CVs will be rejected, as the bio 
statement must be sent in narrative form, like a long paragraph. 
Graduate students must indicate the title of their dissertation and 
year of projected defense. They can also submit bibliographic 
information of a recent or forthcoming publication.

PANEL PROPOSALS must include the title of the panel, a chair, three 
paper-givers with the title of their papers, and a discussant; the 
name, affiliation, email, postal address and 100-word biographical 
statements of each participant and include full references of their 
last or forthcoming publication, if applicable. Graduate students must 
indicate the title of their dissertation, the year they join a 
doctoral program and year of projected defense. A 500-word abstract of 
each paper is not required for panel proposals.

PROPOSALS FOR FILMS OR VIDEOS must include the name, email and 
affiliation of the author, a postal address for hard (paper mail), the 
title of the film, name of director, country and year of production, a 
500-word abstract of the theme of the film and a 100-word biographical 
statement.

PROPOSALS USING AN INNOVATIVE FORMAT must include the title of the 
panel, the names, emails, affiliations, postal addresses, 100-word 
biographical statements of each participant (same specifications as 
above) and a discussion on the proposed format.

INDIVIDUAL PROPOSALS TO SERVE AS DISCUSSANT must include the name, 
email, affiliation, postal address, a paragraph about the areas of 
expertise of the proposed discussant, and a 100-word biographical 
statement (same specifications as above).

All proposals must be included IN THE BODY OF A SINGLE EMAIL, except 
for the FACT SHEET that must be attached. Attachments other than the 
Fact Sheet will be accepted only if they repeat the content of the 
email message/proposal, and if all the information is contained IN A 
SINGLE ATTACHMENT. The reception of all proposals will be acknowledged 
electronically (with some delay during deadline week, due to the high 
volume of proposals).

Participants are responsible for covering all travel and accommodation 
costs. Unfortunately, ASN has no funding available for panelists.

An international Program Committee will be entrusted with the 
selection of proposals. Applicants will be notified in December 2008 
or January 2009. Information regarding registration costs and other 
logistical questions will be communicated afterwards.

The full list of panels from last year's convention can be accessed at 
http://www.nationalities.org/convention/pdfs/ASN_2008_final_program.pdf

The film lineup of last year's convention can be accessed at 
http://www.nationalities.org/convention/films.asp

The programs from past conventions, going back to 2001, are also 
online at http://www.nationalities.org/convention/past.asp

Several dozen publishers and companies have had exhibits and/or 
advertised in the Convention Program in past years. Due to 
considerations of space, advertisers and exhibitors are encouraged to 
place their order early. For information, please contact Convention 
Executive Director Gordon N. Bardos (gnb12columbia.edu).

We look forward to receiving your proposal!

The Convention organizing committee:
Dominique Arel, ASN President
Gordon N. Bardos, Executive Director
David Crowe, ASN Chair of Advisory Board
Sherrill Stroschein, Program Chair

Deadline for proposals: 5 November 2008 (to be sent to both 
dareluottawa.ca AND darelasn2009gmail.com)

The ASN convention's headquarters are located at the:

Harriman Institute
Columbia University
1216 IAB
420 W. 118th St.
New York, NY 10027
212 854 8487 tel
212 666 3481 fax
gnb12columbia.edu
 

LECTURE- Jadidism and the Kazakh Alash Movement, Gulnar Kendirbai, Columbia Univ., NY, Oct. 31

Posted by: Gulnar Kendirbai <gk2020columbia.edu>
Posted: 27 Oct 2008


LECTURE- Jadidism and the Kazakh Alash Movement, Gulnar Kendirbai, NY, Oct. 31


OASIES presents:

"The Impact of Jadidism on the Kazak Modernist Movement Alash"

A Brown Bag Lunch with Gulnar Kendirbai (Columbia University)

Time: Friday, 31 October, 12-1 pm
Location: 1219 International Affairs Building

Despite representing one of Central Asia's two major reformist 
movements (the other movement originated in Russian Turkestan) that 
emerged in the last decades of the Russian empire, the story of Alash 
has remained largely unknown to mainstream Russian and Soviet 
histories. This talk seeks to place the Alash phenomenon in a broader 
social and cultural context, by bringing into focus an analysis of the 
impact of the Tatar Muslim reformist movement, Jadidism (from usul-i 
jadid, new method), founded by the Crimean enlightener Ismail Bey 
Gasprinskii (Gaspirali) on the formation of Alash views.


The Organization for the Advancement of Studies of Inner Eurasian 
Societies (OASIES) is a community of Columbia University graduate 
students from varied disciplines and area studies perspectives. Our 
goal is to foster dialogue and partnership across the academic spaces 
bounded by the East Asian, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Russian 
area studies paradigms as we investigate Inner Eurasia.

For more information please visit www.oasies.org
 

CONF.- Contemporary Mongolia, Vancouver, Canada, Nov. 14-17

Posted by: Julian Dierkes <julian.dierkesubc.ca>
Posted: 21 Oct 2008

CONF.- Contemporary Mongolia, Vancouver, Canada, Nov. 14-17


International Conference
"Contemporary Mongolia - Transitions, Development and Social  
Transformations"

November 14-17

University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada

On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations 
between Canada and Mongolia, the Program on Inner Asia at the 
University of British Columbia is hosting a major conference on 
contemporary Mongolia. Social scientists from around the world will be 
discussing their research.


Tentative Conference Program

All sessions will be held at the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced 
Studies (6331 Crescent Road, UBC Campus), unless otherwise noted.
The conference is free and open to the public. To assist us in the 
conference planning, please let us know which sessions you are 
planning to attend (mongolia.conf (at) ubc.ca)

Friday, November 14

The Revival of Buddhism in Mongolia in the Context of Post-Socialist Society

10-10:30a - Welcome and Introduction

10:30a-12p - Mongolian Buddhism: The Past and the Future

Matthew King, University of Toronto, Canada
"Finding the Buddha Hidden Below the Sand: Dynamics and Complexity in 
   the Revivalism of Mongolian Buddhism"

Zsuzsa Majer, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
"Present-day Mongolian Buddhist Temples: Continuation or Disjuncture 
   with the Past and the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition"

12-1:30p - Lunch

1:30-3p - The Context of Contemporary Religiosity in Mongolia

Johan Elverskog, Southern Methodist University, USA
"Theorizing Christianity in Mongolia"

Mátyás Balogh, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
"Ways of Practicing Shamanism in Mongolia"

3-3:30p - Coffee

3:30-5:00p - The Complexity of the Buddhist Revival in Mongolia

Krisztina Teleki, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
"Building on Ruins, Memories and Persistence: Revival and Survival of 
   Buddhism in the Countryside"

Marie-Dominique Even, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
"Religious Pluralism versus Cultural Identity in Mongolia"

6-7:30p - Keynote Address

Morris Rossabi, Columbia University, USA
"Modern Mongolia: The Contemporary Descendants of the Khans and the 
    Revival of Buddhism"


Saturday, November 15

10a-12p - Mongolia's Continuing Transitions

Session Chair: Marcia Frost, East Asian Studies & Economics, 
   Wittenberg University, USA

Christopher Kaplonski, Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit, 
   University of Cambridge, UK
"Genden and the Lamas: The Politicization of Death in Postsocialist Mongolia"

Sarah Combellick-Bidney, Political Science, University of Indiana, USA
"We Would Not Choose These Terms: Development Discourses in Mongolia"

Mungunsarnai Ganbold, Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency, 
   Mongolia, and Thomas Spoorenberg, Economic History, University of 
   Geneva, Switzerland
"Did the Social and Economic Transition Cause a Health Crisis in 
   Mongolia? Evidence from Age-, Sex- and Cause-Specific Mortality Trends 
   (1965-2007)"

12-1:30p - Lunch

1:30-3:30p - Mongolia' s Continuing Transitions (Cont.)

Session Chair: Charles Krusekopf, Environment and Sustainability, 
   Royal Roads University, Canada

Troy Sternberg, Geography, Oxford University, UK
"Twilight of Mongolian Pastoralism?"

Borchuluun Yadamsuren, Information Science and Learning Technologies, 
   University of Missouri, USA, and Catherine Johnson, Information and 
   Media Studies, University of Western Ontario, Canada
"From Socialism to Democracy: Effects of Transition on the Perception 
   of the Role of Libraries in Mongolia"

Paula Sabloff, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and 
   Anthropology, USA
"Democracy and Risk"

3:30-4p - Coffee

4-5:30p - Mongolians' Interaction with their Physical Environment

Session Chair: Cliff Montage, Land Resources and Environmental 
Sciences, Montana State University, USA

Raffael Himmelsbach, Political Science, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
"Institution-Building for the Mongolian Pastoral Commons"

Temuulen Tsagaan Sankey, Geographic Information Systems, Idaho State 
   University, USA, Keith Weber, Geographic Information Systems, Idaho 
State University, USA, and Joel Sankey, Geosciences, Idaho State 
   University, USA
"Changes in Pastoral Use and Their Effects on Rangeland Productivity"

5:45-7p - Film Screening

Gaëlle Lacaze "The Retailer's Ballad"


Sunday, November 16

9-10a Working Breakfast

The Hon. D. Enkhbat
Entrepreneur and Member, Ikh Khural
"Dream It: ICTs and Contemporary Mongolia"


10a-12:30p - Contemporary Mongolian Education and Youth

Session Chair: Phil Bayliss (TBC), Education and Lifelong Learning, 
   University of Exeter, UK

Ines Stolpe, Asian and African Studies, Humboldt-University, Germany
"Changing Concepts of Mongolian Educational Philosophy"

Altangerel Choijoo, Human Rights Education, Mongolian State University 
   of Education
"Civic Education in Mongolia: Current Situation and Future Challenges"

Anne Riordan, Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
"Education for Students with Disabilities in Mongolia: Teachers' and 
   Stakeholders' Perspectives"

Naranchimeg Jamiyanjamts, Public Health Science, University of Alberta, Canada
"Quality of health care services in relation to health service 
   utilization by adolescents in Mongolia"

12:30-1:30p - Lunch

1:45-3:15p - Migrating Nomads

Session Chair: Chih-yu Shih, Political Science, Taiwan National 
   University, Taiwan

Gaëlle Lacaze, Ethnology, University Marc Bloch, France
"Run After Time"

Joakim Enwall, Linguistics and Philology, Uppsala University, Sweden
"Minority Policies and Inter-Ethnic Relations in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia"

3:15-3:345p - Coffee

3:45-5:15p - Migrating Nomads (Cont.)

Session Chair: Brian Sinclair, Environmental Design, University of 
   Calgary, Canada

Cynthia Werner, Anthropology, Texas A&M University, USA, and Holly 
   Barcus, Geography, Macalester College, USA
"Networks, Gender, Culture, and the Migration Decision"

Erdenetuya Urdnast, History, Mongolian State University of Education,
"En Masse Migrations Towards the Capital and Ecosystem Degradation"

Evening - Cultural Programming
Northern Lights Quartet (TBC)


Monday, November 17

10a-12p - Social Relations in Contemporary Mongolia

Session Chair: Lisa Sundstrom, Political Science, University of 
   British Columbia, Canada

Manduhai Buyandelgeryin, Anthropology, Massachusetts Institute of 
   Technology, USA
"Technologies of Election: Women's Participation in the Parliamentary 
   Election of 2008"

Byambayav Dalaibuyan, Sociology, University of Hokkaido, Japan
"Social Networks in Post-socialist Mongolia: Problem Solving Strategy 
   and the Norm of Reciprocity"

Astrid Zimmerman, Social Anthropology and Mongolia and Inner Asia 
   Studies Unit, University of Cambridge, UK
"Between Obligation and Corruption: the Dilemma of Local Dargas in 
   Present-Day Mongolia"

12-1p - Lunch

1-3:15p - The Impact of Mining on Social Relations and Public Health

Session Chair: Bern Klein/Marcello Veiga (TBC), Mining Engineering, 
   University of British Columbia, Canada

Caroline Upton, Geography, University of Leicester, UK
"Mining, Resistance and Pastoral Livelihoods in Contemporary Mongolia"

Mette High, Social Anthropology and Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies 
   Unit, University of Cambridge, UK
"Living Outside the Law in the Mongolian Gold Mines"

Lkhasuren Oyuntogos, Preventative Medicine, Health Sciences University 
   of Mongolia
"Mining Health in Mongolia"

Rebecca Darling, Asia Foundation, Mongolia
"Developing a Responsible Minerals Sector that Benefits All 
   Mongolians: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach"

3:15-3:30p - Coffee

3:30-5:30p - Roundtable on North American-Mongolian Relations

Participants TBC


For more details see:
http://www.iar.ubc.ca/programs/innerasia/contemporarymongoliaconferenc
enov2008.aspx


Julian DIERKES, PhD
Assistant Professor
Co-ordinator, Program on Inner Asia
Institute of Asian Research
University of British Columbia

mongolia.confubc.ca
http://www.iar.ubc.ca/programs/innerasia
 

LECTURE- Political and Economic Change in Kyrgyzstan, Ambassador Zamira Sydykova, Columbia U., Oct. 22

Posted by: Rafis Abazov <polra99hotmail.com>
Posted: 21 Oct 2008


LECTURE- Political & Economic Change in Kyrgyzstan, Amb Zamira Sydykova, Oct 22


The Harriman Institute and the Eurasian Initiative

Present

Dealing with Reforms in the Post-Soviet Era: Political and Economic
   Changes in Kyrgyzstan

By Zamira Sydykova
Her Excellency Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic

October 22, 2008, at 6.00 pm in 1219 IAB

Harriman Institute, IAB,
420 West 118th street,
New York, NY 10027

For more information please contact:
Alla Rachkov: ar2052columbia.edu
or
Rafis Abazov: ra2044columbia.edu
 

SEMINAR- Galim Madanov: Travellers to Other (Kazakh) Spaces, OSCCA - Univ. of Oxford, Oct. 31

Posted by: Nariman Skakov <nariman.skakovuniv.ox.ac.uk>
Posted: 21 Oct 2008


SEMINAR- Galim Madanov: Travellers to Other (Kazakh) Spaces, Oxford, Oct. 31

 
The Oxford Society for the Caspian and Central Asia
Central Asian Humanities Seminar
 
Friday 31 October, 2008 at 5.30 pm (Michaelmas Term 2008 Week 3)
"Travellers to Other (Kazakh) Spaces: The Art of Galim Madanov"
Interview with Galim Madanov 
Chaired by: Dr. Thomas Welsford (All Souls College, Oxford)
Discussant: Nariman Skakov (University College, Oxford)
 
Location: Swire Seminar Room, 12 Merton Street, University College, Oxford

Galim Madanov is a leading Central Asian contemporary artist who works 
in a variety of media (traditional painting, video, photography, 
installation).  He is going to present two projects which address the 
phenomenon of travel as an encounter with the "other".  The project 
"Where Castle Met Yurts" offers a visual meditation on John Castle -- 
an Englishman who travelled to the Kazakh steppe in 1736 and who left 
a diary full of bewildered observations, and drawings, of Kazakh life. 
The artist suggests that Castle's trip to Kazakhstan can be compared 
to a psychedelic drug trip where reality and illusion peacefully 
coexist, and Madanov's series of small canvases attempts to capture 
this incongruity.  The second project, entitled "Difference", tells 
the story of Martin Rogers -- a contemporary British traveller who has 
also ventured into this 'other' space. Martin, an artist himself, is 
captured on video eating a traditional Kazakh dish (beshparmak) and 
sharing his own aesthetic and everyday experiences of life.
 
The inevitable discursive presence of the most famous contemporary 
British "traveller" to Kazakhstan -- Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Borat 
Sagdyev) -- will be conveyed in the seminar by his physical absence.

CONF./CFP- 16th Annual ACES Central Eurasian Studies Conf., Indiana U., Feb. 28

Posted by: Association of Central Eurasian Students <acesindiana.edu>
Posted: 17 Oct 2008


CONF./CFP- 16th Annual ACES Central Eurasian Studies Conf., Indiana U., Feb. 28


The Association of Central Eurasian Students (ACES) at Indiana University

Call For Papers

16th Annual ACES Central Eurasian Studies Conference, Indiana University

Saturday, 28 February 2009

Submission Deadline 28 November 2008

ACES invites panel and individual paper proposals for the Sixteenth 
Annual Central Eurasian Studies Conference to be held Saturday, 28 
February 2009 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Graduate students, professors, and independent scholars are cordially 
invited to submit abstracts of papers addressing all topics pertaining 
to Central Eurasian Studies.

Central Eurasian Studies is defined for the purposes of this 
conference as the study of the historical and contemporary Afghan, 
Balto-Finnic, Hungarian, Mongolic, Persian, Tibetan, Tungusic, and 
Turkic peoples, languages, cultures, and states.

All proposals will be subject to a highly selective review procedure.

The 2009 conference will play host to a small number of focused 
panels, and will include a roundtable discussion with area studies 
faculty on the topic "Whither Central Eurasian Studies?"

Recent keynote speakers have included Peter Perdue, Marianne Kamp, 
Leonard van der Kuijp, and Robert McChesney.

Past panel themes have included:
 - Conversions and Syncretism in Central Eurasia
 - Uyghurs and Xinjiang: Culture and History in the Round
 - Politics, Cultural Identity, and the Intelligentsia in Buryatia
 - Romanticism, Modernism, Postmodernism, and Beyond in Hungarian 
   Literature, Culture, and the Arts
 - Equality and the Economy in Central Asia
 - Through the Eyes of the Oppressed: The Russian Imperial Experience 
   in Central Asia
 - Eurasian Historical Trends
 - Prospects for Democratization in Central Asia

Submission Instructions:

Proposals may be submitted via the online form accessible at: 
http://www.indiana.edu/~aces

Submission of pre-organized panels is strongly encouraged.  Individual 
papers are also welcome and will be assigned by the Conference 
Committee to a suitable panel.

ACES regrets that it cannot provide any funding to participants.

Applicants will be notified of their status before 01 January 2008.

Please remember that the submission of a proposal represents a 
commitment on your behalf to participate in the conference.

Any questions may be directed to the ACES Conference Committee at 
acesindiana.edu

Association of Central Eurasian Students
Goodbody Hall 157
Indiana University
1011 East Third Street
Bloomington, IN 47405-7005
USA
Fax: (812) 855-7500
acesindiana.edu
http://www.indiana.edu/~aces
 

LECTURE- Foreign Engagement in Afghanistan, David Loyn, King's College London, Oct. 23

Posted by: Jane Savory <js64soas.ac.uk>
Posted: 17 Oct 2008


LECTURE- Foreign Engagement in Afghanistan, David Loyn, London, Oct. 23


It is with great pleasure that we invite you to attend the Afghanistan 
Study Group's next event on October 23rd at 6pm.  We are honored to 
have David Loyn, the BBC's Developing World Correspondent and author 
of "Butcher and Bolt:  Two hundred Years of Foreign Engagement in 
Afghanistan", released in just last month, September 2008.  David will 
speak on "The Past 200 Years in Afghanistan:  Where did it all go 
wrong?", and will then engage in a discussion with the audience.  

David's book will be available for purchase on site.  

Details:
When:  October 23rd, 2008, 6-7.30pm
Where: King's College London, Strand Campus, Raked Lecture Theatre

As usual, ASG events are free and all are welcome.  David Loyn and us 
at the ASG very much look forward to an innovative and dynamic 
discussion.  Hope to see you all there.

With warm regards,

The ASG Coordinating Committee
Afghanistan Study Group


Do not reply to this email for further information.
 

ROUNDTABLE- Trade Regime in Uzbekistan, Center for Economic Research, Tashkent, Oct. 22

Posted by: Kamola Rasulova <kamola.rasulovacer.uz>
Posted: 17 Oct 2008


ROUNDTABLE- Trade Regime in Uzbekistan, Ctr for Econ. Res., Tashkent, Oct. 22


A roundtable on "Trade Regime in Uzbekistan" will be taking place 
October 22, at 3.00 pm by local time in the Center for Economic 
Research (CER), Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hosted by  CER.

For more information about the event, please contact Kamola Rasulova 
kamola.rasulovacer.uz

5, Usmon Nosir str., 1 tupik,
Tashkent, Uzbekistan 700070
Phone: (+998 71) 150-02-02
Fax: (998 71) 281-45-48
Email: kamola.rasulovacer.uz
www.cer.uz
 

CONF./CFP- The Turkic World, the Caucasus, and Iran, July 10-12, 2009, Yerevan

Posted by: Khachik Gevorgyan <iranistyahoo.co.uk>
Posted: 17 Oct 2008


CONF./CFP- The Turkic World, the Caucasus, and Iran, July 10-12, 2009, Yerevan


International Conference

The Turkic World, the Caucasus, and Iran: Civilisational Crossroads of 
Interactions

July 10-12, 2009
Yerevan, Armenia
http://www.armacad.org/civilizationica

The International Journal Iran and the Caucasus (Brill: Leiden-Boston) 
, the Department of Iranian Studies at Yerevan State University, the 
Makhtumquli Feraqi Centre for Turkic Studies at ARYA International 
University (Yerevan), the Association for the Study of Persianate 
Societies (Armenian Branch), in collaboration with the International 
Society for the Study of Iran and the Caucasus (ISSIC), Caucasian 
Centre for Iranian Studies (Yerevan), the Armenian-Turkmen Cooperation 
Centre "Partev" (Yerevan), and the Armenian Association for Academic 
Partnership and Support - ARMACAD (Yerevan) are organising an 
international conference entitled "The Turkic World, the Caucasus, and 
Iran: Civilisational Crossroads of Interactions".

The Conference will be held on July 10-12, 2009.
Venue: ARYA International University, Yerevan, Armenia.

The region of civilisational interactions from Central Asia to Eastern 
Europe and from Southern Russia to Iran has been one of the focal 
geographical points in world history. The main cultural, political and 
civilisational players in this domain have been the Iranian and Turkic 
peoples, while the Caucasus and the Transcaucasian region with their 
cultural, ethnographical and linguistic uniqueness have served as a 
connecting link and an arena for wars and peaceful cohabitation. 
Though the main stress of the conference will be on cultures, 
histories (including archaeology, etc.), languages and the literatures 
of this vast area, presentations on modern political and regional 
issues, as well as the human ecology topics are also welcomed. The 
conference seeks to emphasize links between the Turkic world, the 
Caucasus, and Iran.

Working languages - English and Russian.
Abstracts (not to exceed 300 words) are to be submitted here 
(http://www.armacad.org/civilizationica/abstracts.php) by February 20, 2009.
A brief biography, including contact details, is also to be included.

Once your materials have been submitted, a confirmation letter will be 
returned. If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail within 7 days, 
then we have not received your materials. Only in this case, please 
contact: khachik.gevorgyanyahoo.co.uk

A notification of acceptance will be sent by March 30, 2009.
All whose abstracts are accepted for presentation at the conference 
have to send to the Conference Organising Committee 10 Euros before 
June 10 in order to ensure their participation. This amount of money 
will be reduced from the participation fee.

Participation Fee:
The conference participation fee is 70 Euros and a reduced rate of 35 
Euros for postgraduate students. Participants from the Caucasus and 
Central Asia will pay 35 Euros.

For further information do not hesitate to contact:

Dr. Khachik Gevorgyan
Secretary of the Organising Committee
khachik.gevorgyanyahoo.co.uk
Makhtumquli Feraqi Centre for Turkic Studies,
Arya International University
Shahamiryanneri street, 18/2
Yerevan
Armenia
Tel: +374 (10) 44-35-85
Fax: +374 (10) 44-23-07
www.arya.am
Email: aryaarminco. com


International Organising Committee:

Prof. Dr. Garnik Asatrian (Yerevan)
Prof. Dr. Uwe Blaesing (Leiden)
Prof. Dr. Ralph Kautz (Vienna)
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Livshits (SPb)
Prof. Dr. Levon Zekiyan (Venice)
Prof. Dr. Said Amir Arjomand (New York)
Prof. Dr. Murtazali Gadjiev (Makhachkala)
Prof. Dr. Rovshan Rahmoni (Dushanbe)
Prof. Dr. George Sanikidze (Tbilisi)
Dr. Gulnara Aitpaeva (Bishkek)
Dr. Behrooz Bakhtiari (Tehran)
Dr. Habib Borjian (New-York)
Dr. Mher Gyulumian (Yerevan)
Dr. Mahmoud Joneydi Ja'fari (Tehran)
Dr. Seyyed Said Jalali (Tehran)
Dr. Kakajan Janbekov (Ashgabat)
Dr. Filiz Kiral (Istanbul)
Dr. Irina Natchkebia (Tbilisi)
Dr. Vahram Petrosian (Yerevan)
Dr. Tamerlan Salbiev (Vladikavkaz)
Dr. Alexander Safarian (Yerevan)
 

CONF./CFP- 12th International Seminar of UNESCO FUUH, Hanoi, April 5-10

Posted by: Hanoi 2009 - Forum UNESCO <2009seminarfuuh.upv.es>
Posted: 17 Oct 2008


CONF./CFP- 12th International Seminar of UNESCO FUUH, Hanoi, April 5-10


Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage
Camino de Vera s/n
46022 - Valencia (Spain)
Tel. 96 387 77 80
Fax. 96 387 88 89
forumfuuh.upv.es
universityandheritage.net

12th Forum UNESCO-University and Heritage (FUUH) International Seminar
>From 5 to 10 April 2009
Hanoi University of Architecture (HAU), Republic of Vietnam 
Deadline for abstract submission: 30 October 2008 

The World Heritage Centre of UNESCO (WHC), Hanoi People's Committee 
(CPH), Hanoi University of Architecture (HAU), the Polytechnic 
University of Valencia (UPV) and the Organizing Committee are pleased 
to announce the forthcoming 12th FUUH International Seminar on the 
following theme:

"Historic Urban Lanscapes: 
A New Concept? 
A New Category of World Heritage Sites?"

The thematic areas:

1. Physical Integrity of Historic Urban Landscapes
2. Functional Integrity of Historic Urban Landscapes
3. Visual Integrity of Historic Urban Landscapes 

The CALL FOR PAPERS and all relevant information is available on the 
seminar web:

http://universityandheritage.net/hanoi_seminar_2009

For further information, please contact with the seminar secretary:
2009seminarfuuh.upv.es

We would appreciate it if you would kindly circulate this announcement 
to any interested colleagues and students.

We hope that this 12th FUUH International Seminar will be of interest 
to you and look forward to meeting you again in Hanoi.

Sincerely yours,

Team of Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage


Communication, Education and the Partnerships Sector
World Heritage Centre
UNESCO Culture Sector
wh-infounesco.org
FUUH Program
Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (Spain)
forumfuuh.upv.es 
 

CONF./CFP- Central and Inner Asia Seminar at the University of Toronto, May 15-16

Posted by: Central and Inner Asia Studies U. of Toronto <ciasutoronto.ca>
Posted: 17 Oct 2008


CONF./CFP- Central and Inner Asia Seminar, University of Toronto, May 15-16


Dear Colleagues,

The Fourteenth Annual Conference of the Central and Inner Asia Seminar 
(CIAS 2009) will be held at the University of Toronto, Ontario, 
Canada, in the Croft Chapter House, University College on Friday and 
Saturday May 15-16, 2009.

The proceedings of the conference will be published in due course in 
"Toronto Studies in Central and Inner Asia".  Volume 10, the papers 
from CIAS 2008, will be available before the upcoming conference.

The theme of this year's gathering is "Nomads, Past and Current: 
Living on the Move".  Scholars from any relevant discipline are 
invited to submit proposals for papers. 

The time allowance for any presentation is 20 minutes. Please include 
the title, a one-page summary and a short copy of your curriculum 
vitae and send them, by email, to Professor Michael Gervers at 
gerverschass.utoronto.ca and to Nick Corbett at ndcorbetindiana.edu 

The deadline for submissions is December 18, 2008 and those selected 
will be notified by email as soon as possible thereafter.

We regret that we do not have the financial resources to help with any 
transportation or accommodation costs.  However we will do our best to 
expedite visa applications and offer hospitality during the conference. 

We look forward to receiving many interesting proposals and to hosting 
another stimulating and enjoyable conference in Toronto in May.

Please forward this message to anyone else who may be interested.  For 
further information see  www.utoronto.ca/cias   The website will be 
updated regularly as more information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Gillian Long
Administrative Co-ordinator for CIAS
 

LECTURE- NGOs in the Policy Making Process in Kyrgyzstan, SRC-AUCA, Bishkek, Oct. 22

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 17 Oct 2008


LECTURE- NGOs in the Policy Making Process in Kyrgyzstan, SRC-AUCA, Oct. 22


The Social Research Center (SRC) at American University of Central Asia
(www.src.auca.kg) presents a lecture on:

"NGOs in the Policy Making Process in Kyrgyzstan: Contemporary Practices and
Legal Barriers"

Speakers:
Mr. Sheradil Baktygulov, Independent Expert
Mr. Maksatbek Tashbolotov, Director of the Public Foundation "Kalys Consult"

Time: 5 p.m., October 22, 2008
Venue: Room 315, AUCA (Main Building)
Language: Russian(Interpretation into English will be provided ONLY if
requested in advance)

Synopsis: There are many active citizens and qualified experts concentrated
in Kyrgyzstan's NGO sector. The question is how to use the potential of NGOs
to rationally and effectively attain the development goals of the country
and the society. Existing examples of successful cooperation among NGOs, the
state, and local governments show that such collaborations are possible in
the spheres of health, education, social services and community development
if and when there are clearly defined goals. However, the NGO sector does
not participate on a systematic basis in the development of national
development plans and policies pertaining to particular spheres or regions.
There are no mechanisms to consider alternative views, which would allow
NGOs to participate in the process of defining rational methods of
development.

In the course of this joint lecture, the two speakers will present the major
arguments and recommendations developed in their policy-briefs: "NGOs in the
policy-making process: problems and perspectives" by Sheradil Baktygulov;
and "Participation of NGOs in the monitoring and evaluation of the Country
Development Strategy (CDS)" by Maksatbek Tashbolotov.

How to register: Please send RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg with your name and
affiliation.
 

CFP- Soyuz Symposium: Global Socialisms and Postsocialisms, Yale U., Apr. 24-26

Posted by: Doug Rogers <doug.rogersyale.edu>
Posted: 10 Oct 2008


CFP- Soyuz Symposium: Global Socialisms and Postsocialisms, Yale U., Apr. 24-26


Call For Papers

Global Socialisms and Postsocialisms

Soyuz Annual Symposium
April 24-26, 2009
Department of Anthropology
Yale University
New Haven, CT

The theme of this year's annual Soyuz symposium will be "Global 
Socialisms and Postsocialisms."  We invite ethnographically informed 
and theoretically innovative papers that explore the ways in which 
socialist and postsocialist areas of the world are implicated in all 
manner of global and transnational processes. We are particularly 
interested in papers that explore dynamics other than the 
common--albeit important--story of global or transnational projects 
arriving in and transforming formerly socialist populations. How 
should we understand the flow of people, objects, concepts, and 
linguistic and cultural forms among and out of socialist and 
postsocialist states, rather than simply into them from "the West"? 
How have socialist and postsocialist processes transformed the global 
order outside of specific socialist or postsocialist states? To what 
extent should we revise our understanding of socialisms and 
postsocialisms as tied to specific places?

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

 * Connections among socialist regions (USSR-Africa, for instance) and 
their fates in the postsocialist era.
 * Migration, shuttle trade, tourism, or other kinds of movement that 
extend outward from the postsocialist world.
 * Emergent regional or global imperial orders that have their centers 
in socialist or postsocialist states.
 * New approaches to Cold War-era differences and distinctions and 
their post-Cold War trajectories.
 * Global political or social movements, from NGOs to indigenous 
rights organizations, as they make connections between and among 
postsocialist areas of the world.
 * Postsocialist variations on the spread of standards, regulatory 
regimes, and other technologies associated with recent global capitalism.

Although the symposium will retain much of its traditional focus on 
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (as appropriate to the 
current Soyuz membership), the organizing committee plans to invite 
some papers and discussants whose focus on other world regions will 
facilitate our efforts to theorize socialisms and postsocialisms in 
wider contexts and configurations. Ivan Szelényi, William Graham 
Sumner Professor of Sociology and Political Science, Yale University, 
will deliver a keynote address.

Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be submitted by January 31, 
2009 to Doug Rogers at the email address given below. Limited funds 
will be available to defray travel costs for scholars who would 
otherwise be unable to attend, particularly those based at 
universities in Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union.

Soyuz 2009 Organizing Committee:

Doug Rogers, chair
Mike McGovern
Sean Brotherton
Erik Harms
Susanna Fioratta

Please address all inquiries and abstracts to Doug Rogers 
(douglas.rogersyale.edu).

The 2009 Soyuz Symposium is supported by the following Yale University 
units: the Department of Anthropology, the Center for Transnational 
Cultural Analysis, the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial 
Fund, and the Councils on European, African, and East Asian Studies of 
the Macmillan Center for International and Area Studies.
 

LECTURE- Kazakh Articulations of Modernity, Zifa-Alua Auezova, Columbia U., Nov. 6

Posted by: Rafis Abazov <ra2044columbia.edu>
Posted: 10 Oct 2008


LECTURE- Kazakh Articulations of Modernity, Z.-A. Auezova, Columbia U., Nov. 6


Harriman Institute Central Asia Lecture Series

"Kazakh Articulations of Modernity"

Professor Zifa-Alua Auezova
Lecturer at Leiden University in the Netherlands

Please join us for Professor Zifa-Alua Auezova's talk on the intellectual 
discourse of early 20th Century Kazakh national identity in Mukhtar 
Auezov's epic novel Abai. She will also introduce a new translation of 
the work.  Several copies of the new translation will be available to public.

Introduction by Rafis Abazov, author of 'The Culture and Customs of the 
Central Asian Republics'

The event is free and open to the public

Thursday, November 6, 2008 6:30 PM

Location: Harriman Institute,
International Affairs Building Room 1219
Columbia University
420 West 118th Street, NY 10027

Light refreshments will be served


For further info and questions, please contact Rafis Abazov ra2044columbia.edu

http://www.harrimaninstitute.org/programs/central_asian_events.html
 

LECTURE- Asne Seierstad: The Angel of Grozny: Orphans of a Forgotten War, New York, 10/23

Posted by: Almut Rochowanski <almutchechnyaadvocacy.org>
Posted: 10 Oct 2008


LECTURE- Asne Seierstad: The Angel of Grozny: Orphans of a Forgotten War, 10/23


October 23, 2008: 

Book Talk: Asne Seierstad's "The Angel of Grozny: Orphans of a Forgotten War"

A Chechnya Advocacy Network/Harriman Institute Event
www.chechnyaadvocacy.org/events.html 

Room 1219
International Affairs Building
Columbia University
420 West 118th Street
New York
6:30pm

Norwegian journalist Asne Seierstad has reported on the conflict in 
Chechnya from its very beginning. She traveled in disguise and at 
great risk to herself to the region while working as a foreign 
correspondent in Moscow during the early days of the war in 1995. For 
The Angel of Grozny: Orphans of a Forgotten War (Basic Books 2008), 
Seierstad decided to return to Chechnya and spent two years living 
undercover there to try to understand what life was like under the 
startlingly brutal conditions in this beleaguered region, a society 
traumatized by constant violence and disorder. Seierstad focuses 
particular attention on the orphans and children who suffer from this 
forgotten war. From 1994 to the present, twenty-five thousand children 
in Chechnya have lost one or both parents.

These orphans of Chechnya have grown up surrounded by war and 
accustomed to violence. Some are homeless. Some have already become 
young criminals. Some may grow up to join the resistance and 
contribute to the violence that continues to grip their society. The 
"Angel" of the title is a Chechen woman who started taking in homeless 
and abandoned children to create a makeshift orphanage. Seierstad asks 
the most vital question: What will happen when these children try to 
shape the future of Chechnya? It is the first book that takes a close, 
inside look at Chechen society after the wars. The book documents a 
society that is shattered, ailing and scared. Unlike most books on 
Chechnya, the author, who spent a lot of time in Chechnya undercover 
as a Chechen woman, extensively covers the lives of Chechen women. The 
Angel of Grozny also features some of the most perceptive and 
revealing coverage of the new regime of Ramzan Kadyrov. 

In The Angel of Grozny, Seierstad has written both a valuable personal 
account and an informative history. She lived amid the violence, and 
even came under fire herself. But she also interviewed and had 
first-hand encounters, with both the children of Chechnya and the 
decision-makers in Grozny, the capital city. This combination has 
produced a powerful and important example of literary reporting at its 
best. Read recent reviews by the International Herald Tribune and the 
Christian Science Monitor.

Asne Seierstad is an award-winning journalist who has reported from 
such war-torn regions as Chechnya, China, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and 
Iraq. She is the author of "A Hundred and One Days" as well as "The 
Bookseller of Kabul", an international bestseller that has been 
translated into 38 languages. 

Almut Rochowanski
Coordinator, Programs and Advocacy
Chechnya Advocacy Network

almutchechnyaadvocacy.org
www.chechnyaadvocacy.org
(1) 212 459 9363
(1) 646 467 0637 (mobile)
 

SEMINAR SERIES- Centre of Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus, SOAS, London, Fall Term

Posted by: Jane Savory <js64soas.ac.uk>
Posted: 10 Oct 2008


SEMINAR SERIES- Central Asia and the Caucasus, SOAS, London, Fall Term


Centre of Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus, School of 
Oriental and African Studies, University of London seminar schedule for Term 1.


Please find listed below details of the Centre of Contemporary Central 
Asia and the Caucasus, School of Oriental and African Studies, 
University of London seminar schedule for Term 1.  

The seminars are free and open to the public.  No booking is required.


Seminar

Date: Thursday, 23 October 2008
Time: 5.30-7pm
Title: The Debate over Alphabet Change in Kazakhstan
Speaker: Rustem Kadyrzhanov (Institute of Philosophy and Political 
   Science, Almaty, Kazakhstan)
Venue: G50, Main Building, SOAS
Contact: Bhavna Dave (bd4soas.ac.uk) or Jane Savory (js64soas.ac.uk)
All Welcome


Seminar

Date: Thursday, 27 November 2008
Time: 17.30-19.00
Title: Russia-Georgia Conflict: Implications for Sovereignty and 
   Autonomy in the Caucasus 
Speakers:
 - Bill Bowring (Law, Birkbeck College)
 - Laurence Broers (Head of the Caucasus Programme, Conciliation Resources)
 - Domitilla Sagramoso (Department of War Studies, King's College)
Venue: G50
Enquiries: Bhavna Dave, bd4soas.ac.uk or Jane Savory, js64soas.ac.uk
All Welcome


Seminar

Date: Thursday, 4 December 2008
Time: 17.30-19.00
Title: Debating Debate in Northern Afghanistan
Speakers: Magnus Marsden (Department of Anthropology, SOAS)
Venue: G50
Enquiries: Bhavna Dave, bd4soas.ac.uk or Jane Savory, js64soas.ac.uk
All are Welcome (seminars are free and open to the public).  Booking 
is not required unless otherwise stated.


Centre of Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus, School of 
Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, Thornhaugh 
Street, Russell Square, London WC1H OXG

Centre website: http://www.soas.ac.uk/cccac/


Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in 
this email is as accurate as possible at the time it is sent. We 
cannot guarantee, however, that subsequent changes have not been made. 
Readers are advised to check information relating to scheduled events 
on the SOAS website or by using the contact information provided.


Jane Savory
Office Manager, Centres and Programmes Office
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

tel  +44 (0)20 7898 4892
fax +44 (0)20 7898 4489
email js64soas.ac.uk
web www.soas.ac.uk/centres/
 

CONF./CFP- 19th Annual ASEN Conference: Nationalism and Globalisation, LSE, Mar. 31-Apr. 2, 2009

Posted by: Assoc. for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism <asenlse.ac.uk>
Posted: 7 Oct 2008


CONF./CFP- 19th Annual ASEN Conference, LSE, Mar. 31-Apr. 2, 2009


19th Annual ASEN Conference:

"Nationalism and Globalisation"
31st March - 2nd April 2009, London School of Economics

Call For Papers

The Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism (ASEN) is 
holding its 19th Annual Conference, entitled "Nationalism and 
Globalisation", Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 31st March - 2nd 
April 2009, at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Nationalism and globalisation are complex phenomena generating 
vigorous academic debates. Yet, there has been little sustained 
theoretical and empirical consideration of their relationship, and no 
framework devised capable of satisfactorily dealing with the 
interactions between the two, especially as these change over time and 
vary from place to place. Yet nationalism has both shaped, and been 
shaped byglobalization. This conference seeks to explore the 
relationship between nationalism and globalisation in its various 
forms, primarily focusing on the impact of globalisation on national 
identity, national sovereignty, state-formation, and the ways in which 
nationalism has shaped globalising processes.

The conference will include keynote addresses from leading scholars in 
the field, along with opportunities for scholars from various 
disciplines to examine the relationship between nationalism and 
globalisation in a series of panel sessions. Suggested themes include:
 * Conflicting or complementary phenomena? 
 * Nationalism and global political conflict 
 * Global migration patterns and national identities
 * Globalisation and the emergence of new forms of nationalism 
 * The impact of globalisation on national culture
 * Nationalism versus supranationalism 
 * Pan-nationalism

The first day will explore the theoretical and historical relationship 
between globalisation, nationalism and national identities.The second 
day will examine current issues such as migration, arms proliferation, 
financial crisis, multinational corporations and global consumer 
culture and their impact on the nation-state and national identities. 
The third day will focus on the interaction between globalisation and 
novel forms of nationalism and regional identities as well as 
nationalist responses to supranationalism, including European 
integration. The conference will adopt a multi-disciplinary approach 
focusing on historical, theoretical and contemporary aspects of the theme.

The 2009 Conference Committee is now calling for papers to be 
presented at the conference.  The application is open to any 
researcher who is interested in the study of nationalism.  The 
abstracts of the proposed papers should not exceed 500 words and are 
expected by November 1st, 2008.  Abstracts should make clear (a) the 
particular focus of the paper in terms of evidence and method, (b) its 
discipline location, (c) its relevance to the nationalism/globalisation 
topic, and (d) what specific theme/panel it would best fit into. Only 
abstracts directly related to nationalism will be considered. The 
Committee will notify applicants of its decisions by November 30th, 
2008. Please see the ASEN website (http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/ASEN/)
for more information and to submit your proposal.

Suggestions for panels and additional themes are also welcome.  Papers 
submitted to the conference will be considered for publication in a 
special issue of Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism (SEN). Please 
note that ASEN cannot cover travel and accommodation costs. Presenters 
are expected to register for the conference. Further enquiries are 
welcome at: asenlse.ac.uk

Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic 
communications disclaimer: 
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/secretariat/legal/disclaimer.htm
 

EVENT- Panel on Pax Mongolica, Columbia Univ., Oct. 16

Posted by: Gulnar Kendirbai <gk2020columbia.edu>
Posted: 6 Oct 2008


EVENT- Panel on Pax Mongolica, Columbia Univ., Oct. 16


OASIES presents

Pax Mongolica: Area Studies and the Mongol Legacy

The contemporary study of Mongol and post-Mongol space has been 
divided among area studies institutes, university departments, and 
cultural institutions.  In addition, the inhabitants of post-Mongol 
space have laid claim to a Mongol legacy in various ways.  In our 
discussion, we will consider what has been lost and what gained by 
this fragmentation of Mongol studies and the Mongol legacy, as well as 
emerging trends which will affect current and future students of the 
Mongols.

Panelists Include:
Nicola di Cosmo (Institute for Advanced Study)
Ladan Akbarnia (Brooklyn Museum of Art)
Peter Golden (Rutgers University)

Moderated by Morris Rossabi (Columbia University)

Thursday, October 16, 2008
6-8 pm

Columbia University in the City of New York
420 East 118th Street International Affairs Building
Harriman Institute, Room 1219

Reception to Follow Discussion

Co-sponsored by OASIES, the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at the
Weatherhead Institute, and the Harriman Institute

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information about this or other events visit www.oasies.org
or e-mail contact[at]oasies.org
 

PRESENTATION- Political Islam: Ideological Orientations of Youth in Bishkek, SRC-AUCA, Oct. 8

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 1 Oct 2008


PRESENTATION- Political Islam: Orientations of Youth in Bishkek, SRC-AUCA, 10/8


The Social Research Center (SRC) at the American University of Central Asia
(www.src.auca.kg) under its Islam Research Track

presents the Student Research Project:

"Political Islam: Ideological Orientations of Youth in Bishkek"

Under the Supervision of Dr. Kadyr Malikov
Thematic Leader on Islam, SRC, AUCA

Presenters: Students of the Sociology and American Studies Departments, AUCA

Time: 5 p.m., October 8, 2008
Venue: Room 315, AUCA (Main Building)
Language: Russian
(Interpretation into English will be provided ONLY if requested in advance)
The search for ideological and political identity plays an important role in
our society. In Kyrgyzstan, it is impossible to separate ideological and
political identity from Islam, since most citizens are Muslim. Under the
conditions of social re-traditionalization, re-islamization is being
strengthened as well; it has a greater influence every year on social and
political processes in Kyrgyzstan. The Islamic revival, especially among the
youth living with poverty, corruption and unemployment, is progressing
exponentially.

A group of AUCA students, under the supervision of Dr. Kadyr Malikov, has
conducted research on the topic "Political Islam: Ideological Orientations
of the Youth." The aim was to study the religious and political preferences
of Bishkek youth. Specifically, the goal was to measure the extent of the
perception of Islam as an ideological and political system; to discover the
thoughts of youth regarding the co-existence of two ideological systems
within a nation-state, i.e., of religion and secularism and their
interaction or confrontation. The research showed that:

 - identifications of youth are being transformed;
 - youth have minimal levels of trust in state officials
 - most respondents presume that believers could have rights to establish
   political parties;
 - respondents do not exclude the possibility of their participation in such
   political activities, but they generally see Kyrgyzstan as a secular state
   with Muslim values.

The survey was conducted primarily among students of secular universities
(Manas Kyrgyz-Turk University, Arabaev Kyrgyz Pedagogical University,
Kyrgyz-Russian Slavonic University, Kyrgyz National University, etc.) as
well as among students of Islamic educational institutions (Islamic
University, madrasahs) in Bishkek in May 2008.

How to register: Please send RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg with your name and
affiliation.
 

SEMINAR- Political Communication in Kyrgyzstan, Alexander Wolters, SRC-AUCA, Oct. 3

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 30 Sep 2008


SEMINAR- Political Communication in Kyrgyzstan, A. Wolters, SRC-AUCA, Oct. 3


The Social Research Center (SRC) at the American University of Central Asia
(www.src.auca.kg) under its Research Seminars Series

presents:

RESEARCH SEMINAR: "Political Communication in Kyrgyzstan - Some Notions on
the Observation of Political Conflicts in the Field"

SPEAKER: Alexander Wolters, Visiting Research Fellow, SRC, AUCA

Time: 5pm, 3 October, 2008
Venue: 232, AUCA (main building)

Language: English

Abstract: Field research by anthropologists tends to be conducted in a
selected locality, which is approached from a holistic perspective. On the
contrary political scientists focus on central state regulations and
actions, usually narrowing their perspective to the most important political
actors in the center of a given state. In Kyrgyzstan the debate on the role
of traditional institutions like clans or territorial groupings has brought
about a discussion on which method is best for conducting research on
explaining political dynamics in Kyrgyzstan. The presentation aims at
shedding some light on the peculiar interrelationship of politics on the
ground and in the center by sharing the author's experience with the
changing nature of field research. The research results on the dynamics of
political conflicts in Kyrgyzstan question the traditional distinction made
between village anthropology and capital expert political science. When it
comes to Kyrgyz politics, both the province and the center play a role.
Constant reconsideration of one's own hypotheses is necessary to be able to
observe the full picture. If not, current distinctions in political science
and anthropology like center versus periphery or state versus society will
be reproduced and prevent more comprehensive explanations from being
developed.

Bio: Alexander Wolters is a PhD Candidate at the European University
Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany. He received a Diploma of
Cultural Studies at the Viadrina University and studied East-European
History, Philosophy and Cultural Studies in University of Muenster and an
der Oder University, Germany, and University of Tambov, Russia. His research
focuses on informal institutions in Post-Soviet Central Asia, state -
society relations and processes of modernization in the states of former
Soviet Union.


Research Seminar Series: The Research Seminar Series is an initiative of the
SRC and it aims at providing a venue for the AUCA faculty, local and foreign
scholars to share the results of their current and previous research
projects with other scholars. The series intends to encourage scholarly
discourse at AUCA.

How to register: Please, RSVP to asamidinova_amail.auca.kg to give your
name and affiliation.
 

LECTURE- Should We Expect "Radical" or "Moderate" Islam in Central Asia?, John Schoeberlein, U. of Colo., Boulder, Oct. 2

Posted by: Courtney Lynn Zenner <courtney.zennercolorado.edu>
Posted: 30 Sep 2008


LECTURE- Islam in Central Asia, John Schoeberlein, U. of Colo., Boulder, Oct. 2


The Center for Asian Studies'
South, Southeast and West Asia Outreach Program
At the University of Colorado presents

Should We Expect "Radical" or "Moderate" Islam in Central Asia?

A lecture by
John Schoeberlein
Director, Program on Central Asia and the Caucasus at Harvard University

Thursday, October 2, 2008, 4:30pm
Wolf Law Building, Room 301
University of Colorado at Boulder
 

CONF./CFP- AAG Panel on Nation-Building and National Identity in the FSU, Mar. 22-27, 2009

Posted by: Natalie Rochelle Koch <natalie.kochcolorado.edu>
Posted: 30 Sep 2008


CONF./CFP- AAG Panel on Nation-Building and National Identity in the FSU, 03/09


Call for Papers (October 10th deadline)
Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting
22-27 March 2009, Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada*

Nation-Building and National Identity in the FSU
Session Organizer: Natalie Koch, University of Colorado at Boulder

The meanings of "nationality" and "ethnicity" in the Soviet Union 
differ markedly from the way in which they are understood in the West 
and other places around the world. Rogers Brubaker (1996) suggests a 
fundamental tension within the Soviet nationality policies it promoted 
two independent  definitions of nationhood: one territorial and 
political, the other ethnocultural. While territorial jurisdiction was 
ascribed to certain nationalities, "territory" and "nation" were 
neither spatially, conceptually, nor legally congruent. Independence 
has stimulated the "nationalization" of the various successor states. 
This has been accomplished through various means, such as the 
increased "nativization" of power structures, the implementation of 
stringent language policies, and the emergence of racialized 
discourses and practices. This CFP invites submissions that seek to 
address the legacies of this Soviet conception of nationhood for these 
former Soviet states.

Possible topics could include, and are not limited to:
 - a case study examining the implications of the Soviet nationalities policy
 - defining the "nation" and/or "ethnicity" in the post-Soviet context
 - the nation-building strategies of successor state leaders
 - the role of state-scale actors in fostering a new "national" 
   identity and its role in legitimating their rule
 - the role of territory and borders (as both symbols and 
   institutions) in articulating the "nation"
 - the relationship between religion and national identity in the FSU
 - gender and the nation/nationalist project
 - comparative study of FSU and another region/country
 - language politics
 - inter-ethnic violence in the FSU
 - xenophobia/racism in the FSU, especially in the Russian Federation
 - methodological approaches and challenges in studying 
   nation-building/nationalism in the FSU

Please send related proposals to Natalie Koch 
(natalie.kochcolorado.edu)  by October 10th, 2008. Include title, 
abstract (under 250 words), and PIN number.

*For more information about the AAG meeting, see: 
http://aag.org/annualmeetings/2009/index.htm 
 

ROUNDTABLE- Land Use Reform in Uzbekistan, Center for Economic Research, Tashkent, Sept. 30

Posted by: Kamola Rasulova <kamola.rasulovacer.uz>
Posted: 30 Sep 2008


ROUNDTABLE- Land Use Reform in Uzbekistan, CER, Tashkent, Sept. 30


A round table on "Reforming Land Use System in Uzbekistan" will be 
taking place September 30, at 3.00 pm by  local time in the Center  
for Economic Research (CER), Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hosted by CER.  
 
For more information about the event, please contact Kamola Rasulova at 
kamola.rasulovacer.uz
 
5, Usmon Nosir str., 1 tupik,
Tashkent, Uzbekistan 700070
Phone: (+998 71) 150-02-02
Fax: (998 71) 281-45-48
Email: kamola.rasulovacer.uz
From: Central-Eurasia-Lfas.harvard.edu
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:15:14 -0400
Subject: CONF./CFP- Ties that Bind and Ties That Divide, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Feb. 20-22, 2009


CONF./CFP- Ties that Bind and Ties That Divide, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Feb. 20-22

University of Pittsburgh
Graduate Organization for the Study of Europe and Central Asia
Center for Russian and East European Studies present:

Ties that Bind and Ties that Divide: Cultural, Economic and Political 
Linkages in Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 

Sixth Annual Graduate Student Conference
20-22 February 2009

GOSECA outlined in our 2007 conference on globalization, regionalism 
and multiculturalism that belonging to a certain collectivity can 
bring with it privilege, pride, and power today, but disadvantage, 
disrepute and dismemberment tomorrow.  This years conference is 
motivated by questioning this notion of linkages.  While many 
conferences focus on the transcendence of borders and the remapping of 
regions, we seek to further this theme by exploring how these 
relationships link, yet often simultaneously divide people.   

Solidarity, a cross-regional, macro-level phenomenon, also operates at 
the local levels between ethnic groups, sub-regions and cities. 
Regions may share a recent historical experience that transcends 
geographic boundaries and leads to the formation of more permeable 
geopolitical landscapes, but the emergence of ideological and 
political alliances, as well as economic uncertainties, has frequently 
led to exactly the opposite. How do these past and present alignments 
influence our evolving understanding of Eastern Europe, Russia and 
Central Asia?

GOSECA strongly encourages submissions from the humanities, social 
sciences and professional schools in areas such as:
 * Literary and artistic movements
 * Cultural and religious identities
 * Diverging historical legacies and past ideologies
 * Emigration and immigration
 * The influence of the European Union, NATO, and the Shanghai 
   Cooperative Organization
 * Foreign trade and international finance
 * New energy policies

This conference is interdisciplinary in nature and aims to deepen our 
understanding of these regions through a broad range of approaches to 
examine an intricately woven matrix of issues. 

Abstracts should be no more than 250 words long. Please submit 
abstracts by 01 December 2008 to the following email address: 
gosecaconferenceyahoo.com

For more information please visit: http://www.pitt.edu/~sorc/goseca/Goseca2009/
 

CONF.- Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS) Annual Conference, Washington, DC, Sept. 18-21

Posted by: John Schoeberlein <schoeberfas.harvard.edu>
Posted: 17 Sep 2008


CONF.- Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS) Annual Conf., Wash., Sept. 18-21


The ninth annual conference of the Central Eurasian Studies Society  
(CESS) will be taking place this week, September 18-21, at Georgetown  
University in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Center for Eurasian,  
Russian, and East European Studies.

Attendees may register on-site to attend any of more than 50 panels  
on a wide variety of political, social, and cultural topics.  
Registered attendees are also invited to participate in other events  
such as a reception and a film festival.

The conference's keynote address by Rory Stewart, "Afghanistan:  
Rhetoric and Reality," will be at 5:00 on Friday, the 19th in Gaston  
Hall (Healy Building) and is free and open to the public.

For more information about registration and for a preliminary program, 
please visit the CESS website: http://www.cess.muohio.edu .  
Registration is open to all, while CESS members are entitled to 
reduced registration fees.


Central Eurasian Studies Society
Havighurst Center, Harrison Hall
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio 45056, U.S.A. 

Tel.: +1/513-529-0241   
Fax: +1/513-529-0242
Email: CESSmuohio.edu
http://www.cess.muohio.edu

Contact:
Dr. Daniel Prior, Executive Director, CESS Secretariat


CESS 2008 Annual Conference
Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies
Georgetown University
Box 571031, ICC 111
Washington, DC 20057-1031

Tel.: +1/202-687-6080
Fax: +1/202-687-5829
Email: CESSgeorgetown.edu
http://ceres.georgetown.edu/CESS2008/
 

CONF./CFP- Early Modern and Colonial Central Asia in Arabic-Script Documents, Halle/Saale, Germany, June 2009

Posted by: Paolo Sartori <paolo.sartoriorientphil.uni-halle.de>
Posted: 16 Sep 2008


CONF./CFP- Early Modern and Colonial Central Asia, Halle/Saale, June 2009


Call For Papers

Early Modern and Colonial Central Asia in Arabic-Script Documents 
(17th-Early 20th Centuries), Halle/Saale, Germany, June 2009

The Centre of Oriental Studies of the Martin-Luther University is 
organizing an international workshop on "Early modern and colonial 
Central Asia in Arabic-script documents (17th-early 20th centuries)", 
which is scheduled to take place in Halle/Saale, Germany, in June 2009. 
At present, we are looking for scholars who would be interested in 
participating.

The aim of this workshop is to bring together researchers in order to 
explore the social, economic, and legal history of Central Asia (here 
defined as the area including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, 
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), taking documents written in the Arabic, 
Persian and Turkic languages as the main point of reference.

We are especially, but not exclusively, interested in the following themes:

1) How were land-holding and property rights defined in pre-colonial 
   Central Asia? How did they change under Tsarist rule?

2) Which were the fiscal policies of the Central Asian principalities 
   (khanates and emirates)?

3) How the Central Asian principalities established and maintained their 
   hold over nomadic and tribal groups? Which state appointments were 
   bestowed upon members of nomadic and tribal groups?

4) What was the role of descent groups in pre-colonial Central Asian 
   communities? What was their relationship with the state and what did 
   their status imply in economic and legal terms? Did these features 
   change with the establishment of colonial power?


The workshop will be open to the public. The workshop language will be 
English and Russian.

Scholars who are interested in participating at our workshop are 
requested to send the title of their presentation, along with an 
abstract of up to 500 words, their CV and publication list to Paolo 
Sartori at paolo.sartoriorientphil.uni-halle.de.  Funding of 
participation is subject to the success of our application for a 
workshop grant. The deadline for the submission of proposals is 
October 20, 2008.


Dr. Paolo Sartori
Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter
Seminar für Arabistik und Islamwissenschaft
Orientalisches Institut der
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Mühlweg 15
06114 Halle (Saale)
Tel: ++ 49 (0) 345 / 552 40 82 
E-Mail:  paolo.sartoriorientphil.uni-halle.de
sart.paologmail.com
http://www.orientphil.uni-halle.de/sais/mitarbeiter.php?m=sartori
 

SEMINAR- Re-Thinking Politics in Central Asia, 2008, Bishkek, Oct. 30-Nov. 1

Posted by: Galina Bityukova <gbityukovabilim.kz>
Posted: 16 Sep 2008


SEMINAR- Re-Thinking Politics in Central Asia, 2008, Bishkek, Oct. 30-Nov. 1


CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
Central Asian Regional Seminar Re-Thinking Politics in Central Asia: 
Comparative Studies, October 30-November 1, 2008, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Corporate Educational Foundation "Bilim-Central Asia"

Central Asian Resource Center

With the Support of Higher Education Support Program and Special and 
Extension Projects Office of the Central European University

Invites scholars who are teaching political science and international 
relations as well as all interested persons and researchers to take part in:

Central Asian Regional Seminar Re-Thinking Politics in Central Asia: 
Comparative Studies

Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, American University in Central Asia

Time: October 30-November 1, 2008

Participants: 30 university level teaching scholars from Central Asian states

This workshop aims to examine political theories and their 
implications for the analysis of Central Asian politics in comparative 
perspectives and to explore the theoretical foundations of research in 
the field of regional politics, as well as the evolution of Central 
Asian politics at the global arena. 

Special attention will be given to such issues as social capital, 
contemporary bureaucracy, decision making process and identified 
national interests.

Social capital is a concept that refers to connections within and 
between social networks and is a key component to building and 
maintaining democracy. 

Concept of social capital is widely used in western political science 
(Robert Putnam, Pierre Bourdieu, James Coleman), and it might be 
useful to analyze the Central Asian societies through the prism of 
these concept. The application of this concept could clarify local 
communities and social networks in these societies. How individual 
benefits can derive from the web of social relations? What kind of 
relationship among local communities and bureaucracies has been 
established in recent years in Central Asia? Are these relations based 
on mutual trust?  Who are involved into decision making process? How 
bureaucracy identifies the national interests and formulates the 
politics? Are there public debates on identification of contemporary 
social problems and attempts to solve them trough common social efforts?   

These practical issues require re-examination of political theories 
and its application to Central Asian politics. Which theoretical 
approaches are more relevant and useful to our understanding of 
politics, how can we conceptualize the meaning of political reforms 
and developments in contemporary societies, and what theories are more 
appropriate for political science research in Central Asia?

This seminar is organized to provide the opportunity for the exchange 
and discussion of ideas relevant to these theoretical concerns and 
their methodological implications for democratization and policy 
studies. Special attention will be given to research techniques and 
teaching political theories at local universities.

Travel costs, board and lodging are covered for Central Asian participants. 

To apply, please send a CV and a letter of interest to the e-mail or 
postal address below.  All applications should arrive no later than 
October 1, 2008.

For inquiries, or application forms, please contact:

Galina Bityukova
Academic Leader in Political Science
Central Asian Resource Centre
Tulebaeva 31,  050004
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Tel/fax: +7-727 259 76 18
E-mail: gbityukovabilim.kz

Contact person: Galina Bityukova, tel.: 7 (727) 259 76 18 
 

SEMINAR- Goftego: National Music, National Identity, Sept. 17, Kabul

Posted by: Kabir Neshat <kabirneshatgmail.com>
Posted: 15 Sep 2008


SEMINAR- Goftego: National Music, National Identity, Sept. 17, Kabul


Invitation

Armanshahr Foundation/OPEN ASIA in collaboration with the French 
Cultural Center (CCF) is honoured to invite you to its 23rd (2nd year) 
monthly seminar.

Subject: National Music, National Identity

Speakers:
Mr. Qassem Rameshgar (Musicologist)
Mr. Islameedin Firooz (Director of the Music Department of the Faculty 
   of Arts, University of Kabul)
Mr. Seddiq Qiam (Musicologist)

Discussant: Ms. Azra Jaffari (Women's Rights Activist)

Day and date: Wednesday, 17 September 2008-09-13 
Time: 13:00
Place: French Cultural Center (Esteghlal High School), across from 
Kabul Townhall 

Contacts: 0775321697 or armanshahrfoundationgmail.com

Kindly Note:
 * that you should carry this invitation or a copy to be able to enter. 
 * NO cars are allowed inside the Center.
 

LECTURE- Visions of Islam in Central Asia, John Schoeberlein, Washington, DC, Sept. 22

Posted by: Ctr for Eurasian, Russian & E. European Stds. <ceresgeorgetown.edu>
Posted: 15 Sep 2008


LECTURE- Visions of Islam in Central Asia, J. Schoeberlein, Wash., DC, Sept. 22


Visions of Islamic Culture and the Transformation of Post-Soviet 
Central Asian Societies

with John Schoeberlein

Monday, September 22, 2008
12pm, McGhee Library

Lunch Provided.

Click Here to RSVP 
http://www12.georgetown.edu/sfs/rsvp/index.cfm?Action=View&EventID=1904

John Schoeberlein will speak on the social transformation that 
involves Islam - the competition over visions of society and the role 
Islam should play in that (and which kind of Islam) that is taking 
place on all levels of society.*

John Schoeberlein is Director of the Program on Central Asia and the 
Caucasus at Harvard University, which he was instrumental in founding 
in 1993. His research focuses on identity, ethnicity, gender, 
nationality, religion, and community organization among the Islamic 
peoples of Central Eurasia. He has conducted a total of over five 
years of anthropological field research in various parts of 
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. He received his Ph.D. in 
Social Anthropology from Harvard University. He has taught courses in 
the anthropology, history and politics of the region as Lecturer on 
Central Asian Studies at Harvard University since 1993. During 
1998-99, he headed the United Nations' Ferghana Valley Development 
Programme, working on participatory approaches to conflict resolution 
in the region. During 2000-2001, he was Director of the Central Asia 
Project of the International Crisis Group, working to diminish the 
possibilities of conflict in the region.

His current research topics include the rise of radical Islam in 
Central Asia, the impact of national state formation on identity in 
Central Asia, the factors affecting the potential for violent 
inter-communal conflict, and means of promoting community-level 
participation in economic reform.


Jennifer Long, PhD
Associate Director
Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies (CERES)
Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Georgetown University
Box 571031, ICC 111
Washington, DC 20057-1031
t. 202.687.1473
f. 202.687.5829
ceres.georgetown.edu
 

CONF./CFP- ASN 2009 World Convention, New York, April 23-25

Posted by: Dominique Arel <dareluottawa.ca>
Posted: 15 Sep 2008


CONF./CFP- ASN 2009 World Convention, New York, April 23-25


Call for Papers

Imagined Communities, Real Conflicts, and National Identities

14th Annual World Convention of the
Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN)

International Affairs Building,
Columbia University, NY
Sponsored by the Harriman Institute
23-25 April 2009
www.nationalities.org

***Proposal deadline: 5 November 2008***

Contact information:
proposals must be submitted to:
dareluottawa.ca and darelasn2009gmail.com

100+ PANELS on the Balkans, Central Europe and the Baltics, Russia, 
Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Central Asia and Eurasia, the Caucasus, 
Turkey, Afghanistan, China and surrounding territories

SPECIAL SECTIONS on
Theoretical Approaches to Nationalism and Empire
The Independence of Kosovo and Its Implications
The War in Georgia and Its Implications

THEMATIC Panels on
Islam and Politics, Genocide and Ethnic Violence, Anthropology of 
Identity, Citizenship and Nationality, Religion, Language Politics, 
Conflict Resolution, Autonomy, Gender, EU Integration, NATO Expansion, 
Diaspora Politics, International Law, and many more

AWARDS for Best Doctoral Student Papers

SCREENING of Recent Films and Documentaries

The ASN Convention, the most attended international and 
inter-disciplinary scholarly gathering of its kind, welcomes proposals 
on a wide range of topics related to national identity, nationalism, 
ethnic conflict, state-building and the study of empires in 
Central/Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans, Eurasia, 
and adjacent areas. Disciplines represented include political science, 
history, anthropology, sociology, international studies, security 
studies, economics, geography and geopolitics, sociolinguistics, 
psychology, and related fields.

The Convention also features a section devoted to theoretical 
approaches to nationalism, from any of the disciplines listed above. 
The papers in this section need not be grounded in an area of the 
former Communist bloc usually covered by ASN, provided that the issues 
examined are relevant to a truly comparative understanding of 
nationalism-related issues. In this vein, we are welcoming 
theory-focused and comparative proposals, rather than specific case 
studies from outside Central/Eastern Europe and Eurasia. A dozen 
panels are normally featured in the Nationalism section.

In the wake of the dramatic events that have unfolded in late summer 
2008, the Convention will also present a special section on The War in 
Georgia and its Implications. The Convention is inviting paper, panel, 
roundtable, or special presentation proposals on various aspects of 
the conflict, as it relates to Georgia, the South Caucasus, the North 
Caucasus, Ukraine, the frozen conflicts, Russian nationalism, 
Russophone minorities in the near abroad, domestic politics, the Fate 
of the Coloured Revolutions, NATO enlargement, US-Europe-Russia 
relations, the European Union and related topics. A special section 
will also be devoted to The Independence of Kosovo and its 
Implications, with emphasis on Balkans post-war reconstruction, 
international law, self-determination, ethnic conflicts, minority 
rights, regional security and so forth.

Since 2005, the ASN Convention has acknowledged excellence in graduate 
studies research by offering Awards for Best Doctoral Student Papers 
in five sections: Russia/Ukraine/Caucasus, Central Asia/Eurasia, 
Central Europe, Balkans, and Nationalism Studies. The winners at the 
2008 Convention were Jesse Driscoll (Stanford U, Political Science) 
for Russia/Ukraine/Caucasus, Sarah Cameron (History, Yale U) and 
Kristin Fabbe (Political Science, MIT, US) for Central 
Asia/Eurasia/Turkey, Helena Toth (Harvard U, History) for Central 
Europe, Valentina Burrai (UC London, UK, Political Science) for the 
Balkans, and Lee Seymour (Northwestern U, Political Science) for 
Nationalism Studies. Doctoral student applicants whose proposals are 
accepted for the 2009 Convention, who have not defended their 
dissertation by 1 November 2008, and whose papers are delivered by the 
deadline, will automatically be considered for the awards.

The 2009 Convention is also inviting submissions for documentaries or 
feature films made within the past few years and available in DVD 
format (either NTSC or PAL). Most films selected for the convention 
will be screened during regular panel slots and will be followed by a 
discussion moderated by an academic expert. Films on the 2008 Program 
included Milosevic On Trial (Denmark, 2007), Nanking (US, 2007), 
Around Mostar, the Bridge and Bruce Lee (Italy, 2007), Yippee (US, 
2007) and The More You Speak, The More You Cry (Greece, 2007).

The 2009 Convention invites proposals for INDIVIDUAL PAPERS or PANELS. 
A panel includes a chair, three presentations based on written papers, 
and a discussant. Proposals using an innovative format are encouraged. 
Examples of new formats include a roundtable on a new book, in which 
the author is being engaged by three discussants (twelve book panels 
were featured in the 2008 Convention); a debate between two panelists 
over a critical research or policy question, following rules of public 
debating; or special presentations based on original papers where the 
number of discussants is equal to or greater than the number of presenters.

The 2008 Convention is also welcoming offers to serve as DISCUSSANT on 
a panel to be created by the program committee from individual paper 
proposals. The application to be considered as discussant can be 
self-standing, or accompanied by an individual paper proposal.

There is NO APPLICATION FORM to fill out in order to send proposals to 
the convention, BUT A FACT SHEET IS REQUIRED; TO BE DOWNLOADED AT 
www.nationalities.org. All proposals and fact sheets must be sent by 
email to Dominique Arel at both dareluottawa.ca and darelasn2009gmail.com.

INDIVIDUAL PAPER PROPOSALS must include the name, email and 
affiliation of the author, a postal address for paper mail, the title 
of the paper, a 500-word abstract and a 100-word biographical 
statement that includes full references of your last or forthcoming 
publication, if applicable. Long CVs will be rejected, as the bio 
statement must be sent in narrative form, like a long paragraph. 
Graduate students must indicate the title of their dissertation and 
year of projected defense. They can also submit bibliographic 
information of a recent or forthcoming publication.

PANEL PROPOSALS must include the title of the panel, a chair, three 
paper-givers with the title of their papers, and a discussant; the 
name, affiliation, email, postal address and 100-word biographical 
statements of each participant and include full references of their 
last or forthcoming publication, if applicable. Graduate students must 
indicate the title of their dissertation, the year they join a 
doctoral program and year of projected defense. A 500-word abstract of 
each paper is not required for panel proposals.

PROPOSALS FOR FILMS OR VIDEOS must include the name, email and 
affiliation of the author, a postal address for hard (paper mail), the 
title of the film, name of director, country and year of production, a 
500-word abstract of the theme of the film and a 100-word biographical 
statement.

PROPOSALS USING AN INNOVATIVE FORMAT must include the title of the 
panel, the names, emails, affiliations, postal addresses, 100-word 
biographical statements of each participant (same specifications as 
above) and a discussion on the proposed format.

INDIVIDUAL PROPOSALS TO SERVE AS DISCUSSANT must include the name, 
email, affiliation, postal address, a paragraph about the areas of 
expertise of the proposed discussant, and a 100-word biographical 
statement (same specifications as above).

All proposals must be included IN THE BODY OF A SINGLE EMAIL, except 
for the FACT SHEET that must be attached. Attachments other than the 
Fact Sheet will be accepted only if they repeat the content of the 
email message/proposal, and if all the information is contained IN A 
SINGLE ATTACHMENT. The reception of all proposals will be acknowledged 
electronically (with some delay during deadline week, due to the high 
volume of proposals).

Participants are responsible for covering all travel and accommodation 
costs. Unfortunately, ASN has no funding available for panelists.

An international Program Committee will be entrusted with the 
selection of proposals. Applicants will be notified in December 2008 
or January 2009. Information regarding registration costs and other 
logistical questions will be communicated afterwards.

The full list of panels from last years convention can be accessed at 
http://www.nationalities.org/convention/pdfs/ASN_2008_final_program.pdf

The film lineup of last years convention can be accessed at 
http://www.nationalities.org/convention/films.asp

The programs from past conventions, going back to 2001, are also 
online at http://www.nationalities.org/convention/past.asp

Several dozen publishers and companies have had exhibits and/or 
advertised in the Convention Program in past years. Due to 
considerations of space, advertisers and exhibitors are encouraged to 
place their order early. For information, please contact Convention 
Executive Director Gordon N. Bardos (gnb12columbia.edu).

We look forward to receiving your proposal!

The Convention organizing committee:
Dominique Arel, ASN President
Gordon N. Bardos, Executive Director
David Crowe, ASN Chair of Advisory Board
Sherrill Stroschein, Program Chair

Deadline for proposals: 5 November 2008 (to be sent to both 
dareluottawa.ca AND darelasn2009gmail.com)

The ASN conventions headquarters are located at the:

Harriman Institute
Columbia University
1216 IAB
420 W. 118th St.
New York, NY 10027
212 854 8487 tel
212 666 3481 fax
gnb12columbia.edu
 

CONF./CFP- Post-Soviet State and Nation Building in the Caucasus Region, Yerevan, April 17–19, 2009

Posted by: Alexander Markarov <amarkarovysu.am>
Posted: 15 Sep 2008


CONF./CFP- Post-Soviet State/Nation Building in Caucasus, Yerevan, April 17&#8211;19


Call for Papers

Post-Soviet State and Nation Building in the Caucasus Region: 
Challenges and Perspectives

April 17-19, 2009
Yerevan, Armenia

At the age of the centuries the world had witnessed the raise of newly 
independent states in the postsoviet region, that paralleled with
various local conflicts, struggling for democracy, economic decline, 
formation of new system of relations between states based on various
geopolitical orientations, appearing of new geopolitical actors, and 
seeking of new identities. 

Countries of South Caucasus also passed through all the above 
mentioned processes. Still there are peculiarities which are typical 
only for South Caucasian countries:

1. Increase of national identity and as a result the conflicts in 
   which all nations are involved, and conflicts are not yet resolved 
2. The presence in the region of various old and new international and 
   regional actors and their divergent geopolitical interests. 
3. Various economic programs of regional significance (mainly in 
   energetic and transport fields).
4. Challenges and struggling within democracy-building process, color 
   revolutions, and development of soft authoritarian systems. 

This transitional process has brought to the fore questions of 
constitution building, the formation of new political institutions, the
creation of market economies, and in some cases the need for the 
resolution of ethno-national conflicts. This conference seeks to provide
analysis of institution formation and development in the post-Soviet 
countries from a comparative and historical perspective, combining 
both case studies and broad comparative analysis. 

These questions are important from political point of view that is why 
they need serious political analysis. 

The workshop seeks to answer the following issues and questions: 

 - How would the processed develop in the coming years of the 21st century? 
 - Will those problems be solved, or will they be deepened? 
 - What new developments can occur?

In addition the following points are of great importance:
1. Conflict resolution and regional stability.
2. Choice of security systems and possible geopolitical results.
3. Possible regime trajectories and possibilities for democratic 
   development in the wider region
4. Prospects of European integration, opening of the borders, 
   economic, political and cultural integration.
5. The role of European Union, Russia and the USA in the formation of 
   stability in the region.  
 
Please submit the abstracts (no more than 500 words) and brief CV by 1 
December 2009 via email to: amarkarovysu.am, addressed to: 

Dr. Alexander Markarov, Associate Professor of Political Science, 
Head, YSU International Cooperation Office and 
Prof. John Davis, University of Connecticut, Director of Center for 
European Studies, tel 860 486 5888, fax 860 486 2963, email
John.DavisUconn.edu

Selected participants to be informed by 15 January 2009.

The full text of papers will be due by 5 April 2009. 
Papers to be between 4,000 and 8,000 words submitted as Word files. 
Please, append them with your brief scholarly biography of 150 words
with your institutional affiliation, and email or regular address.

Contributions in English, Armenian, and Russian are welcome. 

Participation of junior scholars from the region is particularly encouraged. 

It is expected that the conference papers will be published as an 
edited volume. The possible publication date of the volume: Summer 2009.

We will appreciate circulating this call for papers among your colleagues.

For additional information please contact

Dr. Alexander Markarov, 
E-mail: amarkarovysu.am; phone: (+374-10) 550-612; 
fax (+374-10) 55-46-41, or 

Prof. John Davis, 
University of Connecticut, Director of Center for European Studies, 
tel 860 486 5888, fax 860 486 2963, email: John.DavisUconn.edu


Alexander Markarov
Candidate of Philosophical Sciences
Deputy Vice Rector and 
Head, International Cooperation Office
Associate Professor of Political Science

Yerevan State University
1 Alex Manoogian Street
0025 Yerevan, Armenia
Phone: (+374-10) 55-06-12
Fax: (+374-10) 55-46-41
E-mail: amarkarovysu.am
 

CONF.- Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies on the Caucasus and Central Asia, Bonn, Oct. 16-18

Posted by: Michael Kemper <m.kemperuva.nl>
Posted: 12 Sep 2008


CONF.- Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies on Caucasus & C. Asia, Bonn, Oct. 16-18


CONF.- Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies on the Caucasus and Central 
Asia, Bonn, Oct. 16-18, 2008, and publication

Conference: Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies on the Caucasus and Central 
Asia: Between Scholarship and Politics.
Bonn, October 16-18, 2008.
Venue: Hotel Hilton, Room "Paris", Berliner Freiheit 2, D-53111 Bonn, Germany.

The conference investigates the emergence and development of Soviet 
Oriental Studies, with special reference to scholarship on Islam in 
the Caucasus and Soviet Central Asia. Sections are devoted to the 
institutionalization of Oriental scholarship in Moscow, Leningrad and 
the Soviet republics, to the political pressures on individual 
Orientalists as well as their involvement in policy-making and 
anti-Islamic propaganda, and also to the heritage of Soviet 
scholarship in contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus. Our overall 
goal is to assess in how far one can speak of a specific "Soviet Orientalism".


Programme:

16 Oct., 09.00-18.15:

Stephan Conermann (Bonn), Introduction.

Vera Tolz (Manchester), The Critique of West European Oriental Studies 
   by Russian Scholars in the 1920s.

Armina Omerika (Erfurt), Competing Orientalisms: Sarajevo and Belgrade.

Bert Fragner (Vienna), Iranian Studies as a Case.

Oliver Reisner (Tbilisi), Georgian Caucasology in the 1920s and 1930s.

Irina Babich (Moscow), The Development of Soviet Studies on the North Caucasus.

Aleksei Asvaturov (St. Petersburg), Nikolai Marr and the Oriental 
   Section of the Publichnaia Biblioteka.

Zifa Auezova (Leiden), The Academic Infrastructure in Soviet 
   Kazakhstan, 1920s - 1940s.

Till Mostowlansky (Bern), The Development of Kyrgyz Oriental Studies.

Michael Rouland (Oxford, Ohio), Musical Orientalism in Kazakh Soviet Operas.


17 Oct., 9.00-16.30:

Mikhail Rodionov (St. Petersburg), Profiles under Pressure: 
   Orientalists in 20th Century St. Petersburg.

Michael Kemper (Amsterdam), Liutsian Klimovich, the Ideological 
   Watchdog of Soviet Oriental Studies.

Vladimir Bobrovnikov (Moscow), 'Missionary Islamology' against 
   Religious Survivals in the Soviet East: From the Union of Militant 
   Atheists to the Knowledge Society.

Yaroslav Vassilkov (St. Petersburg), Repression of Oriental Studies.

Bahodir Sidikov (Bonn), Krachkovskii's Translation of the Qur'an and 
   Its Consequences for Soviet Arabic and Islamic Studies.

Vladimir Boyko (Barnaul), Soviet Afghan Studies.

17 Oct., 19.30:

Cloé Drieu (Paris), Soviet Cinematographic "Orientalism": 
   Representations of Islam in Uzbek Film.

18 Oct., 9.00- ca. 13.15:

Mikhail Roshchin (Moscow), Soviet Arabic Studies, 1960s through 1980s.

Ruben Safrastyan (Yerevan), Armenian Orientalists in Politics.

Altay Göyüshev (Baku), Azeri Soviet Orientalists after the Collapse of 
   the USSR: "Contributions" to the Islamic Revival.

Amieke Bouma (Halle), Orientalism and the Ruhnama.

Stéphane Dudoignon (Paris), Oriental Studies in Late Soviet and 
   Post-Soviet Tajikistan.

The conference is organised jointly by the Institute of Oriental and 
Asian Studies of Bonn University (Prof. Dr. Stephan Conermann) and the 
Department of European Studies of the University of Amsterdam (Prof. 
Dr. Michael Kemper). We are most grateful to Volkswagen Foundation for 
their generous support of the event. 

Visitors are most welcome, and are kindly asked to get in touch with 
us (Caspar Hillebrand, e-mail:  
conference.oriental.studiesuni-bonn.de). There will be much room for 
discussion in the panels.

The ensuing conference volume is also open to contributions from 
non-participants; for proposals please contact Michael Kemper 
(M.Kemperuva.nl; tel. 0031-20-525-4370).
 

LECTURE- Scenarios for Central Asia, 2008-2020, Bakyt Beshimov, SRC, AUCA

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 12 Sep 2008


LECTURE- Scenarios for Central Asia, 2008-2020, Bakyt Beshimov, SRC, AUCA


The Social Research Center (SRC) at American University of Central 
Asia (www.src.auca.kg) presents

LECTURE: "Scenarios for Central Asia, 2008-2020: An Analysis of Growth 
Conditions"

Speaker:
Professor Bakyt Beshimov
Deputy of the Kyrgyz Parliament (Jogorku Kenesh)

Time: 5 p.m., Sept. 17, 2008
Venue: Room 315, AUCA (Main building)
Language: Russian (Interpretation into English will be provided ONLY 
if requested in advance)

Synopsis: After gaining independence, the young states of Central Asia 
started political and socio-economic reforms with different levels of 
enthusiasm. Since then, each has been trying to find its own way, the 
path that is most appropriate to its socio-cultural and economic 
features and also takes into account the realities of the contemporary 
world. As a result, some states of the region are considered to have 
been successful in conducting reforms - particularly economic ones - 
while others have not been as successful. One of the main factors 
determining this divergence in development levels is political 
leadership. During his lecture, Professor Beshimov will share his 
ideas and thoughts on possible scenarios for Central Asia's 
development over the next 10 years.

Bio: Professor Bakyt Beshimov holds a Candidate of Historical Science 
degree from the History Department of Kyrgyz National University. He 
is a former Rector of Osh University, and former Ambassador of the 
Kyrgyz Republic to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
>From 2005 until 2008, he was Vice President for Academic Affairs of 
the American University of Central Asia. In December 2007, he was 
elected as a Deputy of the Kyrgyz Parliament (Jogorku Kenesh).

How to register: Please send RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg with your name 
and affiliation.
 

CONF./CFP- Society for Armenian Studies, UCLA, March 27-28, 2009

Posted by: Hovann Simonian <hovannsaol.com>
Posted: 12 Sep 2008


CONF./CFP- Society for Armenian Studies, UCLA, March 27-28, 2009


Call For Papers

Armenian Studies at a Threshold: Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of 
the Society for Armenian Studies

An international conference organized by the Society for Armenian 
Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, March 27-28, 2009
To mark the 35th anniversary of the Society for Armenian Studies 
(SAS), the executive committee of the Society is organizing a special 
academic conference titled "Armenian Studies at a Threshold: 
Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Society for Armenian Studies."

This multidisciplinary gathering will give the opportunity to SAS 
members as well as other scholars from around the world to present 
their latest research in the field of Armenian studies, along with 
research from other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences 
in which the case studies are related to themes affecting Armenia or 
Armenians. The organizers hope that this conference will help break 
new ground in Armenian studies in general and in some of its 
sub-disciplines such as history, linguistics, literature, political 
science, anthropology, sociology, economics, musicology, and so on.

Scholars who wish to present papers at the conference are requested to 
submit a one-page proposal by December 1, 2008. The proposal should 
include the title of the paper, a 300-word abstract, a brief 
biography/institutional affiliation of the author(s), and contact details.

The committee invites proposals for panels organized around a 
particular theme and for roundtable discussion sessions concentrating 
on problems of theory and methodology in Armenian studies. Panels 
should include three or four papers, and roundtable discussion 
sessions should not exceed six participants. Abstracts of 500 words 
for panels and roundtables should be submitted by December 1.

All proposals will be peer reviewed by an ad hoc committee of the SAS. 
In case more proposals are received than the conference can 
accommodate, priority will be given to SAS members who have recently 
joined the organization, to young, forthcoming scholars, and to those 
whose papers explore previously uncharted topics and/or breaking new 
theoretical or methodological grounds in the field.

The deadline for drafts of accepted papers is March 1, 2009. The 
organizers will circulate electronic versions of these drafts to other 
participants before the opening of the conference. The maximum time 
limit for the oral presentations is 20 minutes.

The Society for Armenian Studies has only limited funds to assist some 
participants with travel and accommodation expenses. Hence, the 
committee urges all presenters to apply for institutional or 
organizational support. Those who have no means to obtain outside 
assistance should submit to the conference organizers a request for 
travel and accommodation assistance along with their proposal.

Proposals should be submitted by December 1, 2008, to the SAS Secretariat:

barlowdcsufresno.edu

Society for Armenian Studies
Armenian Studies Program
California State University. Fresno
5245 N. Backer Avenue, PB 4
Fresno, California 93740-800
 

LECTURE- "Social Capital" or "Are NGOs the Place for Collective Action?" Sept. 10

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 9 Sep 2008


LECTURE- "Social Capital" or "Are NGOs the Place for Collective Action?" 9/10


The Social Research Center (SRC) at American University of Central Asia
(www.src.auca.kg)
presents LECTURE: "Social Capital" or "Are NGOs the Place for Collective
Action?"

Speaker:
Mr. Medet Tiulegenov, Assistant Professor, American University of Central Asia

Time: 5 p.m., Sept. 10, 2008
Venue: Room 315, AUCA (Main Building)
Language: Russian (Interpretation into English will be provided only if
requested in advance)

Synopsis: The number of organizations in the NGO sector in Kyrgyzstan has
grown significantly, reaching more than 8,000 by 2006. This increase has
been accompanied by better quality, which has been achieved through more
focused work and additional, improved capacity. However, the social side of
NGOs is experiencing problems because of the inadequate quality of
relationships among NGOs and between the NGO sector and other social
sectors. The social capital of Kyrgyzstan's NGO has not yet developed
sufficiently for them to become venues for collective action, which is
viewed as the main function of civil society.

Bio: Medet Tiulegenov graduated from Kyrgyz National University's Department
of History.  He holds Master of Public Administration degree from Bowling
Green State University, USA. Until recently he served as Executive Director
of the Soros Foundation Kyrgyzstan. Before joining the Soros Foundation he
was a research assistant at the National Academy of Science and Kyrgyz
National University. At present Mr. Tiulegenov is an assistant professor in
the International and Comparative Politics Department of the American
University of Central Asia. His research and teaching interests include
social fairness, social capital, civil society development, public policy,
and state government.

How to register: Please send RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg with your name and
affiliation.
 

CONF./CFP- The Oriental City, Jagellonian University, Krakow, May 20-22, 2009

Posted by: Oriental City Conference Committee <orientalcitywp.pl>
Posted: 9 Sep 2008


CONF./CFP- The Oriental City, Jagellonian University, Krakow, May 20-22, 2009


PLEASE NOTE: The Deadline for Proposals and been extended to Oct. 31, 2008.

International Conference

The Contemporary Oriental City from a Linguistic, Literary and 
Cultural Perspective

Held by

The Department of Interdisciplinary Eurasiatic Research
of the Institute of  Oriental Philology
Jagiellonian University

Venue
Krakow, Poland

Dates
20-22 May 2009

Call For Papers

Introduction

The Oriental city is one of the crucial phenomena of the contemporary 
world, which, as observations demonstrate incorporates an increasing 
part of the local population. In the age of globalization the Oriental 
city has ad opted plenty of characteristics of the Western city, 
however, they still differ from each other fundamentally. The proposed 
overarching theme of the conference is to serve for broad discussion 
within the scope of existing knowledge on the varied aspects of the 
Oriental city as well as searching for theoretical research 
instruments to serve its description. The idea and debates on the 
subject of this conference have emerged during the activity of the 
Department in conjunction with the ESCAS 9th Conference held in 2005. 
The Organizers invite you to submit relevant panels and papers. We 
propose a wide range of topics, including:

The linguistic dimension of the Oriental city:
 - Oriental city - the stage for language encounters 
 - The role of the Oriental city in the forming of codes of communication
 - Urban dialects and jargons

Genres of depiction of the Oriental city:
 - Literary images of the Oriental city
 - Theoretical descriptions of the Oriental city
 - Guidebooks and maps

The Oriental city from the perspective of ethnology and cultural anthropology:
 - Multiculturalism of the Oriental city
 - Urban folklore
 - Everyday life in the Oriental city

The Oriental city and spirituality:
 - Religious and psychological dimensions of the Oriental city
 - Mythical space
 - Philosophical aspects
 - Magic and its contraries in the Oriental city

The physical space of the Oriental city:
 - The Oriental city as an urban archipelago
 - Architecture and arrangement of urban space
 - Personal and common space
 - Areas of wealth and poverty

The Oriental city from a diachronic perspective:
 - The history of the Oriental city
 - Tradition and modernity

The Oriental city from a socio-political perspective:
 - The Oriental city at the time of war
 - The role of the Oriental city in the political life of a country
 - Sociological processes

The Oriental city in a comparative frame:
 - Faces of the Oriental city in different cultural circles
 - Oriental and Western cities in respect of town-planning
 - Oriental and Western gardens

Coexistence of the Oriental and Western elements:
 - The Oriental city inside a Western city
 - The Western city inside an Oriental city
 - Historical connections

Programme Supervisory Board

Prof. dr hab. Jadwiga Pstrusinska (Institute of Oriental Philology, 
   Jagiellonian University, Kraków)
Prof. UJ, dr hab. Elzbieta Górska (Institute of Oriental Philology, 
   Jagiellonian University, Kraków)
Prof. UJ, dr hab. Ewa Siemieniec-Golas (Institute of Oriental 
   Philology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków)
Prof. dr hab. Jolanta Sierakowska-Dyndo (Institute of Oriental 
   Studies, Warsaw University)
Prof. UR, dr hab. Marek Olbrycht (Departament of Ancient History, 
   University of Rzeszów)
Dr hab.Lidia Sudyka (Institute of Oriental Philology, Jagiellonian 
   University, Kraków)
Dr hab. Danuta Penkala-Gawecka (Institute of Ethnology and Cultural 
   Anthropology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan)
Dr hab. Zygmunt Pucko (Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian 
   University, Kraków)
Dr inz. Magdalena Swaryczewska (Department of Landscape Architecture 
   and Agroturism Olsztyn University)
Dr Cezary Galewicz (Institute of Oriental Philology, Jagiellonian 
   University, Kraków)
Dr Tomasz Gacek (Institute of Oriental Philology, Jagiellonian 
   University, Kraków)

Organizing Committee

Department of Interdisciplinary Eurasiatic Research:
Dr Karolina Rakowiecka-Asgari - Secretary of the Conference
Katarzyna Tulak
Dr Tomasz Gacek
Dr Marcin Rzepka

Venue: the historical buildings of the Jagiellonian University, one of 
Europe's oldest universities.

Language: English

Submission of proposals

An abstract of max. 300 words should be delivered to the Organizers 
together with a Paper Submission Form (obtain from: 
orientalcitywp.pl) and a brief CV by 31 October 2008. The information 
about the audio-visual equipment you need is also required. The 
abstract should be submitted in doc, rtf or txt format and it should 
include the following information: 
 - The topic of the paper
 - Methodological approach
 - Most important arguments and findings

Presentation of a paper during the Conference should not exceed 20 min.

Descriptions of pre-organized panels are also welcome and should include:
 - A title
 - A programme
 - Details of the panel participants

Notification of acceptance: 15 November 2008

Pre-registration:  1 December 2008

Conference Fee

Early fee (paid at pre-registration) is set for Euro 50.00, for 
students Euro 25.00 payable to the designated bank account.

A cash payment is also possible with a fee of Euro 100.00 and 50.00 
for students.

Support and covering costs of participation

Some reductions in the conference fee for participants from Central 
Asia, Caucasus, Afghanistan and post-Soviet countries is possible as 
well as the covering of their accommodation costs at the Student 
Hostel. Participants from other regions are strongly encouraged to 
seek the funding from their own institutions or grant-giving organizations.

Publication

The Organizers intend to publish the conference proceedings.
 

CONF./CFP- The End of Transition? University of Aarhus, Jan. 16-17, 2009

Posted by: Maria Louw <etnolouwhum.au.dk>
Posted: 9 Sep 2008


CONF./CFP- The End of Transition? University of Aarhus, Jan. 16-17, 2009


International Conference
January 2009, University of Aarhus

The End of Transition?
Analytical and Local Understandings of 'Transition' in Post-Socialist Space

In the early nineties, the concept of 'transition' became a much used 
framework for describing the phase the former socialist countries had 
entered: a phase that was supposedly leading the countries from 
socialism, plan economy and dictatorship to democracy, market economy 
and globalization. Over the years, scholars working in the region 
began to criticise the concept, its neo-evolutionist connotations and 
lack of analytical value when it came to actual processes of change 
taking place in the post socialist countries. However, although being 
abandoned little by little by within academia, the concept is still 
widely used locally, both in political rhetoric and on an everyday 
level, among 'ordinary citizens'. This conference aims to examine the 
social lives of the transition concept. We pose the question of 
whether we should continue to use the term when analysing the social, 
political and economical processes in the post-socialist world. If so, 
how should it be defined or measured? How does the analytical concept 
'transition' as used in the social sciences differ from the way it is 
used by local actors across the post socialist world? In short, we 
call for papers that investigate the concept of 'transition' and its 
social life in academia, among political advisors, as well among the 
people who are presumably undergoing 'transition'.

The conference will take place at the University of Aarhus in Denmark 
on January 16-17, 2009. Following the conference, the accepted papers 
will be considered for a publication on the theme.

Keynote speakers:

Valeri Bunce, Cornell University
Caroline Humphrey, Cambridge University
Steven Sampson, Lund University

Send your abstract to etnmdfhum.au.dk
Deadline for abstracts: Oct. 1, 2008

Organizers:
Maria Louw, Department of Anthropology and Ethnography, Aarhus University
Nina Dadalauri, Institute of Political Science, Aarhus University
Martin Demant Frederiksen, Department of Anthropology and Ethnography, 
Aarhus University

For more information please contact etnmdfhum.au.dk
 

CONF.- REMINDER: Caucasus Studies: Migration Society Language, Malmoe, 28-30 Nov.

Posted by: Karina Vamling <karina.vamlingmah.se>
Posted: 9 Sep 2008


CONF.- REMINDER: Caucasus Studies: Migration Society Language, Malmö, 28-30 Nov


REMINDER

CONFERENCE- Caucasus Studies in the Fields of Migration, Society, Language,
28-30 November 2008

The conference brings together researchers in Caucasus studies for a 
discussion of current developments in the region. How are these 
dynamics to be understood and explained from political, 
anthropological, historical, linguistic and cultural perspectives? We 
welcome multidisciplinary papers and also encourage presentation of 
research in progress.

Papers will be organized into thematic panels, such as:

 - Armed conflicts and migration
 - Migration and maintenance of cultural identities
 - Language policy and migration
 - Languages in contact
 - Transitional identities
 - Caucasian diasporas
 - Intrastate conflicts and conflict resolution
 - Caucasus in regional and global politics

Abstracts:
Deadline for abstracts: September 15. Send the title of your 
paper/presentation, abstract (maximum 500 words), affiliation and 
contact details to caucasus.studiesmah.se. Abstracts should be 
written in English, but presentations may be given in English or Russian.
Researchers from countries requiring a visa for Sweden are encouraged 
to contact us at an earlier date. Notification by October 1.

The program also includes possibilities for poster presentations.

Conference fees:
Faculty members 50 euros; from CIS countries 25 euros; Students and 
PhD candidates 20 euros. The conference is organized by Caucasus 
Studies at Malmö University, Sweden, in cooperation with the Center 
for Caucasus Studies at Øresund University. The conference is 
supported by Sida (Swedish International Development Agency).

Venue:
The Department of International Migration and Ethnic Relations (IMER),
Malmoe University, Sweden (30 min. from Copenhagen airport).

Conference accommodation:
Hotel Astoria, Malmoe
http://www.hotelastoria.nu/

Conference homepage:
http://www.mah.se/imer/caucasusconference

Karina Vamling, Assoc. Prof.
Märta-Lisa Magnusson, Assoc. Prof.


Contact details:
Email: caucasus.studiesmah.se
Fax: +46 40 665 7330
Skype: CaucasusStudies
Address: Department of International Migration and Ethnic Relations 
(IMER), Malmoe University, Citadellsvaegen 7, S-20506 Malmoe, Sweden
 

CONF.- 11th General Conf. of the International Association of Armenian Studies, Paris, Sept. 9-12

Posted by: Tork Dalalyan <torqdalyahoo.com>
Posted: 9 Sep 2008


CONF.- International Association of Armenian Studies, Paris, Sept. 9-12


11e Conférence Générale de l'Association Internationale des Etudes Arméniennes
Paris 9-12 septembre 2008
Sorbonne, 46 rue Saint Jacques - Collège de France, Place 
Marcellin-Berthelot - Paris 5ème

Organisée par :
L'Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO)

En collaboration avec :
l'UMR 7192 CNRS-Collège de France Proche-Orient, Caucase, Iran, 
Diversités et continuités
Société des Etudes Arméniennes (Paris)

Conseil scientifique:
V. Calzolari, T. M. Van Lint, J. Dum-Tragut, B. Coulie, R. H. 
Kevorkian, G. Traina, B. L. Zekiyan, A. Ferrari

Comité d'Organisation:
Coordination : Anaïd Donabédian-Demopoulos

Comité d'organisation : Astrig Atamian, Krikor Beledian, Patricia 
Boisson-Chenorhokian, Martine Hovanessian, Mélanie Kélédjian, Charles 
de Lamberterie, Anna Leyloian, Claire Mouradian, Mikaël Nichanian, 
Agnès Ouzounian, Vartouchka Samuelian

Mardi 9 septembre 2008 : Accueil des participants et cocktail de bienvenue
Salons de l'Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales 
2 rue de Lille, 75007 Paris - Métro Saint Germain des Prés
de 16h à 20h : permanence du secretariat du colloque - à partir de 
17h30, cocktail offert par le Président de l'INALCO

Mercredi 10, jeudi 11 et vendredi 12 septembre 2008 : Séances / 
Sessions of the Conference

Jeudi 11 septembre au soir : Banquet de la Conférence
 

WORKSHOPS- Curriculum Resource Center (CRC), Central European University, Budapest

Posted by: Aniko Kellner <kellneraceu.hu>
Posted: 9 Sep 2008


WORKSHOPS- Curriculum Resource Center (CRC), Central European Univ., Budapest


In the Fall 2008 semester CRC (Central European University, Budapest) 
is offering the following workshops, sessions in the field of History, 
Medieval Studies, Anthropology, Philosophy, IRES, Media Studies, Urban 
History, Legal Studies Public Administration:


1. Open House Sessions in broad discipline areas

The Open House sessions are organized in broad discipline areas 
covered by one or more CEU departments. These sessions are intended to 
introduce participants to CEU's approach to a relevant discipline and 
new techniques for designing courses in that field. To this end the 
sessions will provide participants access to the facilities and 
resources of the CEU and the appropriate department, as well as 
general training workshops on course design and teaching methodology. 
Participants are invited to use the CEU library, visit relevant 
classes and meet faculty. The primary target groups of the Open House 
sessions are junior academics who are at the beginning of their 
teaching career, or mid-career and senior academics who would benefit 
from the above offerings.

History: November 17-21, 2008 (deadline for applications: Oct. 7, 2008)

Medieval Studies: November 1 -21, 2008 (deadline for applications: 
Oct. 7, 2008)

Anthropology: November 24-28, 2008 (deadline for applications: Oct. 15, 2008)

Philosophy: November 24-28, 2008 (deadline for applications: Oct., 2008)

IRES: December 1-5, 2008 (deadline for applications: Oct. 20, 2008)


2. Course Innovation Sessions

These sessions intend to explore the cutting edge developments in a 
particular discipline. The sessions are meant primarily for senior 
faculty with significant teaching and research experience or for 
outstanding, research-oriented junior faculty. By discussing recent 
developments and exploring contemporary debates with CEU's host 
departments and faculty, participants are expected to revise or update 
their courses or offer new courses in their particular area of 
interest. Additional training on course development is also offered by 
the CRC. These sessions are organized with a strong involvement of CEU 
departments and often will be combined with a workshop or a conference 
on the topic of the session.

In Fall 2008 we offer the following Course Innovation Sessions:


Department of Public Policy, Political Sciences and the Center for 
Media and Communications Studies (CMCS)

Audiovisual Mass Media: Between Politics and Regulation

October, 13-17, 2008
(deadline for applications: 1st September, 2008)

This CRC workshop is co-hosted with the Center for Media and 
Communications Studies (CMCS) and incorporates courses offered by the 
Department of Political Science and the Department of Public Policy. 
The selected topic is located at the delicate interface of politics 
and public policy of the media sector comparing the policy objectives, 
instruments and outcomes with a focus on Central and Eastern European 
countries. The interdisciplinary approach allows participants to 
reflect on the likely interactions of political aims and regulatory 
means. The workshop will then discuss the role of stakeholders in 
shaping media policy, look at the agendas of a variety of social, 
political and economic forces, and put a particular spotlight on 
debates around media pluralism.

The workshop is recommended to faculty with a teaching interest in the 
audiovisual sector in the context of political communications and 
media policy looking at audiovisual mass media from a comparative and 
interdisciplinary perspective


History

Urban History in a Global World - New Trends of Historical Scholarship

October 27-31, 2008 
(deadline for applications: September 15, 2008)

Parallel to the present-day internationalization, the paradigmatic 
sense both of the process of urbanization and modernity (or post 
modernity) associated with urbanity, urban history gained much 
significance in historical scholarship. In addition, spatiality as a 
crucial variable of societal processes also shapes the image held by 
such places as metropolises and the most diverse urban forms past and 
present alike. We intend to reveal some more recent tendencies of the 
practice of urban history with special regard to social and cultural 
history.  The workshop is recommended to historians, geographers, 
anthropologists or sociologists having an interest in urban past.

IMPORTANT NOTE: As a preparation for this session, we ask applicants 
to submit a one-page description of their approach to Urban Studies, 
as it relates to their course design. Applicants may refer to specific 
authors, works, theories, or broad approaches with which they are 
familiar. This short description should be attached to the application 
package when submitted to the CRC.


Legal Studies - International Business Law

European Contract Law

November 10-14, 2008.
(deadline for applications: September 25, 2008)

At Central European University in Budapest, teaching European Contract 
Law is a real novelty, though the contract laws of most of the EU 
countries are influenced in one way or another by German, French or 
common law. The question therefore is: What - and how - to teach in 
the frame of a contract law course? Common law in addition to the 
Principles of European Contract Law of the Lando-Commission? Or should 
parts of the national civil code be included in addition to the Principles? 

This session tries to answer these questions relevant not only for 
doing business among enterprises coming from EU Member States but also 
for those coming from a country outside the EU but intending to do 
business with a company having its business registration in one of the 
EU Member States. It is recommended to faculty who intend to address 
these questions in their courses.


3. Topical Issues in Curriculum Development 

These sessions are expected to cover topical issues of particular 
importance to the development of higher education in the region, in 
all areas related to curriculum development. Organized by the CRC 
office in co-operation with a wide range of strategic partners, these 
sessions address current trends in curriculum development, degree 
structures and particular or special interest issues. These sessions 
could be directed at a particular group of academics or focus on a 
target region or institution(s).


In Fall 2008 we offer the following Topical Issues in Curriculum Development:

Center for Policy Studies - Open Society Institute

Incorporating Diversity in Teaching Public Administration in Higher Education

November 3-7, 2008
(deadline for applications: September 15, 2008)

Ethnic, linguistic, religious, gender and other forms of diversity are 
central issues for public administration. However, contemporary public 
administration education rarely relates diversity to public 
administration, and often, public administrators lack the awareness 
and skills to integrate diversity into their work effectively. By 
incorporating diversity into the curriculum of university departments, 
schools and institutes of public administration can build public 
administrators' awareness and skills in managing diverse communities. 
This CRC workshop will bring together educators from a range of 
social, political, and economic contexts and institutions. 
Participants will: get to a better understanding of the principles 
that link diversity and public administration; enhance their knowledge 
and skills so as to incorporate diversity into their curriculum 
effectively; and clarify how public administration 
education/institutions can be a model of good diversity management. 
The workshop offers an opportunity for teachers in higher education to 
discuss and develop their courses and generate ideas for future cooperation.

The workshop is organized jointly by the CRC, the Central European 
University's Center for Policy Studies, and international experts and 
partners of the Managing Multiethnic Communities Program of Local 
Government Initiative/Open Society Institute and is designed for 
teachers of public policy and public administration.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are many approaches to the public management of 
diversity. This workshop will include a session during which 
experienced lecturers and participants will present and discuss the 
theoretical frameworks and approaches that underpin their courses. As 
a preparation for this session, we ask applicants to submit a one-page 
description of their approach to diversity, as it relates to their 
course design. Applicants may refer to specific authors, works, 
theories, or broad approaches with which they are familiar. This short 
description should be attached to the application package when 
submitted to the CRC.


Summary of CRC sessions:

Department of Public Policy, Political Sciences and the Center for 
Media and Communications Studies (CMCS):

Audiovisual Mass Media: Between Politics and Regulation
October, 13-17, 2008 (deadline for applications: September 1, 2008)

History: Urban History in a Global World - New Trends of Historical Scholarship
October 27-31, 2008 (deadline for applications: September 15, 2008)

Legal Studies- International Business Law: European Contract Law
November 10-14, 2008 (deadline for applications: September 25, 2008)

Center for Policy Studies - Open Society Institute:
Incorporating Diversity in Public Administration Higher Education
November 3-7, 2008 (deadline for applications: September 15, 2008)

Open House Sessions in:

History: November 17-21, 2008 (deadline for applications: Oct. 7, 2008)

Medieval Studies: November 17-21, 2008 (deadline for applications: 
Oct. 7, 2008)

Anthropology: November 24-28, 2008 (deadline for applications: Oct. 15, 2008)

Philosophy: November 24-28, 2008 (deadline for applications: Oct. 15, 2008)

IRES: December 1-5, 2008 (deadline for applications: Oct. 20, 2008)


Note: CRC Spring 2009 sessions are planned to be announced by October 2008.


All CRC Applicants should be:
Be university teachers and/ or professionals (who teach part-time) in 
the Social Sciences and Humanities from the region (non-EU countries) 
who are preparing to revise or develop their courses; Have sufficient 
English language ability, both written and spoken, to participate in 
discussions and use resource materials; Submit an application with all 
accompanying required documents as stated on the CRC application form.

All costs related to transportation and accommodation during the 
sessions will be covered by the CRC.

Curriculum Resource Session application forms, application deadlines, 
the session schedule and further information on the center's outreach 
activities and resources may be obtained from the CRC office at the 
Central European University or through national Soros Foundations.

CRC Contact Address:
Curriculum Resource Center (CRC) / Central European University
Nador utca 9, H -1051 Budapest, Hungary;
Tel: +(36 - 1) 327 3189 or 327 3000;
Fax: +(36 -1) 327 3190
E-mail: crcceu.hu;
WWW address: http://www.ceu.hu/crc/


Non-Discrimination Policy Central European University does not 
discriminate on the basis of - including, but not limited to - race, 
color, national and ethnic origin, religion, gender or sexual 
orientation in administering its educational policies, admissions 
policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other 
school-administered programs.
 

CONF.- CANCELLATION: Azerbaijan-Turkey-US Relationship in Eurasia, Baku, Sept. 17-18

Posted by: Louette Ragusa <atib_projectsadvisorme.com>
Posted: 9 Sep 2008


CONF.- CANCELLATION: Azerbaijan-Turkey-US Relationship in Eurasia, Sept. 17-18


Cancellation of Conference

Azerbaijan-Turkey-US Relationship in Eurasia: Georgia from the Caucasus,
Kazakhstan from Central Asia

Baku, Azerbaijan, September 17-18, 2008

Azerbaijan Turkey Business Association (ATIB) 2nd Annual International 
Conference "Azerbaijan-Turkey-US Relationship in Eurasia, Georgia from 
the Caucasus, Kazakhstan from Central Asia," was to be held on 
September 17-18, 2007 in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

After long deliberation, it is with great regret that we must inform 
you that the organizers have made the decision to postpone this 
important conference due to the most recent regional developments to 
an undecided date.  Once a new date is defined, we will notify you promptly. 

For more information please visit: www.atus.az

Email: officeatib.az / atib_projectsadvisorme.com

Louette Ragusa
International Project Advisor
Azerbaycan-Türkiye Business Association
Istiglaliyat St. 21 5th Floor Baku AZ 1066 Azerbaijan
Tel 994 12 449 8882
Fax 994 12 449 8884
Cell 994 50 255 0535
email atib_projectsadvisorme.com; lragusa67me.com

US Cell number: 985 869 3012


The Azerbaijan Turkey Business Association had planned to hold its 2nd 
Annual International Conference entitled "Azerbaijan-Turkey-US 
Relationship in Eurasia: Georgia from the Caucasus, Kazakhstan from 
Central Asia" on the 17-18 September 2008 in Baku, Azerbaijan. This 
conference is the follow-up to ATIB's first international conference 
entitled: "Azerbaijan-Turkey-US Relations in Eurasia and Its 
Importance for Eurasia," which was held in Washington, DC, December 2007.
 

LECTURE- Tajikistan: Election Reform, Political Parties and the State, OSCE Office, Dushanbe, Aug. 21

Posted by: Payam Foroughi <payamforoughiaol.com>
Message-ID: <1219297835.48ad022bc1a91webmail.fas.harvard.edu>
Posted: 21 Aug 2008

MIME-Version: 1.0
User-Agent: Internet Messaging Program (IMP) 3.2.5
X-Originating-IP: 83.206.144.51


LECTURE- Tajikistan: Election Reform, Political Parties and State, OSCE, Aug 21


As part of its Open Lecture Series, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan presents:

"Tajikistan: Election Reform, the Public, Political Parties, and the
State-An Empirical Approach"
By Mr. Navruz Nekbakhtshoev, Department of Political Science, Indiana
University, USA.

Thursday, 21 August, 4:15 PM
OSCE Office in Tajikistan
12 Zikrullo Khojaev St.
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
RSVP: LOdinaevaosce.org

Abstract: Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, electoral reform has
been on the agenda of many post-Soviet or newly independent states. In
Tajikistan, too, election laws have been rewritten several times. This
study attempts to trace electoral system change in Tajikistan since
1990. It also seeks to determine the thoughts, intentions, and driving
forces behind the State, political parties, and the public in relation
to the issue of elections and electoral reform. The study highlights
major reform proposals agreed upon by the majority of parties and the
Central Election Committee at a summer 2008 International Foundation
for Electoral Systems (IFES)-sponsored roundtable and addresses the
parties' motives behind their proposals. To identify the factors
driving the choice of electoral system in Tajikistan, the study draws
on interviews with the deputies and chairmen of eight recognized
political parties and a set of focus groups with voting age citizens.
The evidence drawn from the interviews favors an interest-based
explanation as the basis for electoral rule change, rather than
normative commitments to pluralist politics. In particular, main
political parties in Tajikistan choose institutional designs to
maximize self interest and protect their position vs. other opposition
parties. The study concludes, among other things, that reform of the
election law in Tajikistan is solely driven by the dominant party's
evaluation of electoral performance and as such it is less of a
co-operative endeavor concerned with free and fare elections.

Bio: Navruz Nekbakhtshoev is a PhD student in Political Science at
Indiana University in Bloomington, USA. His concentration is
comparative politics with an emphasis on democratization in the
post-Soviet space. He is particularly interested in researching
electoral and party systems, contentious politics, and regime change.
Nekbakhtshoev obtained his MA in Social and Public Policy from
Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, USA, while having been a recipient
of the Edmund Muskie Graduate Fellowship (2005-06). Later, and while
commencing his PhD studies at Indiana University, he became an Aga
Khan Foundation International Scholar (2006-08 academic years). He has
also worked for the US-based Social Science Research Council.
Nekbakhtshoev is currently completing a short-term research assignment
on Election Reform with the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.
 

CONF.- Xiongnu Archaeology Conference, Ulaanbaatar, Oct. 15-18

Posted by: Bryan K Miller <millerbksas.upenn.edu>
Posted: 21 Aug 2008


CONF.- Xiongnu Archaeology Conference, Ulaanbaatar, Oct. 15-18


Silkroad Foundation presents:
International Conference on Xiongnu Archaeology
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
16-18 October, 2008

on

 * Mortuary Customs and Ritual
 * Ostentatious Burials and the Elite
 * Interaction and Peripheries
 * Art and Ornamentation
 * People and Animals
 * Landscape and Settlements

This international conference endeavors to bring together all
scholars, from Asia to America, actively researching in the field of
Xiongnu archaeology in order to discuss old and new research questions
in a focused group of both specialists and related scholars. As this
event will be structured around the exchange of ideas and constructive
discussion, the format will be different from most conferences.  Brief
lectures of 20 minutes will be organized into thematic sessions, and
each session will close with discussant commentary and open
discussion. We thus aim to foster new ideas and approaches for the
research which has been presented by specialists in this field.

Conference Organizers:

Dr. Ursula Brosseder (Bonn University, Germany)
Bryan K. Miller, PhD Candidate (University of Pennsylvania, USA)

Sponsors:

This event is sponsored by the Silkroad Foundation in cooperation with
University of Bonn, University of Pennsylvania, Institute of
Archaeology, Mongolia, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, National Museum
of Mongolia, and American Center of Mongolian Studies.

Registration at Conference Website:

http:/www.silkroadfoundation.org


Bryan K Miller
University of Pennsylvania, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
847 Williams Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305
 

CONF.- Azerbaijan-Turkey-US Relationship in Eurasia (Georgia & Kazakhstan), Baku, Sept. 17-18

Posted by: Louette Ragusa <atib_projectsadvisormac.com>
Posted: 21 Aug 2008


CONF.- Azerbaijan-Turkey-US Relationship in Eurasia, Baku, Sept. 17-18


Azerbaijan-Turkey-US Relationship in Eurasia: Georgia from the Caucasus,
Kazakhstan from Central Asia

Baku, Azerbaijan, September 17-18, 2008

Azerbaijan Turkey Business Association (ATIB) is one of the most active Business
Associations in the Region dedicated to furthering economic, social and cultural
relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey and then between Azerbaijan and other
countries. ATIB organized the first of its kind trilateral international
conference entitled "The Azerbaijan-Turkey-US relationship and its Importance
for Eurasia" in Washington, D.C. December 10, 2007.

The 2nd Annual International Conference "Azerbaijan-Turkey-US Relationship in
Eurasia, Georgia from the Caucasus, Kazakhstan from Central Asia," will be held
on September 17-18, 2007, we will discuss the cooperative roles of all fives
countries in furthering the development of Eurasia.

The conference will bring together representatives from policy realms, academic
fields, the business community, civil society and members from the government
of all five countries in an effort to continue to define the importance of the
trilateral relationship of the initial three countries and the two other
important players in the region. The conference will discuss:

Day One:
 * Eurasian Geopolitics: Regional Security
 * Eurasian Geo-economic: Regional Economic Development and Cooperation

Day Two:
 * Eurasian Geopolitics: Energy Security and
 * Eurasian Geo-economics: Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The conference is extended to two days so that the panels may be able to
elaborate on each area of discussion with an extended Q & A Session. These
panels are intended to be highly interactive where panelists and moderators
will not deliver speeches from a podium, but will instead be seated around a
discussion table. This is designed to stimulate open and honest discussion with
all participants.

For more information please visit: www.atus.az

Email: officeatib.az / atib_projectsadvisormac.com


Louette Ragusa
International Project Advisor
Azerbaycan-Türkiye Business Association
Istiglaliyat St. 21 5th Floor Baku AZ 1066 Azerbaijan
Tel 994 12 449 8882
Fax 994 12 449 8884
Cell 994 50 255 0535
email atib_projectsadvisormac.com; lragusa67mac.com

US Cell number: 985 869 3012
 

CFP- Protest Movements and Rise of Transnational Civil Society, Univ. of Zurich, June 23-26, 2009

Posted by: Rebekka Weinel <mailprotest-research.eu>
Posted: 10 Aug 2008


CFP- Protest Movements and Rise of Transnational Civil Society, June 23-26, '09


Call for Papers / Travel Grants:

Shaping Europe in a Globalized World?

Protest Movements and the Rise of a Transnational Civil Society?

Conference at the University of Zurich, Department of German with the 
support of the European Commission


Conveners: Roland Axtmann (Centre for the Study of Culture and 
Politics, University of Swansea), Kathrin Fahlenbrach (University of 
Halle), Martin Klimke (University of Heidelberg), Joachim Scharloth 
(University of Zurich)

Location: Department of German, University of Zurich
Date: June 23-26, 2009


Recent research into the development and implications of transnational 
modes of political organization has tended to concentrate on the 
growth of institutions involved with international political and 
economic governance. This has been counter-balanced by growing 
research into international protest movements that appears to paint a 
picture of an emerging transnational civil society; one that includes 
formalized Non-Governmental Organisations such as OXFAM, Amnesty 
International and international labour movements as well as the 
seemingly more spontaneous movements associated with 
anti-globalization and anti-capitalist activism. The study of 
transnational social movements is, then, central to the development of 
our understanding of the internationalization of politics as such and 
in particular to attempts to conceptualize a global civil society.

However, such research is problematic and in need of expansion and 
realignment in both the conceptual and empirical dimensions. There are 
three central issues that need to be addressed:

Firstly, research into transnational social movements often 
presupposes a series of normative claims regarding the desirability of 
particular forms of democratic activity. It then relies on these norms 
to both explain and justify research findings. But the movement from 
centralized and state-led national politics to a global politics of 
multiple actors in a multi-polar context precisely calls such norms 
into question: they are a source of the conflictual dynamics of global 
politics not its outcome and still less a governing explanatory 
principle. Research needs to conceptualize the way in which an 
irreducible tension between a demand for universal norms and the 
reality of a global pluriverse is constitutive of the terrain 
traversed by transnational movements.

Secondly, research into social movements tends overwhelmingly to 
concentrate on movements of the left. This leads not only to the 
minimizing of the attention paid to social movements of the right. It 
also simply generalizes a particular dimension of political 
differentiation while suppressing others. This may have been 
sufficient for the study of the first wave of post-war transnational 
movements in 1960s Europe. It is not sufficient for today. For 
instance, an increasingly significant political phenomenon consists of 
transnational nationalisms: movements organized for national 
"liberation" that operate across borders, connected to and sustained 
by networks of migrant co-nationals and other sympathizers. Movements 
organized to oppose trade liberalization may be motivated by 
nationalist and particularist sentiments as well as social democratic 
nostalgia. Religious movements cannot easily be contained within a 
left-right spectrum. Research into transnational social movements must 
undertake empirical examination of the multiple dimensions along which 
groups are dispersed and also to conceptualise this distribution.

Thirdly, to date research has concentrated on European-style social 
movements and has identified similar variants in other regions. But 
this might mean that religious movements such as Falun Gong in China 
are not properly attended to.

The goal of this conference is to address these issues; to consolidate 
present research and to begin developing new empirical findings and 
new conceptual frameworks.

We especially encourage applications referring to the following topics:

 * Globalization of Politics - Globalization of Protest?
 * Transnationalism within Right Wing Protest Movements
 * Filling the Gap: European Protest Movements as a Result of a Lack 
of Democracy within the EU
 * EU Polity and Europeanization of Protest
 * Applying the Concepts of "Civil Society" and "Social Movements" in 
Eastern Europe and non-European Countries - Potential and Limits
 * Even Newer Social Movements - Creating new Public Spheres?
 * Building Transnational Protest Identities - Languages, I, Images and Actions
 * European Anti-Corporate Campaigns in a Globalized Economy
 * Migration and Ethnicity as a Source of Protest
 * Professionalizing Protest
 * The Future of Political Participation: Social Movements, Lobbying 
or Party Politics
 * Taming Protest: The Rituals of Violence

Applications from postgraduate students, early stage researchers
(PhD-students), postdocs and young scholars from all disciplinary and
national backgrounds are strongly encouraged and form the main target
group for this event.

All travel and accommodation costs within reasonable boundaries will be
covered by the European Union.

Although the conference language will mainly be English, we also invite
proposals in French, Spanish, Dutch, German and Polish, if a short
summary (2 pages) in English is provided.

Deadline for Applications: August 15, 2008
(abstracts no longer than 500 words)

Selections will be made by: October 1, 2008

Please use online application at: www.protest-research.eu

Further questions: mailprotest-research.eu
 

CFA- Workshop on Urban Space Analysis for Students in Florence, Nov. 13-20, 2008

Posted by: Milan Prodanovic <ecourbaneunet.yu>
Posted: 10 Aug 2008


CFA- Workshop on Urban Space Analysis for Students in Florence, Nov. 13-20


Dear Colleagues:

This is the first announcement of the Workshop for Students in 
Florence, November 13-20, 2008 which is included in the general 
program of the "Degree & Profession" Florence International Exchange 
Festival 08.

Please, express the preliminary interest in participating at the 
workshop in a team of one professor (with accompanying person) and 
four students of senior years from one university.

Design of urban environment and architectural heritage reuse: the role 
of the "genius loci" within the "Life Beyond Tourism" agenda.

Project Leader:
Milan Prodanovic, Ph.D., Dip. T.P., Dip. Arch.
Professor of Urbanism, University of Novi Sad, Serbia

Project Leader E-Mail:
ecourbaneunet.yu

Project Description:

Cultural field: Urban space analysis on visions of transmission of 
knowledge, conservation and creativity, branding the city, etc. with a 
topic "Identity of our City, Region" and "Genius Loci' phenomenon 
within the electronic communication era and the issues of 
educational/cultural tourism, destination selection and trail choice. 
The issue of "Identity" and "branding" in the light of the phenomenon 
of ARCHITOURISM, (tourism attracted by architecture and architectural 
heritage).

The experience of the "BRAND" of historic city (as created as"Myth of 
Florence" the fashions in 18th and 19th century and raised interest in 
art and civilization of Renaissance Florence). At the present time of 
globalization and transition in East Europe the question about the 
fashions change to accord to the issues of knowledge transmission by 
meditation of education and media, today's influence of education -- 
formal, informal and permanent, to the choice of tourist destinations.

The seminar is open to max 5 universities of different countries; each 
university must be represented by 4 students and 1 accompanying tutor 
(professor). Each member of the different universities teams are 
requested to fill the registration form within October 10th, 2008.

For any other information about the organization of the workshop 
please refer to the Project Co-ordinator Prof. Milan Prodanovic (send 
an e-mail)

Looking forward to see you and your students in Florence

Best regards

Prof Milan Prodanovic


Milan Prodanovic, Ph.D.,  Dip. T.P., Dip. Arch.
Professor of Urbanism, University of Novi Sad,
Centro Internazionalle di Studi sul Disegno Urbano - Firenze,
Ecourban Workshop Belgrade, NGO
Studio address: Supilova 11,
11000 Belgrade,
Serbia, Yu
Tel/fax +381 11 2750 876
e-mail: ecourbaneunet.yu
 

CONF.- Central Eurasian Studies Society, First Regional Conf., Aug. 4-7, Isiq Kol, Kyrgyzstan

Posted by: John Schoeberlein for FRC-CESS <frc.cessgmail.com>
Posted: 3 Aug 2008


CONF.- Central Eurasian Studies Society, Aug. 4-7, Isiq Kol, Kyrgyzstan


Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS)
First Regional Conference
August 4-7, 2008
Royal Beach, Choq Tal, Isiq Kol, Kyrgyzstan

Please see below the program of the First Regional Conference of the
Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS), hosted by the Aigine Cultural
Research Center (Bishkek).

Those interested in attending the conference should note that
registration is limited due to the limited capacity of the conference
venue.  To inquire about the possibility to attend, please call
+996-772-212456.  Note that conference attendees are required to make
their own reservations for accommodations (contact: Royal Beach
Resort, +996-3943-23176), and to cover all costs for accommodations,
meals, and conference fees ($25 for local non-CESS members; $45 for
international non-CESS members; reduced rates for CESS members).

To contact the Aigine Cultural Research Center (after the conference; until the
conference, the office will be closed):

Aigine Cultural Research Center
ul. Toktogula 93
Bishkek 720040
Kyrgyzstan
tel./fax +996-312-66-76-74
email: aigine.bishkekgmail.com
http://www.aigine.kg


Program

CESS FRC Registration
Monday, August 4, 16.00-20.00
Tuesday, August 5, 08.00-11.15

CESS FRC Welcoming Reception
Monday, August 4, 19.00-20.00

Keynote Speech: Muratbek Imanaliev
"Central Asia: Where Is It?" Tuesday, August 5

Cultural Program
Kyrgyz Folk Music by Ordo Sakhna Theater, Monday, August 4, 20.00-21.00
"Kereez" (The Testament) by Sakhna Theater, Tuesday, August 5, 20.30-22.00

Presentations:
Slide presentation by Virlana Tkacz with Altyn Kapalova "The Making of
   Janyl: Kyrgyz Epic Theater in New York," Wednesday, August 6, 19.30-20.00
Film "Sacred Sites of Kyrgyzstan" by Aigine Cultural Research Center,
   Wednesday, August 6, 20.00-20.30
Book "Memories, Oral Histories, Letters and Diaries of Uzbekistani
   Women: The 20th Century" by Marfua Tokhtakhodjaeva, Wednesday, August 6,
   20.30-21.00

Central Asian Crafts Fair
Tuesday, August 5, 09.00-19.00
Wednesday, August 6, 09.00-19.00

Book Fair:
Tuesday, August 5, 09.00-19.00
Wednesday, August 6, 09.00-19.00


Sessions

Tuesday, August 5 - 9.00-10.45

Keynote Speech: Muratbek Imanaliev
"Central Asia: Where Is It?" Tuesday, August 5

Tuesday, August 5 - 11.00-12.45

PO-4: Ethno-political Identities in Southern Central Eurasia

Chair: Didar Kassymova (Kazakh Institute of Economics, Management and
   Strategic Research, Kazakhstan)
Discussant: Khachik Gevorgyan (Yerevan State University, Armenia)
Babak Rezvani (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands):
   Historical Underpinnings of the (Post-) Soviet and Iranian National
   and Ethno-Religious Policies
Ketevan Khutsishvilli (Tbilisi State University, Georgia):
   Christian-Muslim Relations in Georgia (Past and Present)
Chinara Esengul (Kyrgyz National University, Kyrgyzstan):
   Russia and Central Asian Regionalism: the security dimension

SO-9: Social Networks in Kyrgyzstan

Chair: Laura Adams (Harvard University, USA)
Discussant: Roland Hardenberg (University of Tuebingen, Germany)
Aksana Ismailbekova (Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany):
   Patron-Client Relations in the Kyrgyz Context
Rebecca Reynolds (University of Glasgow, UK):
   The Role of Social Networks in Facilitating Access to Natural Resources
Nathan Light (Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany):
   Networks, Exchange and Rural-Urban Relations in Kyrgyzstan
Venerahan Torobekova (Ataturk Alatoo University, Kyrgyzstan):
   Patron-Client or Clan Relations in Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan?

HC-6: Delimitations: Ethnographic and Territorial Classification in
   the Making of Central Asia

Chair: Olivier Ferrando (Institute of Political Sciences, France)
Discussant: John Schoeberlein (Harvard University, USA)
Sergey Abashin (Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia):
   Sarts: On the History of the Creation of Ethnographic Classification
   of the Central Asian Population (in Russian)
Asal Khamraeva-Aubert (IFEAC, Uzbekistan):
   Economic Politics and the Construction of Territorial Limits in Soviet
   Central Asia: The Case of the Uzbek SSR
Maya Peterson (Harvard University, USA):
   A Science of Empire: Russian Ethnographic Exploration of Central Asia,
   1840-1880
Zifa-Alua Auezova (Leiden University, Netherlands):
   Loan Idioms in the Self-definition of a Nation: Cases from Kazakh History

SO-15: The Family in the Production of the Population in Changing Central Asia

Chair: Aleksandr Alekseenko (East Kazakhstan State Technical
   University, Kazakhstan)
Discussant: Tomas Kucera (Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic)
   Zulfia Valitova (Karaghanda State University):
   The Role of Social Networks in Reproductive Behavior of Families]
Aigul Yessimova (International Kazakh Turkish University):
   Ethnic and Regional Differences in the Reproductive Behavior of
   Married Women in Kazakhstan
Natalya Kadatskaya (Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic):
   Influence of Migration on Family Behavior
Murat Narkulov (Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic):
   Labor Migration as a Factor of Demographic Reproduction in Migrant Families

Tuesday, August 5 - 14.00-15.45

HC-4: Perspectives on the Past: The Kyrgyz in the 20th Century through
   Oral Histories

Chair: Anvarbek Mokeev (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Jeff Sahadeo (Carleton University, Canada)
Ilhan Sahin (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyzstan):
   Peculiarities of Kyrgyz Clan System According to Oral Sources
Zuhra Altymyshova (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyzstan):
   The Fate of Exiles during the Early Soviet Period: The Case of
   Displaced Kyrgyz "Kulaks" in Ukraine
Guljanat Kurmangaliyeva Ercilasun (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University,
   Kyrgyzstan):
   Memories of the Past: Famine in the 1930s and 1940s
Konuralp Ercilasun (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyzstan):
   The Khrushchev and Brezhnev Era: Emergence of the "New Soviet Person"?

PO-1: Regionalism and Political Elites in Central Asia

Chair: Heidi Kjaernet (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Norway)
Discussant: Peter Finke (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Hayriye Kahveci (Middle East Technical University, Turkey):
   The Role of Regionalism in Nazarbayev's Foreign Policy-making
Elmira Nogoibaeva (International Institute of Strategic Research, Kyrgyzstan):
   Recruitment and Communication Networks in Kyrgyzstan, 2000-2007
Irina Morozova (German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Netherlands):
   Regionalism, Elites and Power Models in Present Kyrgyzstan
Gokhan Alper Ataser (Middle East Technical University, Turkey):
   Political Elite Formation in Azerbaijan

SO-5: Ethnographies of Moral Reasoning in Kyrgyzstan

Chair: Gulnara Aitpaeva (Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Maria Elizabeth Louw (University of Aarhus, Denmark)
Judith Beyer (Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany):
   "Uiat Bolot!": The Role of Moral Reasoning in Kyrgyz Dispute
   Management Processes
Christine Bichsel (University of Berne, Switzerland):
   Catching the Sunlight: Aid Workers and Moral Reasoning in Southern Kyrgyzstan
Madeleine Reeves (University of Manchester, UK):
   "You'll See What Was Written on Your Forehead": Navigating Luck,
   Misfortune and Moral Action at a Time of Migration
Gulzat Botoeva (American University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan):
   Coping Strategies of the Poor: Gift Giving

SO-7: The Anthropology of Migration

Chair: Tsypylma Darieva (Humboldt University, Germany)
Discussant: Emil Nasritdinov (American University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan)
Burul Usmanalieva (Center for Research and Social Development, Kyrgyzstan):
   Migration as a Factor of Re-defining the Borders of Citizenship: the
   Case of Kyrgyzstan
Aida Aaly Alymbaeva (Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan):
   Issues of Rural to Urban Migration in Kyrgyzstan
Bhavna Dave (SOAS, University of London, UK):
   Migrants in Kazakhstan: Official Policies and Popular Perceptions

Tuesday, August 5 - 16.00-17.45

SO-6: Urban Central Asia

Chair: Jeanne Feaux de la Croix (University of St. Andrews, UK)
Discussant: Guzel Sabirova (Ulyanovsk State University, Russia)
Artyom Kosmarski (Moscow State University, Russia):
   (Post-)Soviet Space in the Urban Focus: Perspectives for Analysis
Alima Bissenova (Cornell University, Kazakhstan):
   The Real Estate and Construction Boom in Kazakhstan
Philipp Schroeder (Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany):
   Social Networks in Place: Cases of Integration and Identification
Sophie Roche (Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany):
   When Youth Chooses Places: The Youth Bulge and Conflict in Tajikistan

SO-14: Gender, Identity and Social Change

Chair: Nurgul Asylbekova (UNDP-Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Marfua Toktakhodjaeva ("Sharq va Tavsiya" Sociological
   Center, Uzbekistan)
Muyassar Turaeva (Independent Scholar, Uzbekistan):
   Health Outcomes for Suitcase Trader Women in Uzbekistan
Eleonora Fayzullaeva (Embassy of Switzerland in Uzbekistan/Uzbek State
   World Languages University, Uzbekistan):
   Gender, Education and Women's Rights in a Muslim Context
Shahnoza Madaeva (National University of Uzbekistan):
   The Specificity of Modern Religious Identity in the Traditional
   Mahallas of Uzbekistan
Anzhela Injigolyan (Karaganda State University, Kazakhstan):
   The Professional Identity of Teachers in the Field of Social Science
   in Central Asia

PO-3: The Role of External Players in the Security Nexus of Central
   Asia and the Southern Caucasus

Chair: Babak Rezvani (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Discussant: Emil Dzhuraev (University of Maryland, USA)
Daniel Burghart (National Defense Intelligence College, USA):
   Tamerlane Revisited: The Changing Nature of Central Asia's Security Spectrum
Maria Raquel Freire (University of Coimbra, Portugal):
   Russian Politics towards Central Asia: Supporting, Balancing, Coercing
   or Imposing?
Licinia Simao (University of Coimbra, Portugal):
   Bridges across the Caspian: EU-Azerbaijan Relations with an Eye on
   Central Asia?

HC-7: The Evolution of Cultural Landscapes in Central Asia: From
   Ancient Times Onwards

Chair: Alison Venetia Graham Betts (University of Sydney, Australia)
Discussant: Chad Thompson (Nipissing University, Canada, chadtnipissingu.ca)
Alessandro Mosca (University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy); Sebastian
   Stride (University of Barcelona, Spain); Stefania Bandini (University
   of Milan-Bicocca, Italy), Kurt Dopfer (University of St. Gallen,
Switzerland):
   Samarqand's Cultural Landscape: A Rule-Based Approach
Farhod Maksudov (Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Uzbekistan):
   The Evolution of Cultural Landscapes in the Ferghana Valley (from the
   Bronze Age onwards)
Fiona Jane Kidd (University of Sydney, Australia):
   Treading Softly -- Archaeological Explorations in Afghanistan Using
   Google Earth
Ogihara Atsushi (Waseda University, Japan):
   The Ecological Destruction of the Aral Sea and the Socio-Economic and
   Health Status of its Residents

Wednesday, August 6 - 9.00-10.45

PO-6: Defending or Debunking Democracy

Chair: Hayriye Kahveci (Middle East Technical University, Turkey)
Discussant: Irina Morozova (German Institute of Global and Area
   Studies, Netherlands)
Sureyya Sakinc (Celal Bayar University, Turkey):
   Democratic Decentralization and Local Participative Democracy: An
   Analysis for Central Asian Countries
Shah-Ahmad Mutalov (National University of Uzbekistan):
   Democracy in Central Asia: A Theory Application Trial
Mariya Y.Omelicheva (University of Kansas, USA):
   Convergence of Counterterrorism Policies: A Case Study of Kyrgyzstan
   and Central Asia

HC-1: Roundtable: Issues and Challenges of Teaching Central Asia to
   Central Asians in English

Chair: Zifa-Alua Auezova (Leiden University, Netherlands)
Jeff Sahadeo (Carleton University, Canada):
   Teaching and Learning Local Histories for a Post-Soviet Central Asia
Anvarbek Mokeev (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyzstan):
   Issues of Teaching the History of Kyrgyzstan at Universities
Aftab Kazi (John Hopkins University, USA):
   Teaching Central and Southwest Asia to Students from these Regions: A
   Personal Experience in Curriculum Development
Didar Kassymova (Kazakh Institute of Economics, Management and
   Strategic Research, Kazakhstan):
   Trends and Challenges in Teaching Central Asian History in Kazakhstan

SO-4: Ethnographic Approaches to Islam in Central Asia

Chair: Aksana Ismailbekova (Max Planck Institute for Social
   Anthropology, Germany)
Discussant: John Schoeberlein (Harvard University, USA)
Baris Isci (Washington University, USA):
   Shifting Alignments of Islamism and Secularism in Bishkek: Secular and
   Islamist Elites
Eren Murat Tasar (Harvard University, USA):
   Muslim Life in Central Asia, 1943-1985
Maria Elizabeth Louw (Aarhus University, Denmark):
   Being Muslim the Ironic Way: Religion and Irony in Post-Soviet Bishkek
Irina Selezneva (Siberian branch of the Russian Institute of Cultural
   Studies, Russia), and Aleksandr Seleznev (Omsk State University, Russia):
   Astana: Sacred Places within a Cult of Saints in Siberian Islam

SO-10: Re-assessing Gender in Central Asia

Chair: Elmira Köchümkulova (University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Meghan Simpson (Central European University, Hungary)
Robin Haarr (Eastern Kentucky University, USA):
   Translating Transnational Knowledge into Local Justice for Battered
   Women in Tajikistan
Kimberly Ann Powers (Independent Scholar, USA):
   Beyond the Question of National Identity: Women's Identities and
   Bride-Kidnapping in the Kyrgyz Republic
Medina Aitieva (American University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan):
   The Development of Scholarship and Politics of Research
Saida Daukeyeva (University of London)
   Gender in Dombra Performance among Mongolian Kazakhs

Wednesday, August 6 - 11.00-12.45

SO-11: Exploring Ethnicity "From Below": Case-Studies of Ethnic
   Minorities in Central Asia

Chair: Bhavna Dave (SOAS, University of London, UK)
Discussant: Peter Finke (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Olivier Ferrando (Institute of Political Sciences, France):
   Diaspora Politics in Central Asia: How Kin-States Diasporize Their
   Kin-Minorities Abroad
Marek Gawecki (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland):
   Between Patriotism and Pragmatism: Dilemmas of Ethnic
   Self-Identification of Central Asian Poles
Natalya Kosmarskaya (Russian Academy of Sciences):
   When Does Ethnicity Matter and Why? Popular Interpretations of
   Post-Soviet Change in a Provincial City of Kyrgyzstan
Nurgul Asylbekova (UNDP-Kyrgyzstan) and Meghan Simpson (Central
   European University, Hungary):
   Prospects for "Diversity Management" in Kyrgyzstan

SO-2: Sacred Sites Pilgrimage throughout Central Asia

Chair: Laura Adams (Harvard University, USA)
Discussant: Jenishbek Junushaliev (Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences)
Gulnara Aitpaeva (Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan):
   Mazar Pilgrimage: Pros and Cons among Kyrgyz Muslims
Elyor Karimov (Uzbek Academy of Sciences):
   The Historical Roots of Politicized Islam and Problems of Sacred Sites
   in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan
Chagat Almashev (Foundation of Sustainable Development of Altai, Russia)
   Sacred Sites of Indigenous People of Altai

HC-3: Kyrgyz Identity: Past and Present

Chair: Ilhan Sahin (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: John Schoeberlein (Harvard University, USA)
Belma Aksit (Maltepe University, Turkey):
   Formation of the National Kyrgyz Identity in the 20th Century:
   Introduction to the Study and Opinions of the Elderly on "Kyrgyz Identity"
Bahattin Aksit (Maltepe University, Turkey):
   Modernization in Kyrgyzstan and Affective and Cognitive Dimensions of
   Kyrgyz Identity
Baktybek Isakov (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyzstan):
   From Nomadic Way to Sedentary Way of Life: Settling of Kyrgyz Village
   Residents: The Case of Residents of Madaniyat Village (From the
   Project 'Living History of Central Asian Peoples')

PO-7: Culture(s) of Government and Governability in Central Asia

Chair: Emil Dzhuraev (University of Maryland, USA)
Discussant: Mariya Omelicheva (University of Kansas, USA)
Vadim Volovoj (Vilnius University, Lithuania):
   The Revolutionary Approach towards Political Processes in Central Asia
Alisher Khamidov (John Hopkins University, USA):
   Resisting Vertical Lines of Power: Regional Elites and the Centre in
   Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
Alexander Wolters (European University Viadrina, Germany):
   Systems Theory and Regime Change: On Divergent Developments in
   Post-Revolutionary Kyrgyzstan

Wednesday, August 6 - 14.00-15.45

SO-13: Practicing Place and Relatedness

Chair: Aida Aaly Alymbaeva (Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Tsypylma Darieva (Humboldt University, Germany)
Roland Hardenberg (University of Tuebingen, Germany):
   Reconsidering "Tribes", "Clans" and "Relatedness": A Comparison of
   Social Categorization in Kyrgyzstan and India
Jeanne Féaux de la Croix (University of St. Andrews, UK):
   The Role of the Jailoo in the Economic and Social Life of Kyrgyzstan
Guzel Sabirova (Ulyanovsk State University, Russia):
   The Construction of Place and the Placing of Food in a Central Asian City
Daniyar Karabaev (Khorog State University, Tajikistan):
   The Affection of the Kyrgyz Diaspora for the Eastern Pamir

PO-2: Regional Cooperation in Central Asia: Prospects and Challenges

Chair: Elmira Nogoibaeva (International Institute of Strategic
Research, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Marat Kazakbaev (Kyrgyz-Russian Slavonic University)
Atyrkul Alisheva (Institute for Regional Studies, Kyrgyzstan):
   Ethnos in Kyrgyzstan's Political Space: The Persistence of Democracy
Janyl Bokonbaeva (OSCE Academy, Kyrgyzstan):
   EurAsEC and Customs Union: Integration Problems for Central Asia (the
   Cases of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan)
Asel Murzakulova (International Institute of Strategic Research, Kyrgyzstan):
   SCO and CSTO: Space of Risks and Opportunities
Anar Musabaeva (OSCE Academy, Kyrgyzstan):
   Towards Understanding the Role and Impact of the OSCE and EU in Central Asia]

SO-1: Gender Dimensions of Current Kyrgyz Society

Chair: Rebecca Reynolds (University of Glasgow, UK):
Discussant: Nathan Light (Max Planck Institute for Social
   Anthropology, Germany)
Baktygul Tulebaeva (Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan):
   Dual Understanding: The Role of Women for the Development of Civil
   Society in Kyrgyzstan
Guljan Kudabaeva (Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan):
   International Funding: How Kyrgyz Women Are Strengthening Their Power
   through NGOs?
Zemfira Inogamova (Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan):
   The Intimacy of Death: Gender Dimensions of Kyrgyz Funeral Ceremonies

HC-5: Nation-Building in Central Asia: Conceptual Models and
   Historical Interpretations

Chair: Ablet Kamalov (Central Asia Resource Center, Kazakhstan)
Discussant: Sergey Abashin (Russian Academy of Sciences)
Joldon Kutmanaliev (Bishkek Humanities University, Kyrgyzstan):
   The Kyrgyz Nation: Constructed or Primordial? The Ethno-Symbolic
   Approach to the Study of Nationalism
Joomart Sulaimanov (Osh State University, Kyrgyzstan):
   Tribalism and Regionalism in the Political Life of the Kyrgyz Republic
Yelena Kondaurova (Kazakh National Conservatory):
   The Multi-ethnic Cultural Model in Kazakhstan
Radjana Dugarova (East-Siberian Academy of Culture and Art, Russia):
   Globalization and Buryat Ethnicity

Wednesday, August 6 - 16.00-17.45

HC-2: Constructing the Reality of Central Asia

Chair: Bermet Tursunkulova (American University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Madeleine Reeves (University of Manchester, UK)
Chad Thompson (Nipissing University, Canada):
   Excess: The Construction of Central Asia
Abdujalil Abdurasulov (British Broadcasting Corporation, Kyrgyzstan):
   Threat, Tradition or Everyday Life? Discourses of an Islamic Revival
   in Central Asia
Galina Bityukova (Central Asia Resource Center, Kazakhstan):
   When Oil Brings Illusions of Prosperity: Society and Leadership in Kazakhstan

SO-3: Traditionalism and Contemporary Processes in Central Asia

Chair: Joldon Kutmanaliev (Bishkek Humanities University, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Ablet Kamalov (Central Asia Resource Centre, Kazakhstan)
Alexey Zelenskiy (Kazakh-German University, Kazakhstan):
   Nomadism and Post-Soviet Kazakstan's Imaginary
Zairbek Ergeshov (Osh State University, Kyrgyzstan):
   Drug Dealing in Kyrgyzstan: Development and Perspectives
Anara Aldasheva (Bishkek Humanities University, Kyrgyzstan):
   Identity of the Kyrgyz in the Process of Labor Migration
Dildora Abidjanova (University of the World Economy and Diplomacy, Uzbekistan):
   The Decentralization Process in Uzbekistan and the Changing Role of Mahalla
Rufat Bavdinov (Kazakh Ministry of Education):
   Traditionalism and Contemporary Processes in Central Asia.

SO-8: Funeral Customs of Central Asia

Chair: Zemfira Inogamova (Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Judith Beyer (Max Planck Institute for Social
   Anthropology, Germany)
Elmira Köchümkulova (University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan):
   Islamic in Form, Nomadic in Content: Religious Harmony or Conflict in
   Kyrgyz Funeral Customs?
Kubat Tabaldiev (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyzstan):
   The Evolution of Funeral Rituals and the Reasons for Their Change:
   Material from Archeological Research in the Tian Shan
Asan Saipov (Muslim Spiritual Board of Kyrgyzstan):
   Funeral Services for a Deceased Muslim According to the Sharia
Tokhir Kalandarov (Russian Academy of Sciences):
   Some Aspects of Funeral Rites Among People of the Western Pamir

PO-5: The Resource Curse in Eurasian Petro-States: The Cases of
   Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan

Chair: Anar Musabaeva (OSCE Academy, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Maria Raquel Freire (University of Coimbra, Portugal)
Heidi Kjaernet (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs):
   Displacement in a Booming Economy: IDPs in Azerbaijan -- A Flammable
Community?
Adil Nurmakov (Competitiveness Research Centre, Kazakhstan):
   Kazakhstan's Global Competitiveness: Challenges on the Way to the Goal
Farid Guliyev (Jacobs University Bremen, Germany):
   Does Resource Dependence Help Authoritarianism Endure? The Cases of
   Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan

Thursday, August 7 - 9.00-10.45

SO-12: Legacies of Cultural Contact

Chair: Gulzat Botoeva (American University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan)
Discussant: Natalya Kosmarskaya (Russian Academy of Sciences)
Saule Ualiyeva (East Kazakhstan State Technical University):
   Cultural Interaction in Inter-ethnic Marriages in Kazakhstan]
Elira Turdubaeva (Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyzstan):
   Television Soap Opera, Ethnicity and Girls' Interpretations
Nelli Krasnobaeva (East-Kazakhstan Serikbayev State Technical University):
   The Confessional Factor of Political Stabilization in Kazakhstan
Aizat Aisarakunova (Independent Scholar, Kyrgyzstan):
   Globalization within the Kyrgyz Traditional Culture


About the Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS)

The Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS) is a private,
non-political, non-profit, North America-based organization of
scholars who are interested in the study of Central Eurasia and its
history, languages, cultures, and modern states and societies. We
define the Central Eurasian region broadly to include Turkic,
Mongolian, Iranian, Caucasian, Tibetan and other peoples.
Geographically, Central Eurasia extends from the Black Sea region, the
Crimea, and the Caucasus in the west, through the Middle Volga region,
Central Asia and Afghanistan, and on to Siberia, Mongolia and Tibet in
the east.

The Central Eurasian Studies Society's purpose is to promote high
standards of research and teaching, and to foster communication among
scholars through meetings and publications. The Society works to
facilitate interaction among senior, established scholars, junior
scholars, graduate students, and independent scholars in North America
and throughout the world. We hold an Annual Conference, and coordinate
panels at various conferences relevant to Central Eurasian studies.
The Society also works to promote the publication of peer-reviewed
scholarship and other information essential to the building of the field.

To become a member of CESS or join the mailing list for occasional
announcements concerning CESS activities, visit the website or contact
the address below. Annual dues range from gratis to $50, depending on
income. CESS publications, the Membership Directory, conference paper
abstracts and other information are available on-line at:
http://www.cess.muohio.edu.

All inquiries may be directed to:

Central Eurasian Studies Society
Havighurst Center
Harrison Hall, Miami University
Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
Tel.: +1/513-529-0241
Fax: +1/513-529-0242
E-mail: CESSmuohio.edu
http://www.cess.muohio.edu
 

CONF./PROGRAM- The EU's Central Asia Strategy, 15-17 Sept. 2008, Loccum

Posted by: Anna Kreikemeyer <annakreikemeyergmx.de>
Posted: 30 Jul 2008


CONF./PROGRAM- The EU's Central Asia Strategy, 15-17 Sept. 2008, Loccum


We are glad to inform you on the International Conference:

Cooperation with Central Asia - The Potential of the EU's Central Asia Strategy

held on 15 -17 September 2008 at the Protestant Academy Loccum jointly
organized in cooperation with the Centre for OSCE Research (CORE).

Summary

The politico-geographical region of Central Asia is becoming
increasingly important in the international context for strategic
reasons, and not least for its abundant resources. This is one of the
aspects why at the end of the German presidency, the European Council
adopted an EU Strategy for Central Asia on 21/22 June 2007. It is
intended to create a new basis for cooperation with the five states,
and to add momentum to a reorientation of existing relationships
towards the interests in civilian cooperation and development shared
by the two regions.

On the one hand, a policy focused on conflict prevention that is aimed
at energy security, amongst other things, needs to balance the
economic interests of primarily energy-producing actors and those who
are primarily dependent on its supply. On the other, areas of common
activities and cooperation on state and non-governmental levels need
to be identified for a sustainable and lasting cooperation in areas
such as environmental policy, scientific cooperation or educational
and intercultural dialogue.

The international conference "Cooperation with Central Asia - The
Potential of the EU's Central Asia Strategy" seeks to address the
challenges posed by a cooperation-based policy of diversification,
using the EU Strategy for Central Asia as an example. The conference
will start with a focus on politics and strategy: top-level political
and academic experts will elaborate on the conflict and cooperation
potential arising from energy problems. Within the framework of two
panels, the conference will then discuss selected policy areas
(support of education and science including the example of
environmentally-oriented water management and support of intercultural
and inter-religious competencies as part of the secular-Islamic
dialogues) pertaining to the Central Asia strategy that are highly
promising in terms of their potential for dialogue and the willingness
to learn from each other.

In both panels experts from the respective areas of work from the EU
and Central Asia will share their experiences in cooperation.

As part of a lessons learnt forum, the conference will also provide
opportunities to share information and exchange views about existing
or completed cooperation projects with Central-Asian partners.

The conference will close with a summing-up session and a critical
appraisal of conference results in the light of measures taken so far
towards the implementation of the EU Strategy for Central Asia.

Please find the conference programme below.

Conference languages are German, English, and Russian (simultaneous
translation).

As regards conference proceedings, there is a publication of the
papers planned in the series of "Loccum Protocols".

We hope to see you in Loccum,

Dr. Corinna Hauswedell, Anna Kreikemeyer, Wolfgang Zellner


Program

15:00 - Welcome and Opening

Dr. Corinna Hauswedell, Loccum
Dr. Wolfgang Zellner, CORE, Hamburg

15:15 - Keynote Addresses

Minister of State Gernot Erler, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin
Nurlan Onshanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Germany, Berlin

16:30 - Opening Panel: Central Asia and the EU: One Year after the
   EU-Central Asia Strategy

Pierre Morel, EU-Special Representative for Central Asia, Brussels
Prof. Dr. Martha Brill Olcott, Carnegie Endowment for International
   Peace, Washington
Prof. Dr. Bulat Sultanov, Institute for Strategic Studies at the
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty
Dr. Sukhrob Sharipov, Centre for Strategic Research at the President
   of the Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe
N.N., Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan
Dr. Andrea Schmitz, German Institute for International and Security
   Affairs, Berlin
Facilitator: Dr. Corinna Hauswedell
Followed by plenary discussion

19:30 - Co-operation and Diversification in Energy Policy Chances for
   the European-Central Asian Relations

Dr. Dossym Satpaev, Director, Assessment Risks Group, Almaty
Prof. Dr. Anatoly Kholmatov, International Funds for the Aral Sea
   (IFAS), Dushanbe
Pierre Morel, EU-Special Representative for Central Asia, Brussels
Johannes Regenbrecht, Head of Unit, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin
Dr. Petra Opitz, German Energy Agency, Berlin
Facilitator: Dr. Wolfgang Zellner
Followed by plenary discussion

Tuesday, 16 September 2008

09:30 - Introductions, Panel I: Co-operation through Education and
   Academic Exchange

Prof. Kulash Nogataevna Shamshidinova, Dep. Minister of Education of
   the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana
Dr. Barbara Rhode, Directorate General Research, EU Commission, Brussels
Facilitator: Dr. Corinna Hauswedell

10:45 - Panel II: Co-operation through Intercultural and
   Interreligious Dialogue

Prof. Dr. Muratbek Imanaliev, Institute for Public Policy, Bishkek
Darja Bavdaz-Kuret, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
   the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana
Facilitator: Dr. Anna Kreikemeyer, CORE, Hamburg

12:30 - Lunch break

13.20 - Opportunity to visit the Cistercian Monastery Loccum (founded in 1163)

14:30 - Continuation of the conference in two parallel workshops

Workshop I, Part 1: Co-operation through Education and Academic Exchange

Benedikt Brisch, Head of Unit, German Academic Exchange Service, Bonn
N.N., Aga Khan Foundation, Bishkek
Prof. Dr. Dr. Murad Haitov, Faculty of Law, Turkmen State University, Ashgabad
Dr. Tim Epkenhans, Director, OSCE-Academy, Bishkek
Dr. Barbara Rhode, Brussels
Prof. Kulash Nogataevna Shamshidinova, Astana
Prof. Dr. Dr. Johann W. Gerlach, President, German-Kazakh University, Almaty
Michael Schlicht, Head of Unit, Federal Ministry of Education and
   Research, Bonn
Dr. Wolfgang Levermann, VolkswagenStiftung, Hanover
Facilitator: Dr. Corinna Hauswedell

Workshop I, Part 2: Co-operation on Water and Environmental Issues

Prof. Dr. Malik Burlibaev, Astana
Prof. Dr. Anatoly Kholmatov, Dushanbe
Andrea Leone, AIDCO/E6, EU Commission, Brussels
Dr. des. Jenniver Sehring, Assistant Professor, University of Würzburg
Facilitator: Dr. Wolfgang Zellner

Workshop II: Co-operation through Intercultural and Inter-religious Dialogue

State Secretary Darja Bavdaz-Kuret, Lubljana
Prof. Muratbek Imanaliev, Bishkek
Muhiddin Kabiri, Chairman of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan
   (IRPT), Dushanbe
Julie McBrien, University Amsterdam/University College Utrecht,
   Utrecht/Amsterdam
Malikachon Normukhamedova, Spiritual Administration of Muslims of
   Uzbekistan, Tashkent
Omur Orhun, Ambassador, OSCE Special Representative on Combating
   Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, Istanbul
Dr. Arne C. Seifert, Ambassador ret., Central Asia Adviser, CORE, Berlin
Prof. Dr. Bulat Sultanov, Almaty
Facilitator: Dr. Anna Kreikemeyer

19:30 - Lessons Learnt Forum

Information and exchange on existing and completed co-operation
projects with Central Asian partners

Wednesday, 17 September 2008

09:30 - Closing Panel: Reports from the Workshops and Responses in the
Light of EU Practice

Benedikt Brisch, Bonn
Dr. des. Jenniver Sehring, Würzburg
Dr. Arne C. Seifert, Berlin

Dr. Barbara Rhode, Brussels
Andrea Leone, Brussels
Darja Bavdaz-Kuret, Lubljana
N. N., EU Commission, Relations with Eastern Europe, Caucasus and
Central Asia (EECCA), Brussels

11:15 - Final Plenary Discussion

Facilitator: Dr. Anna Kreikemeyer

12:15 - Conclusions and Perspectives

Dr. Corinna Hauswedell
Dr. Wolfgang Zellner

12:30 - Lunch and end of the conference
12:50 - Departure of the bus to Wunstorf (arrival approx. 13:30)

Conference Fees/Registration:

180 euro including accommodation, meals and fees.
For students (age 30 or under), members of the armed services and
alternative service as well as unemployed with proper identification:
90 euro. Conference fees are to be paid in cash at the time of registration.

We request that you register by name, address, institution/organization at:

Evangelische Akademie Loccum
Karin Hahn
D-31545 Rehburg-Loccum,
Fax: +49-5766-81-128
E-mail: Karin.Hahnevlka.de

Registrations will be confirmed as long as places are available.
Should you have to cancel your registration, please inform us as soon
as possible.

Accommodation and meals:

Participants will be accommodated in single rooms or double rooms, if
preferred. All meals are served at the Academy. By prior arrangement,
rooms and meals may be available before and after the conference.

Directions:

Loccum is located 50 kilometers west of Hanover in Lower Saxony. The
nearest airport is at Langenhagen airport near Hanover. The nearest
train stations are Wunstorf, Minden and Nienburg. Detailed
instructions will be sent to all registered participants.

Conference Organizers:

Dr. Corinna Hauswedell, Director of Studies (Loccum)
Tel. +49-5766-81-109

Karin Hahn, Secretary
Tel. +49-5766-81-113
Fax.+49-5766-81-128


Dr. Corinna Hauswedell, Director of Studies for International
   Politics, Academy Loccum, Email: Corinna.Hauswedellevlka.de, tel.:
05766-81109
Dr. Anna Kreikemeyer and Dr. Wolfgang Zellner, Centre for OSCE
   Research (CORE), Email: annakreikemeyergmx.de, tel: 040-8660 7767
Karin Hahn will provide you with information on train connections,
   directions, etc. if needed. Email: Karin.Hahnevlka.de
 

CONF.- Institutions and Economy in Central Asia, Goettingen, Sept. 25-26, 2008

Posted by: Manuel Stark <mailmanuelstark.com>
Posted: 30 Jul 2008


CONF.- Institutions and Economy in Central Asia, Goettingen, Sept. 25-26, 2008


Dear Colleagues:

I would like to draw your attention towards the international conference
"Institutions, Institutional Change, and Economic Performance in Central Asia".

Organized by the PFH Goettingen and the University of Groningen,
supported by the Volkswagen-Foundation, this conference brings together
economists, political scientists, sociologists as well as policymakers
with an expertise on Central Asia.

For your information, please find attached the conference program.
Further information as well as a registration form can be found at
www.pfh.de/centralasia

We would greatly appreciate your participation in the captioned
conference. Please feel free to forward this information to other
interested persons.

If you have any questions regarding organizational aspects, please
contact Manuel Stark (mailmanuelstark.com).

At the end of August, we will send out the final program including
times and a description of the venue.

Best regards,

Joachim Ahrens


Professor Dr. Joachim Ahrens
Professor of International Economics
Private University of Applied Sciences
Weender Landstrasse 3-7
D - 37073 Goettingen
Germany

Phone: +49 (0)551 547 00 0
Fax: +49 (0)551 547 190
E-mail: ahrenspfh-goettingen.de
Internet: www.pfh-goettingen.de


Preliminary Program

"Institutions, Institutional Change, and Economic Performance in Central Asia"
Conference in Göttingen, Germany, September 25-26, 2008

Organized by the Private University of Applied Sciences Göttingen,
Germany, and the University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Chairmen: Prof. Dr. Joachim Ahrens and Prof. dr. Herman W. Hoen

The countries of Central Asia are increasingly the focus of intense
international attention because of their geopolitical and economic
importance as well as their unsettled transition processes. The region
faced enormous challenges when the Soviet Union disintegrated.
Overall, it has made rudimentary progress in opening up to the
international community, creating market institutions, and building
more inclusive, democratic political processes. Daunting challenges
remain -- reflected in the region's relatively low economic and human
development indicators. In particular, reforms of the institutional
environment have been largely neglected. It is evident that the lack
of effective institution building as well as rule enforcement in the
economic and political realms represents one of the key weaknesses and
drawbacks of transition. Hence, crafting adequate market institutions
will be of utmost importance in the years ahead. This conference seeks
to explore key aspects of economic and political governance in Central
Asia. For further information on the conference and research on
Central Asia, visit: www.pfh.de/centralasia

Speakers and topics at the conference include:

Introduction

Joachim Ahrens, PFH Göttingen:
Emerging Market Economies in Central Asia: The Role of Institutional
Complementarities in Reform Processes

Keynote Speeches

Martin Spechler, Indiana University
   The Central Asian Economies since Independence
Richard Pomfret, University of Adelaide
   Turkmenistan after Turkmenbashi: a governance perspective

Round Table: Institution Building and Governance in Central Asia

Martin Spechler, Indiana University; Joern Graevingholt, German
Development Institute (tbd); Frank Bliss, Bliss & Gaesing Associated
Consultants


Presentations and Sessions

Note that the assignment to particular sessions is preliminary and
subject to change.

Governance and institutions I

Joern Graevingholt, German Development Institute The political economy
   of governance reform: the case of Central Asia
Manuel Stark, European Business School Oestrich-Winkel and PFH-Göttingen
   The developmental state: lessons for Central Asia
Anke Draude, FU Berlin
   Governance perspectives in areas of limited statehood (tbd)

Governance and institutions II

Frank Bliss, Bliss & Gaesing Associated Consultants
   Poverty, participation and governance in Tajikistan
Alexander Libman, University of Mannheim/ Russian Academy of Sciences,
Moscow, PFH Göttingen
   Informal Integration and Decentralization in Central Asia
Farrukh Irnazarov, PFH Göttingen
   Transition strategies in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan since independence:
   paradoxes and prospects

Governance and institutions III

Christian Danne, University College Dublin/ Andreas Tudyka, WHU Koblenz
   Opportunity windows, commitment devices, and institution building in
   small open economies -- evidence from the EU periphery
Jan Drahokoupil, Max-Planck-Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne
   The variety of peripheral statehood in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Azim Raimbaev, Vrije Universiteit Brussels
   Local self-governance in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia:
   the role of informal institutions

Institutions and development in Central Asia

Joost Platje, University of Opole
   Institutional capital as a condition for sustainable development: a
   perspective from transition countries
Linda Schollenberg, Göteborg University
   Gender inequality and institutions in a cross-country parameter
   heterogeneity framework -- using the OECD GID database
Gerhard Toews, University of Kassel and PFH Göttingen
   Determinants of FDI in Central Asia

Uzbekistan: country-specific issues

Nargiza Abdullaeva The University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent
   Institutional reforms and economic performance: the case of Uzbekistan
Nurhan Kocaoglu, PFH Göttingen
   Institutional Development in Uzbekistan
Munira Aminova, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
   The impact of national culture on corporate governance: the case of
Uzbekistan
Manuela Troschke, Institute for Eastern European Studies, Regensburg
   Social capital and the formation of a market economy: the case of Uzbekistan

Kazakhstan: country-specific issues

Alma Nurshaikhova Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi, Almaty
   Poverty reduction in Kazakhstan: the assessment of international
   agencies' contribution
Ben Paarmann, Cambridge University
   Transitory centre-periphery relations in FSU countries: the case of
Kazakhstan
Heiko Fritz, International School of Economics, Almaty
   The system of corporate governance and corporate control in Kazakhstan

Education

Anzhela Injigolyan, Karanganda State University Nazgul Mingisheva,
Karaganda University "Bolashak"
   The institutional aspects of higher education system reforming in Central
Asia
Yergali Dosmagambet, CERDI, Université d-Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand
   Compositional change in secondary education and productivity dynamics
   with a special reference to Kazakhstan

Sectoral perspectives

Olaf Heidelbach, European Union, Delegation of the European Commission
to the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek Raushan Bokusheva, ETH Zurich
   Factors determining crop insurance market development in a transition
   economy: the case of Kazakhstan
Diana Bayzakova and Evelyn Dietsche, University of Dundee
   Institutional changes in the Central Asian oil and gas sector:
   Uzbekistan and its prospects for more effective institution building

External actors

Sebastian Lesch, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
   The Central-Asia Concept of the German Government
NN, (tbd) GTZ
   Sustainable economic development in Central Asia: the role of GTZ
Rainer Schweickert, Institute for the World Economy, Kiel
   Searching for external drivers -- determinants of institutional change
   in Central Asian countries

Central Asia in international structures

Andrea Schmitz, German Institute for International and Security Affairs
   Kazakhstan as a new regional power in Central Asia?
Nienke de Deugd, University of Groningen
   Transformation and integration in the wider Europe: the European
   Neighbourhood Policy as a case of policy transfer
Sámi Faltás, CESS, Groningen
   Security issues in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
 

CONF./CFP- The II International Private Law Congress, Baku, Apr. 30-May 1, 2009

Posted by: Ibrahim Keles <qeleshhotmail.com>
Posted: 7 Jul 2008


CONF./CFP- The II International Private Law Congress, Baku, Apr. 30-May 1, 2009


The II International Private Law Congress:

"International Trade"

April 30 and May 1, 2009.

The Faculty of Law, Qafqaz University, holds symposium on the theme of 
"International Trade", as a continuation of a series of private law 
conference held in 2005 - year. The symposium will be held between 
April 30 and May 1, 2009.

Goal: 

The legal system of the Soviet Union totalitarian character of based 
upon the Marxist ideology has prevented the development of private law 
in this geography. Since the Soviet Union was a state based upon the 
Marxist ideology private property over production factors was rejected 
and any kind of private initiative was banned. In such a legal 
environment there was no opportunity for the development of private law.

The states that gained independence as a result of the decay of the 
Soviet Union have had serious changes to experience in the political 
and economic fields during the process of restructuring. The CIS 
countries, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, transited to the 
relationship of the production and commerce private ownership and all 
bans on private property and free enterprise was abolished.

As a result of this change the new private legal relationship 
established which in turn should have been regulated by legacy. Almost 
all the newly established states including Azerbaijan removed the ban 
on both private property of production factors and private initiative. 
For this purpose in 29.12.1999 in Azerbaijan was adopted new Civil 
Code, which entered into force on 01.09.2000. Lack of sufficient legal 
norms and existence of many gaps in the law, very often encountered 
with changing legislation. On the other hand, the CIS countries have 
very recent past regarding to developing own private law, faced with a 
strong sense of a shortage of specialists in that area and the lack of 
research and literature.

So, the major purpose of organising an international conference in 
private law according to Qafqaz University is enable scientific 
discussions on the current problems faced in private law and 
contribute to the development of private law in Azerbaijan. It's also 
clear that the development of private law can contribute to the 
improvement of the economy and social structure. In this context we 
would like to stress that adoption and implementation of stable and 
purposeful regulations would play a vital role in the development and 
stimulation of private law relations and in particular of trade 
relations. This can also lead to the placement of foreign direct 
investment in Azerbaijan in an easier and legally more secure form and 
can make investments in Azerbaijan especially attractive to foreign 
capital. Because in a system of insecure and unstable legal 
regulations, investment is less attractive which is very natural, 
whereas in a contrary case capital.

We hope to hear very useful and important opinions of the esteem 
participants on the formation of the necessary legal environment with 
regard to private law relations in a postsoviet country as Azerbaijan. 

Deadline:

The last date to send abstracts reports: 31.12.2008 
Date of communication approvals theme reports: 15.01.2009 
The last date of sending the full text reports: 01.03.2009 
Approval of the text of the report: 15.03.2009 
Symposium dates: 30.04.2009 - 01.05.2009 

Subjects and Sections: 

1. Intellectual Right 
2. Arbitration 
3. Acreditive
4. Faktoring 
5. Franchaysing 
6. Securities 
7. E-commerce 
8. International Transport

Requirements for Reports:

1. The reporter's first name, last name, degree, occupation and e-mail 
   address should be specified.
2. The content of a report should not exceed 10 pages (A4) and its 
   summary is to be in more than 2 pages (A4). Both report and summary 
   should be typed in 14 point Times New Roman with margins (left 25 mm, 
   right 10 mm, top 25 mm, and bottom 20 mm). Reports should be attached 
   a summary in English. May 15, 2008 is set a deadline for the 
   submission of reports to the congress coordinating address: 
   huquqkongreqafqaz.edu.az
3. Reports must be original, useful and creative. All reports will be 
   carefully evaluated and selected for the congress by Scientific Jury.
4. Reports may be written in any of the specified languages: 
   Azerbaijan, Turkish, English or Russian.
5. Denied reports will not be returned.
6. Reports sent after the deadline will not be considered.
7. Details should be specified under subtitles.
8. Notification of acceptance will be sent to authors 15 days after 
   the deadline.

Organization Committee:

Prof. Dr.Ahmet SANIÇ
Prof.Dr. Niftali QOCAYEV
Pof.Dr. Mustafa AKDAG
Dr. Osman Nuri ARAS 
Dr. Murat ERGUVAN
Dr. Reha YILMAZ
Dr. Server SÜLEYMANOV
Dr. Ferhat MEHDIYEV
Dr. Rövsen IBRAHIMOV
Dr. Ceyhun MAHMUDOV
Sahin DURMAZ
Mübariz YOLCUYEV
Ismayil ISMAYILLI

Secretaries:

Dr. Server Süleymanli: ssuleymanliqafqaz.edu.az
Dr. Mübariz Yolcuyev: myolcuyevqafqaz.edu.az; mhalidogluyahoo.com
Ismayil Ismayilli: ismayil_beyhotmail.com
Hafiz Atakisiyev: hafiz_atakisiyahoo.com

Address:
Qafqaz Üniversitesi
Hirdalan, Bakü, AZERBAYCAN
Tel: (+99412) 4482862/66
Faks: (+99412) 4482861/67
 

CONF.- International Conference on Armenian-Ukrainian Relations, L'viv

Posted by: Gloria Caudill <gcaudillumich.edu>
Posted: 5 Jul 2008


CONF.- International Conference on Armenian-Ukrainian Relations, L'viv
 

International Conference on Armenian-Ukrainian Relations
Held in L'viv, Ukraine

Co-sponsored by the Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan
 
The international conference on Armenian-Ukrainian relations, 
sponsored jointly by the Armenian Studies Program at the University of 
Michigan, Ann Arbor; the Peter Jacyk Centre for Ukrainian Historical 
Research of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the 
University of Alberta, Canada; the Ukrainian Catholic University in 
L'viv; and the Institute of Ukrainian Archeography of the Ukrainian 
Academy of Sciences, L'viv Branch, was held in L'viv, Ukraine, from 28 
to 31 May, 2008.  The conference was made possible with academic 
planning and contribution as well as financial support by the 
sponsoring organizations.

Twenty papers were read by scholars from Armenia, Canada, Germany, 
Hungary, Poland and Ukraine on various aspects of Armenian-Ukrainian 
relations over the past five hundred years.  The papers covered such 
aspects as the administrative structure and privileges of Armenian 
communities in Ukraine, social realities, cultural influences, church 
and religion, identity and literature, and art and architecture. Many 
of the papers were based on archival materials or took a fresh look at 
the field, at once reflecting an on-going lively interest, and one of 
the major goals of the conference: to shed new light on the 
Armenian-Ukrainian relations.

Originally conceived by Kevork B. Bardakjian of the University of 
Michigan, Ann Arbor and Frank Sysyn of the Peter Jacyk Centre for 
Ukrainian Historical Research, both of whom chaired sessions and acted 
as discussants, the conference was an important step towards realizing 
one of the fundamental and long-standing elements of the mission of 
the Armenian Studies Program at Michigan to act as a catalyst for 
promoting and fostering Armenian Studies in various parts of the 
world.  It is hoped that the precedent set in L'viv will evolve into a 
pattern of periodically held conferences.

The papers will be posted on the websites of both the Armenian Studies 
Program and the other sponsoring organizations at the same time as 
plans are developed to publish the proceedings as a volume in English.


For Further Information, please contact:
Ms. Gloria Caudill, Administrator
Armenian Studies Program
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Tel: (734) 763-0622
Email: gcaudillumich.edu
 

LECTURE- Tajikistan: Nationalism & Historiography, OSCE Office Dushanbe, June 3, 2008

Posted by: Payam Foroughi <payamforoughiaol.com>
Posted: 29 Jun 2008


LECTURE- Tajikistan: Nationalism & Historiography, OSCE Office Dushanbe, June 3


As part of its Open Lecture Series, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan presents:

Constructing a New Past: Nationalism and Historiography in Post-Soviet 
Tajikistan

By Professor Touraj Atabaki, Ledien University and International 
Institute of Social History in Amsterdam.

Thursday, 3 July 2008, 4:15 PM
OSCE Office in Tajikistan
12 Zikrullo Khojaev St.
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
RSVP: Tels: 918-614250 /678551 or send message to: krakhimovosce.org 

Abstract: Changes in socio-cultural and political relationships in 
post-Soviet Central Asia have manifested themselves, more than 
anywhere, in the new perceptions of the national historiography of the 
individual States. In the post-Soviet era, the birth of new political 
cultures aiming to form modern states, among other things, have 
crafted new national identities for the Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik 
and Turkmen. Writing national histories have developed into a 
persuasive political project shaping a significant and unbroken link 
with each nation's constructed past, and filling the gap between a 
nation's supposed origin and its present day status and imagined 
community. The formation of Tajikistan's modern historiography dates 
back to the Soviet era. To study the criterion of the new school of 
historiography, one thus needs to examine how far the Soviet 
historiography has carried over into the post-Soviet Tajikistan. As an 
example, one can refer to selected amnesia and acceptance of "Soviet 
exceptionalism" or the recognition of an exclusive approach to history 
from an elitist perspective in Soviet historiography, where the agency 
in history is the elite, which in its multiplicity can be the secular 
intelligentsia or political institutions. The aim of this Lecture is 
to discuss the many different features in Tajik national 
historiography such as the relationships between the processes of 
state building and time, elites and subaltern, ethnicity, religion, 
territory, centre and periphery, colonial conspiracy, Marxism, and 
even gender. The Lecture will discuss the contributions of 
Tajikistan's political discourse in writing its national history and 
the crafted Tajik historiography in shaping the country's political 
culture.

Bio: Touraj Atabaki is Professor of Social History of the Middle East 
and Central Asia at Leiden University and Senior Research Fellow at 
the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam. Atabaki 
studied Theoretical Physics (BS, MS) and History at the National 
University of Iran and the University of London. He later worked at 
Utrecht University in the Netherlands (MA, PhD). Atabaki has published 
numerous articles on Iran, the Caucasus and Central Asia. His books 
include Azerbaijan: Ethnicity and the Struggle for Powers in Iran 
(London: I.B. Tauris, 1993); Beyond Essentialism: Who writes whose 
Past in the Middle East and Central Asia? (Amsterdam: Aksant, 2003); 
Post-Soviet Central Asia (Edited volume, London: I.B. Tauris, 1998); 
Men of Order, Authoritarian Modernisation in Turkey and Iran 
(co-edited with E. J. Zürcher, London: I.B. Tauris, 2004); Central 
Asia and the Caucasus: Transnationalism and Diaspora (co-edited with 
S. Mehendale, London and New York: Routledge, 2005); Iran and the 
First World War: Battleground of the Great Powers (London: I.B. 
Tauris, Forthcoming July 2006); and The State and the Subaltern: 
Society and Politics in Turkey and Iran, (London: I.B. Tauris, 2007). 
His more recent publication is an edited volume, Historiography and 
Political Culture in Twentieth Century Iran, to be published later in 
2008. Atabaki is currently working on projects focusing on issues of 
ethnicity and historiography of everyday life and comparative 
subaltern history in Iran and the southern tier of the Commonwealth of 
Independent States. Aside from his academic life, among other things, 
Atabaki has served as an OSCE Election Observer in presidential, 
parliamentary, and municipal elections in Europe, Caucasus, and 
Central Asia.
 

CONF./CFP- Caucasus Studies in Migration, Society, Language, Malmoe, Sweden, Nov. 28-30

Posted by: Karina Vamling <karina.vamlingmah.se>
Posted: 29 Jun 2008


CONF./CFP- Caucasus Studies in Migration, Society, Language, Malmoe, Nov. 28-30


The conference brings together researchers in Caucasus studies for a 
discussion of current developments in the region. How are these 
dynamics to be understood and explained from political, 
anthropological, historical, linguistic and cultural perspectives? We 
welcome multidisciplinary papers and also encourage presentation of 
research in progress. 

Papers will be organized into thematic panels, such as: 

 - Armed conflicts and migration	
 - Migration and maintenance of cultural identities 	
 - Language policy and migration	
 - Languages in contact	
 - Transitional identities
 - Caucasian diasporas
 - Intrastate conflicts and conflict resolution
 - Caucasus in regional and global politics	

Abstracts:
Deadline for abstracts: September 15. Send the title of your 
paper/presentation, abstract (maximum 500 words), affiliation and 
contact details to caucasus.studiesmah.se. Abstracts should be 
written in English, but presentations may be given in English or 
Russian. Researchers from countries requiring a visa for Sweden are 
encouraged to contact us at an earlier date. Notification by October 1.

The program also includes possibilities for poster presentations.

Conference fees:
Faculty members 50 euro; from CIS countries 25 euro; 
Students and PhD candidates 20 euro.

The conference is organized by Caucasus Studies at Malmö University, 
Sweden, in cooperation with the Center for Caucasus Studies at Oresund 
University. The conference is supported by SIDA (Swedish International 
Development Agency).

Venue:
The Department of International Migration and Ethnic Relations (IMER), 
Malmoe University, Sweden (30 min. from Copenhagen airport).

Conference homepage:
http://www.mah.se/imer/caucasusconference

Karina Vamling, Assoc. Prof.       Märta-Lisa Magnusson, Assoc. Prof.


Contact details:
Email: caucasus.studiesmah.se
Fax: +46 40 665 7330
Skype: CaucasusStudies 
Address: Department of International Migration and Ethnic Relations (IMER), 
Malmoe University, Citadellsvaegen 7, S-20506 Malmoe, Sweden
 

LECTURE- Tajikistan: State and Islamic Forces, OSCE Office Dushanbe, June 25, 2008

Posted by: Payam Foroughi <payamforoughiaol.com>
Posted: 24 Jun 2008


LECTURE- Tajikistan: State and Islamic Forces, OSCE Office Dushanbe, June 25


As part of its Open Lecture Series, the OSCE Office in Dushanbe presents:

"Relations between the State, Islam and Islamic Forces in Tajikistan: 
An Interview-based Assessment"
By Ms. Anne-Kristin Linke, Institute for Peace Research and Security 
Policy, Centre for OSCE Research,
University of Hamburg, Germany.

Wednesday, 25 June, 2008, 4:15 PM
OSCE Office in Dushanbe
12 Zikrullo Khojaev St.
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
RSVP: Tels: 918-614250 /678551 or send message to: krakhimovosce.org 

ABSTRACT: During the Tajik civil war, the so called 'Islamic factor' 
played a significant role, as exemplified by the armed Islamist-led 
resistance of the United Tajik Opposition (UTO) against Tajikistan's 
government forces. The June 1997 peace accord, inter alia, assured a 
participatory share of 30% of government positions for the Opposition, 
in addition to the incorporation of former UTO fighters in the armed 
forces of Tajikistan. A long-term project initiated in 2001 by the 
University of Hamburg-based Centre for OSCE Research (CORE) and funded 
by the Swiss Federal Office for Foreign Affairs attempted to 
systematically address the issue of 'secular-Islamic dialogue'. A 
significant result of the said project was the 'Confidence building 
measures' signed by project participants in 2003. Beyond this, 
however, rarely has there been any significant research done on the 
relationship of the State and the Islamic factor or forces in 
Tajikistan. In the framework of her master's thesis, Anne-Kristin 
Linke conducted a series of detailed interviews with religious 
leaders, representatives of political parties, civil society, media 
and Tajikistan government officials in the Sughd and Gharm regions, in 
addition to Dushanbe. Linke's presentation will give an overview of 
Islamic-based forces, in addition to an assessment of the current 
relationship between the State, Islam, and Islamic forces in Tajikistan.

BIO: Anne-Kristin Linke is pursuing a postgraduate program at the 
Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of 
Hamburg in Germany, where she is based at the Centre for OSCE Research 
(CORE) and is specializing on contemporary politics of Central Asia 
with a focus on Tajikistan. Aside from her current experience in 
Tajikistan, Linke has in the past worked with a GTZ (German 
Development Co-operation agency) project on small arms control; with 
the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe on a nation-wide print media study; with 
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in Dushanbe, and has taught at 
the Technological University of Tajikistan as well. In the past years, 
Linke has also worked in the sphere of higher education in Siberia and 
Uzbekistan. Her eclectic background has given her significant 
practical experience with acquired skills used for empirical studies 
focused on understanding the social and political forces in the 
greater Central Asian/Eurasian region.
 

CONF./CFP - ASPS Convention in Lahore on Persianate Societies, 2/27-3/1, 2009

Posted by: Amir Porooshani <prooshangmail.com>
Posted: 20 Jun 2008


CONF./CFP - ASPS Convention in Lahore on Persianate Societies, 2/27-3/1, 2009


ASPS Biennial Convention in Lahore, Pakistan
Call for Papers: Deadline: September 30, 2008
 
We are pleased to announce the ASPS Fourth Biennial Convention, which 
will take place from February 27-March 1, 2009 in Lahore, Pakistan. 
Local excursions on March 2, 2009 will be optional.
 
The deadline for submission of abstracts is September 30, 1998.
 
All humanities and social science disciplines related to Persianate 
Societies are welcome. We encourage pre-organized panels, but 
individual papers are also welcome. Submissions for pre-organized 
panels must include a panel abstract of no more than 300 words plus 
individual abstracts of no more than 300 words for each of five 
panelists.  Panels must be limited to a minimum of three panelists and 
a maximum of five.  Panels and individual abstracts must contain a 
clearly stated thesis. Please send abstracts in a Word document by email 
to: 

Dr. Shahzad Bashir (sbashirstanford.edu)

In addition, proposals from Iran should be sent to:

Dr. Habib Borjian (hb146columbia.edu)
 

Lahore is the cultural center of Pakistan and the Mughal ruler 
Jahangir's capital in the 17th century. The city boasts some of the 
wonders of Islamic architecture, including Shahi Qila (the Lahore 
Fort), Badshahi Mosque, Shalimar Gardens, and the buildings of the 
old, walled city. Not far away from Lahore is the prehistoric site of 
Harappa, a city part of the Indus Valley Civilization that represents 
the Indian parallel to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.
 
We look forward to an exciting fourth convention. Our first biennial 
convention took place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in September 2002, with 
the cooperation of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of 
Tajikistan, the Rudaki Institute of Language and Literature, and the 
National Commission of UNESCO, Tajikistan. This very successful and 
well publicized four-day scholarly meeting brought together over 80 
scholars from thirteen countries to present papers and to discuss a 
variety of themes on pre-Islamic and Islamic Persianate culture. Our 
second biennial convention on Iranian Studies, "Society, History and 
Culture in the Persianate World," was held in Yerevan, Armenia in 
2004, and brought together 90 scholars from 18 countries. Our third 
conference was held in Tblisi, Georgia in June 2007 at the lv. 
Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and the Tsereteli Institute of 
Oriental Studi! es, where scholars from 13 countries presented their 
papers. During the conference period, ASPS opened its new branch 
office at the Institute of Oriental Studies.
 
The conferences have provided a rare and valued opportunity for 
scholars from West, Central and South Asia, Europe and North America 
to participate in an interdisciplinary dialogue. The interchange of 
ideas has also found its place in our publication, Journal of 
Persianate Societies, which has recently moved to Brill Academic 
Publishers.
 
For more information please visit:
www.persianatesocieties.org
 

CONF./CFP- 8th ICCEES World Congress, Stockholm, 26-31 July 2010

Posted by: ICCEES VIII Stockholm <infoiccees2010.se>
Posted: 18 Jun 2008


CONF./CFP- 8th ICCEES World Congress, Stockholm, 26-31 July 2010


The VIII World Congress of the International Council for Central and 
East European Studies will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, on 26-31 
July 2010. The theme of the Congress is: "Eurasia: Prospects for Wider 
Cooperation". The academic hosts are Stockholm University, Södertörn 
University College and Stockholm School of Economics. The Congress 
will be held at Stockholm City Conference Centre located in the very 
centre of the City. The local organiser of the Congress is the 
Sällskapet för studier av Ryssland, Central- och Östeuropa samt 
Centralasien (The Swedish Society for the Study of Russia, Central and 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia). You are invited to attend the 
Congress, participate in its panels and roundtables and enjoy the 
abundant cultural program on offer in the city of Stockholm.

Hjärtligt välkomna!

Call for Proposals

The Swedish Society for the Study of Russia, Central and Eastern 
Europe and Central Asia, the organizer of the VIII ICCEES World 
Congress, invites all interested scholars to submit proposals for 
panels, papers and round-table discussions.

These proposals should reflect the results of new research in the 
study of developments in the cultural, political, social and economic 
processes underway in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Initially dedicated to the problems of studying the USSR and the 
Soviet bloc during the Cold War, ICCEES Congresses have since the fall 
of the Soviet Union become multidisciplinary scholarly forums to 
deepen and broaden understanding of the cultures and societies of this 
immense region. The VI and VII world congresses (in 2000 and 2005 
respectively) focused upon questions of European integration and the 
post-Soviet transformation of Eastern and Central Europe. While 
acknowledging the ongoing European integration processes, the VIII 
World Congress is convened at a time when the international situation 
poses new security challenges, requiring the elaboration of new 
strategies. The Congress seeks to organize a wide scholarly discussion 
of these developments with the overriding theme

Eurasia: Prospects for Wider Cooperation.

2010 marks the 25th anniversary of Mikhail Gorbachev's appointment to 
the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet 
Union. The Congress therefore considers it to be an opportune time to 
revisit Gorbachev's policies of glasnost and perestroika, his attempt 
to establish a new global order on the basis of the principles of 
openness and democracy, and the dramatic events that caused a radical 
restructuring of the world. The congress recognizes the role of these 
events and ideas in opening up new possibilities for developing 
scholarly methods and finding new sources.

Of special interest for the Congress are the cultural transformations 
that occur at times of intense political and economic change. The 
processes of European integration and wider cooperation across Eurasia 
not only impact upon geographical spaces but also leave their mark 
upon cultural spaces. These processes make communication between 
languages, histories, religions, traditions, legacies and memories 
more complex. Humanities and social science scholars are therefore 
invited to reflect on how local cultural contexts react to, engage in, 
or resist globalization.

These are the general issues that should be kept in mind when 
proposals are prepared. This does not exclude any topic or field of 
research which traditionally has had its place at the ICCEES congresses.

We also invite book publishers and editorial boards of academic 
journals and cultural magazines to suggest topics for discussion at 
roundtables and panels.

Guidelines for Proposals
1. All proposals have to be scholarly in nature.
2. All proposals will have to be approved by the International 
   Academic Committee. Only approved proposals will be included in the 
   Congress programme.
3. Proposals for panels normally include a chair, up to three speakers 
   and a discussant.
4. Panels must be international in composition. Panels with 
   participants from only one country will not be accepted.
5. The allotted time for a panel is 90 minutes. It is highly 
   recommended that each speaker be allowed no more than 15 minutes for 
   her or his presentation.
6. The consent of all panel participants should be obtained before a 
   panel is proposed. No one may be proposed without his or her knowledge 
   and consent.
7. No person may propose more than one panel. No person may 
   participate in more than two panels.
8. Proposals for individual papers - not included in a proposal for a 
   panel - may be included in the Congress programme by the decision of 
   the International Academic Committee. Such papers may be presented in 
   special sessions or included in other panels.
9. The International Academic Committee has the right to add papers to 
   other panels. The chair will allow such contributors to speak from the 
   floor for 5 minutes.
10. The official Congress languages are English, Russian, German and 
   French. All program activities must be carried out in one of these 
   languages. The Congress organisation will not provide interpreting 
   services (except for the opening and closing ceremonies where 
   simultaneous interpretation between English and Russian will be available).
11. The language of the Congress administration is English. All 
   correspondence, proposals, abstracts, etc. have to be in English.

Procedures for Proposals
1. Only proposals submitted electronically will be considered for 
   inclusion in the Congress. Proposals must be submitted in English - 
   irrespective of the language to be used by the panelists at the 
   Congress. Proposals should be directed to: proposalsiccees2010.se.
2. The deadline for proposals is 28 February 2009. The International 
   Academic Committee encourages proposals to be sent as early as possible.
3. The International Academic Committee will meet in the spring 2009 
   to make a decision on the composition of the final Congress programme.
4. The International Academic Committee will send all scholars whose 
   proposals have been accepted, an official letter of invitation, which 
   can be used to apply for funding and/or obtaining a visa, by 1 July 2009.
5. Once a proposal for a panel/paper has been accepted, a half-page 
   abstract in English should be submitted through an on-line abstract 
   system at www.iccees2010.se, no later than 30 October 2009. A paper 
   without an abstract will not be included in the program.
6. Please note that the abstracts will be published without editing. 
   The authors therefore have to ensure that they are satisfied with 
   their abstract.
7. Each abstract must indicate the language in which the paper will be 
   presented.
8. Each abstract has to include contact details, at least an e-mail address.

Please note: All participants are expected to register. All 
participants will be expected to cover the following costs themselves: 
registration fee, travel expenses, accommodation and meals. The 
registration fees are listed below. The congress organiser will try to 
obtain a limited number of travel grants for participants from Eastern 
European and Central Asian countries. Those interested in applying for 
such grants should click the respective box in the electronic 
registration form when registering. Information about the availability 
of any such grants will only become available in late 2009.

Tours will be offered at a reasonable price for the days before and 
after the Congress. The Congress program will list these tours and 
their prices. The tours are not part of the Congress.

Registration Fees (preliminary):

Registration by 31 December 2009
 - Registration fee - 290 euro
 - Residents of Eastern European and Central Asian states - 230 euro
 - Students - 125 euro
Registration after 1 January 2010 - 
 - Registration fee - 350 euro
 - Residents of Eastern European and Central Asian states - 290 euro
 - Students - 150 euro
On-Site Registration - 
 - Registration fee - 375 euro
 - Residents of Eastern European and Central Asian states - 300 euro
 - Students - 160 euro
One-Day Admission - 55 euro
One-Day Admission for Students  - 25 euro

The registration fee (except for one-day admission) includes: 
admission; participation in all the panels, roundtables and lectures 
at the Congress (a limitation may be made for technical reasons, such 
as the capacity of lecture halls); and a conference bag containing 
conference material.

Please note: Participants should make certain that their payment 
covers their registration fees in the full amount of euros indicated, 
so as not to cause any additional banking costs for the Congress organisers.

Congress Information in Brief

Congress dates and location: 26-31 July 2010, Stockholm, Sweden
Theme: "Eurasia: Prospects for Wider Cooperation"
Deadline for proposals: 28 February 2009
Address for proposals: proposalsiccees2010.se
Abstract submission: 1 March - 30 October 2009
Registration: Beginning 1 July 2009
Address for abstracts and registration: www.iccees2010.se

Useful Congress Addresses
All questions regarding accommodation, registration and tours should 
be directed to the congress organisation agency:

MCI
Box 6911
SE-102 39 Stockholm
e-mail: mciiccees2010.se
phone: +46-8-54651500
fax: +46-8-5465 1599

For questions regarding scholarly aspects of the congress, please contact:

Prof. Irina Sandomirskaja
President of Sällskapet
Irina.Sandomirskajaiccees2010.se

CONF./CFP- The Middle East and the Caucasus, Yerevan, Nov. 6-7

Posted by: Ruben Safrasyan <rsafrastyansci.am>
Posted: 16 Jun 2008


Call For Papers

Dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Institute of Oriental Studies

International Conference
"The Middle East and the Caucasus: History, Realities, Perspectives"
November 5-7, 2008
Yerevan, Armenia

Institute of Oriental Studies at the Armenian National Academy of Sciences
is organizing an international conference entitled "The Middle East and the
Caucasus: History, Realities, Perspectives" dedicated to the 50th
anniversary of its foundation.

The Conference will be held on November 5-7, 2008 at the Armenian National
Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia.

Abstracts (not exceeding 500 words), a brief biography and contact details
are to be emailed by September 1, 2008. The working languages of the
Conference are Armenian, English and Russian.
The scheduled time for each paper will be 15 minutes. The conference papers
will be published in a separate volume.

For any further information, please, contact:
Mr. Robert Ghazaryan, Ph.D.
Secretary of the Organizing Committee
infoorient.sci.am

Institute of Oriental Studies
M.Baghramyan ave. 24g,
Yerevan 0019
Armenia
Tel: +374 (10) 58-33-82
Email: infoorient.sci.am

CONF.- Islam in the Post-Soviet Caucasus, SOAS-London, June 13

Posted by: Anna Zelkina <azelkinagooglemail.com>
Posted: 9 Jun 2008


Islam in the Post-Soviet Caucasus: Legal, Social and Political Aspects

13 June 2008, Room L67, SOAS, Russell Sq, London WC1H OXG
For further information, please, contact:
Dr. Anna Zelkina: azelkinagooglemail.com

Session I

9:15-9:30 - Anna Zelkina, SOAS, Centre for Contemporary Central Asia
      and the Caucasus
   Opening Remarks, Chair
9:30-9:50 - Domitilla Sagramoso, Kings College, London University
   Western Perception of Islam in the Western Academic and Media Discourse
9:50-10:10 - Moshe Gammer, Professor, Department of the Middle East
      History, Tel-Aviv University
   Sufies and Wahhabies in Chechnya and Daghestan
10:10-10:45 - Discussion

10:45-11:00 - Coffee

Session II - Aude Merlin, Chair

11:00-11:20 - Ahmet Yarlykapov, Institute of Ethnology and
      Anthropology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow
   Youth Jamaats of the North Caucasus: Ideology, Structure and Practices
11:20-11:40 - Naima Neflyasheva, Caucasian Studies Centre, Institute
      of African Studies, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow
   Islam and Political Process in the North-Western Caucasus
11:40-12:00 - Michail Roschin, Institute for Oriental Studies, Russian
      Academy of Science, Moscow
   Islam in North Ossetia
12:00-12:30 - Discussion

12:30-13:30 - Lunch

Session III - Moshe Gammer, Chair

13:30-13:50 - Amir Navruzov, Institute of History Archeology and
      Ethnography, Russian Academy of Science, Daghestan
   Theological Debate between Traditional Sufi Authorities and Salafi
      Purists in Historic Perspective
13:50-14:10 - Shamil Shikhaliev, Department of Oriental Manuscripts,
      Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of
      Science, Makhachkala
   The Naqshbandi and the Shadhili Sufi Orders in Daghestan
14:10-14:30 - Vladimir Bobrovnikov, Institute of Oriental Studies,
      Russian Academy of Science, Moscow
   Fatwa Culture and Legal Debate in post-Soviet Daghestan
14:30-15:00 - Discussion

Session IV - Sylvia Serrano, Chair

15:00-15:20 - Musa Basnoukaev, Department of Economics, The Chechen
      State University, Groznyi
   Discourse between Islam and Political Power in Qadyrov's Chechnya
15:20-15:40 - Galina Khizrieva, Russian Institute of Cultural Studies, Moscow
   The Kunta Hajji Wird of the Qadiri Sufi Order in Post-Soviet Ingushetia
15:40-16:00 - Mairbek Vachagaev, Independent scholar on Islam in
      Chechnya and Ingushetia, France
   "Life" of Ziyarats (Holy Places) in Present-day Chechnya
16:00-16:30 - Discussion

16:30-17:00 - Tea

17:00-17:30 - Screening of video material on Sufi practices among
   Muslims in Daghestan and Ingushetia

17:30-18:00 - Discussion and Closing Remarks

CONF.- Muslim Youth: Challenges, Opportunities and Expectations, Chester, UK, Aug. 15-17

Posted by: Mohammad S.Seddon <m.seddonchester.ac.uk>
Posted: 8 Jun 2008


Muslim Youth: Challenges, Opportunities and Expectations

Organised Jointly: AMSS UK and the University of Chester.
Venue: Chester University, UK, 15-17 August 2008

The modern world presents a series of complex, conflicting scenarios
and possibilities for young people and in particular young Muslims.
Many Muslim societies display a "youth bulge", where more than half of
their populations are under the age of 25, a demographic reality
mirrored in Muslim communities living in the West. An increasingly
globalised western culture is rapidly eroding traditional ideas about
society, from the family to the state. At the same time, rampant
materialism is creating a culture of spiritual emptiness in which
demoralisation and pessimism easily find root. For young Muslims these
challenges are compounded by a growing sense of alienation as they
face competing ideologies and divergent lifestyles. Muslim youth are
often idealised as the "future of Islam" or stigmatised as rebelling
against their parental values and suffering "identity crises". These
experiences can produce both positive and negative reactions, from
intellectual engagement, social interaction and increasing spiritual
maturity to emotional rejectionism, immersion in narrow identity
politics and violent extremism. However, it is clear that the optimism
of most young Muslims is best nurtured in an environment of
opportunity, where ambitions and aspirations can exist as an
achievable reality. But at the social and political levels,
opportunity crucially depends on the existence of both equality and
inclusivity, as well as the vision and determination within the
community and the establishment to tackle educational
underachievement. This conference seeks to discuss the central issues
currently facing young Muslims both locally and globally and seeks to
engage with academics, educationalists, psychologists, social
commentators, youth work practitioners and interested institutions and
organisations at the national and international levels.

We invite papers that address but are not limited to the following themes:

Contexts
 * Classical and modern understandings of youth in Islam
 * Theorising Muslim Youth
 * Contrasting Muslim youth experiences in majority and minority
   Muslim societies

Challenges
 * Globalisation of Western consumer youth cultures
 * Detraditionalisation and secularisation
 * Reconciling competing demands from 'home, school, street, and mosque'
 * Alienation, marginalisation and discrimination
 * Social problems and cultural taboos
 * Educational underachievement
 * Over-emphasis on a narrow range of occupations
 * Issues of well-being and mental health, e.g. happiness/depression,
   optimism/pessimism, meaningfulness/nihilism,
 * Disconnection of urban youth from the natural world
 * Youth and anti-social behaviour
 * Identity, belonging and loyalty
 * Vulnerability to violent and extremist ideologies

Opportunities
 * Reclaiming authentic Islamic spirituality and human values
 * Hybridised youth identities
 * Youth as agents of positive change and improvement in society as a
   whole, through:
   a) Proposing constructive solutions instead of being perceived as
      "a problem"
   b) responsible civic engagement
   c) building networks with people of goodwill from all communities
   d) advocating and promoting social and economic justice, ethical
      business, creative philanthropy, stewardship models of management,
      protection of the environment, etc.
   e) achieving excellence in professions which influence public opinion
      and public policy (e.g. the media) and create future opinion formers
      and thought leaders (e.g. education at all levels)
   f) becoming role models in caring professions (e.g. health care)
   g) driving and articulating key research on social issues
 * Visibility and activism of young Muslim women
 * Advancement of holistic education to nurture full range of human
   potential amongst young people - intellectual, aesthetic, physical,
   moral and spiritual
 * Reconnecting with nature and the countryside
 * Re-animating an Islamic conception of beauty
 * Emerging youth cultures, e.g. 'Islamic Cool' i.e. Nasheed & Rap
 * Development of new types of religious identity
 * Ground breaking service based projects and educational initiatives

Abstracts

We invite submissions for 20 minute presentations. Submissions should
not have been published previously as selected papers will be included
in a Conference proceedings publication.

Please submit a 200 word abstract of the paper with an application form
to the following e-mail: m.seddonchester.ac.uk by 15th June 2008.

Decisions on which papers will be included in the conference program
will be announced by the organizers by the end of July, and the
information will be sent by e-mail. Selection of the papers will be made
on the basis of quality and relevance to the conference themes.

Sadek Hamid
Muslim Youth Work Programme Leader
Department of Theology & Religious Studies
University of Chester
Parkgate Road
Chester
CH1 4BJ

01244 511 031/07947 792 784

http://www.chester.ac.uk/trs/index.html

SEMINAR- The European Union and Central Asia (in French), Ashgabat, June 6

Posted by: Juliette Le Dore <ledorejhrw.org>
Posted: 8 Jun 2008


[NOTE: We received this too late, but the information may nevertheless
be of interest to CEL subscriber.  --CEL]

"Le Nouveau partenariat stratégique entre l'Union européenne et l'Asie
centrale: origine, enjeux, perspectives"

Presentation by Juliette Le Doré, PHD candidate at Université Libre de
Bruxelles (Belgium), specialized in EU-Central Asia relations, EU
Foreign Policy, Energy Geopolitics.

6th of June 2008 at 18h30 at the Centre Culturel Français Jules Verne,
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

For more info, please contact noemie.larrouilhdiplomatie.gouv.fr or
+993 12 36-33-08/36-45-56.

CONF./CFP- Language Change in Bilingual Communities, Focus on the Post-Soviet Countries, Uppsala, Oct. 3

Posted by: Nino Amiridze <nino.amiridzelet.uu.nl>
Posted: 2 Jun 2008


Second Call for Abstracts:

Language Change in Bilingual Communities: Focus on the Post-Soviet
Countries and Their Immigrant Communities Elsewhere

Workshop at
The 23rd Scandinavian Conference of Linguistics
October 3, 2008, Uppsala, Sweden

http://www.let.uu.nl/~Nino.Amiridze/personal/organization/PSB08.html

Call for Abstracts

The workshop aims at giving a perspective on post-Soviet bilingualism
while concentrating on the typology of linguistic changes under
language contact.

During the Soviet era, languages of the former Soviet republics have
been influenced by Russian, the Soviet lingua franca. The collapse and
the disintegration of the former Soviet Union has caused reshaping of
the relations between various ethnic groups within individual States,
on the one hand, and between Russia and the rest of the States, on the
other hand. Language situation and linguistic hierarchy within the
newly independent countries have considerably changed, depending on
the relations with Russia, and the growing influence of wider
globalization.

The fall of the Soviet Union has caused unprecedented waves of
immigrants from the former Soviet republics to various parts of the
world. Immigrant communities from the former Soviet Union do not
always have institutional support for their native languages in the
host countries. Keeping mother languages exclusively as a means of
communication in the family and within the community, the speakers
used to preserve some features of the languages that eventually got
changed in the varieties spoken back at home by their compatriots. On
the other hand, under the influence of the language(s) of the host
countries, changes have occurred in the immigrant languages.

Globalisation has influenced the area into a more open attitude with
respect to sign language and bimodal bilingualism. The former Soviet
Union maintained the medical model of disability, treating the deaf as
a disabled group. However, in some of these States there are attempts
to change the medical model with the social one, and view the deaf as
a cultural and linguistic minority. One of the positive consequences
of changing the approach is the promotion of bilingual education in
the schools for deaf, rather than pursuing exclusively oralist
educational policy. As a result of the changing attitudes towards sign
language and Deaf culture, deaf people in the Post-Soviet States will
become bilingual in a sign and a spoken language (a case of bimodal
bilinguality).

The following three topics will be addressed during the workshop:

 * Contact-induced changes that have occurred in the languages of the
   Post-Soviet States under   the declining role of Russian as a dominant
   language and the growing influence of other regionally and globally
   dominant languages;

 * Contact-induced changes and contact-induced preservation in the
   language varieties spoken by communities that have immigrated from the
   Post-Soviet countries since 1991 to various parts of the world.

 * Bimodal bilingualism and language situation in deaf communities of
   the Post-Soviet States. How changing of attitudes towards deafness
   affects sociolinguistic situation of users of sign languages across
   the former Soviet Union. Influences of the structure of one of their
   languages over that of the other language.

Invited Speakers

 * Anna Komarova (hearing) (Moscow Centre for Deaf Studies and
   Bilingual Education), Development of Bilingual Education of the Deaf
   in Post-Soviet Countries.

 * Tatiana Davidenko (deaf) (Moscow Centre for Deaf Studies and
   Bilingual Education), Sign Language Diversity in Post-Soviet Countries
   (translation from the RSL into English by Anna Komarova).

 * Kristina Svartholm (hearing) (Stockholm University), Bilingual
   Education for the Deaf. A Swedish Experience.

Important Dates

Abstract submission: June 16, 2008
Notification: July 7, 2008
Workshop: October 3, 2008

Organizers

 * Nino Amiridze, Utrecht University (The Netherlands)
 * Anne Tamm, University of Florence (Italy) and Institute for the
   Estonian Language
 * Manana Topadze, University of Pavia (Italy)
 * Inge Zwitserlood, Radboud University Nijmegen (The Netherlands)

Publication

If after the workshop there will be interest in publishing either a
proceedings or a special journal issue, then the organizers will take
responsibility of finding a suitable forum and will act as editors.

Submission

Abstracts (in English, maximum 3 pages, including data and references)
have to be submitted electronically as portable document format (.pdf)
or Microsoft Word (.doc) files via the EasyChair conference management system:

http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=psb08

If you do not have an EasyChair account, click on the button "I have
no EasyChair Account" on that page and follow the instructions. When
you receive a password, you can enter the site and upload your abstract.

Workshop Web Page

http://www.let.uu.nl/~Nino.Amiridze/personal/organization/PSB08.html

CONF.- 2nd Annual Symposium, Organization of Turkmen Scholars, Houston, Texas, June 13-15

Posted by: Victoria Clement <vsclemyahoo.com>
Posted: 2 Jun 2008


Organization of Turkmen Scholars

The 2nd Annual Symposium organized by the Organization of Turkmen
Scholars will be held in Houston, Texas, this year, on June 13-15.

The Organization of Turkmen Scholars was created with the goal of
establishing a common integrated platform for inspiring mutual
collaborations and support among Turkmen scholars and students of
science. We believe that this organization and its symposium series,
which are the first of their kind since the formation of independent
Turkmenistan, will play an important role in the future advancement of
science and technology in Turkmenistan.

The main theme of the symposium will be presentations by Turkmen
scholars from around the world about their academic achievements. In
addition, several discussion sessions will be held where novel future
projects and prospects under the main goal of advancing science in
Turkmenistan will be discussed. The presentations and proceedings in
this symposium are expected to be published in national Turkmen
journals and newspapers, as well as aired on the Turkmen National
Television.

Organization of Turkmen Scholars held its first symposium last year in
Dallas (TX). Last year's symposium was a great success and has
received high praises from Turkmen officials, as well as Turkmen
national media. Since 2007, our organization has grown; we currently
have at least 60 active members and expect to double that amount this
year. We anticipate that this symposium will become a tradition and a
symbol of excellence in Turkmen science.

EVENT- Roundtable with the Afghan Kyrgyz, SRC, AUCA, Bishkek, June 6

Posted by: Social Research Center <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 31 May 2008


Rountable with the Afghan Kyrgyz, June 6, Social Research Center, AUCA,
Bishkek

The Social Research Center (www.src.auca.kg) and Cultural Anthropology
Department at American University of Central Asia

present:

A Roundtable with the Afghan Kyrgyz

Time: 16:00 pm, June 6th, 2008

Venue: 232, AUCA (Main building)

Language: Kyrgyz/Russian

Synopsis: High in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan, a remnant
population of 1,300 Kyrgyz still follows the traditional lifestyle of
semi-nomadic pastoralism. During the past 100 years, the Afghan Kyrgyz
have ranged across tsarist Russia, Qing and Republican China, the
Afghan Pamir, Pakistan and even Turkey, where the majority of the
1970s Afghan Kyrgyz population was resettled in 1982, four years after
leaving Afghanistan for Pakistan in expectation of a Soviet invasion.

Today, the Afghan Kyrgyz dwell in one of the most remote and
inhospitable environments occupied by any human population. Lacking
roads, schools, or doctors, this community has some of the highest
rates of maternal, infant and child mortality in the world. Opium
addiction is also a rapidly growing problem.

Yet, despite the challenges posed by geo-political events,
Afghanistan's thirty years of war, and living at average elevations of
4100 meters, the Afghan Kyrgyz have persevered and today their future
is probably more hopeful than it has ever been before.

On 6 June, six Afghan Kyrgyz will visit SRC at AUCA for a
question-and-answer session. A brief introduction and slide show will
be given by Ted Callahan, a PhD candidate in anthropology and former
SRC Fellow, who has spent the past year living with the Kyrgyz in the
Afghan Pamir. Following this presentation, we will open the floor to
questions for the Afghan Kyrgyz.

How to register: Please RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg giving your name and
institution.

LECTURE- Perceptions of Good Governance in Kyrgyzstan, S. Kulikova, SRC, June 2

Posted by: Social Research Center <srcmail.auca.kg>
Posted: 31 May 2008


LECTURE: Perceptions of Good Governance among Traditional and
Internet-Based Media Users in Kyrgyzstan", Dr. Svetlana Kulikova, June
2, 2008, Social Research Center, Bishkek

The Social Research Center (www.src.auca.kg) at American University of
Central Asia presents:

LECTURE: Perceptions of Good Governance among Traditional and
Internet-Based Media Users in Kyrgyzstan

SPEAKER:  Dr. Svetlana Kulikova, PhD in Mass Communications and Public Affairs

Time: 16.30 pm, June 2, 2008

Venue: 315, AUCA (Main building)

Language: English (Interpretation into Russian will be provided ONLY
if requested in advance)

Synopsis: Dr. Kulikova will speak about the findings of her research
exploring the potential and role of the Internet-based media in the
Kyrgyz Republic's political processes after the 2005 March Revolution.
It uses a model of interaction between the government and citizens
through various types of realities: the reality constructed and
imposed by the state-controlled media, the reality created by
alternative, independent sources of information online, and the
realities experienced by citizens in their daily lives. The model
pulls together various theories from political science, sociology,
psychology, and mass communication and focuses on the
exit-loyalty-voice options available for the citizens in response to
governance practices.

The research project uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative
research methods. The results of content analysis have shown that in
coverage of the 2007 Constitutional Referendum, independent
Internet-based media indeed constructed a reality alternative to the
official propaganda imposed by state media and were more critical of
the government in terms of good governance practices than the state
media.  Further, the results of surveys and focus groups provide the
evidence that Internet-based media play a significant role in shaping
perceptions of good governance among politically interested
Internet-based media users toward more negative evaluations of and
higher levels of frustration with the government performance.
Finally, the Internet media use is associated with the higher levels
of intent to leave the country (i.e., exercise the exit option) among
the research participants with low political interest.

Bio: Svetlana Kulikova graduated with honors from the Foreign
Languages Faculty of the Kyrgyz State National University in 1993.  In
1994, she won a full scholarship to study political science at the
Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, and earned her
master's degree in 1995.  In 1995-97, she studied journalism and mass
communication as a Freedom Support Act fellow at Kansas State
University. Having earned her second master's, Kulikova returned to
Kyrgyzstan and taught for seven years media courses at the American
University - Central Asia.  She also served as a chair of Journalism
Department, Director of Public Relations Office at AUCA and a director
of an inter-institutional research project that resulted into a book
on mass media in Kyrgyzstan co-authored with Gulnara Ibraeva. Svetlana
Kulikova returned to the United States in 2004 to earn her doctoral
degree in mass communications and public affairs from Louisiana State
University's Manship School. While working on her degree, she
developed and strengthened her research interests in the area of
freedom of expression and press in emerging democracies and the role
of new media in forming citizens' perceptions of good governance,
which is the main focus of her dissertation.


How to register: Please send RSVP to pssmail.auca.kg with your name
and affiliation.

CONF.- Islam in the Post-Soviet Caucasus: Legal, Social and Political Aspects, SOAS-London, June 13

Posted by: Almut Rochowanski <almutchechnyaadvocacy.org>
Posted: 31 May 2008


June 13, 2008

Centre of Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus, School of
Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
(http://www.soas.ac.uk/cccac/)

B102, Brunei Gallery
SOAS
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square
London
9 am-6 pm

A one-day conference about (mostly) contemporary developments
concerning the role of Islam in politics, society, culture and armed
conflict across the Russian North Caucasus, with local, Russian and
international experts presenting field and archive-based research.

Speakers/Chairs:

Anna Zelkina (SOAS, Centre for Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus)
   Domitilla Sagramoso (Kings College, London University)
Moshe Gammer (Professor, Department of the Middle East History,
   Tel-Aviv University)
Aude Merlin (Universite Libre de Bruxelles)
Ahmet Yarlykapov (Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian
   Academy of Science, Moscow)
Naima Neflyasheva (Caucasian Studies Centre, Institute of African
   Studies, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow)
Michail Roschin (Institute for Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of
   Science, Moscow)
Amir Navruzov (Institute of History Archeology and Ethnography,
   Russian Academy of Science, Daghestan)
Shamil Shikhaliev (Department of Oriental Manuscripts, Institute of
   History, Archeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Science, Mahachkala)
Vladimir Bobrovnikov (Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy
   of Science, Moscow)
Sylvia Serrano (Centre d'Etudes du Monde Russe et Sovietique -
   EHESS/CNRS, Paris)
Musa Basnoukaev (Department of Economics, The Chechen State
   University, Groznyi)
Galina Khizrieva (Russian Institute of Cultural Studies, Moscow)
Ahmet Sultygov (PhD Candidate, Russian Institute of Cultural Studies, Moscow)

Download a detailed schedule, including titles of presentations, at
http://www.chechnyaadvocacy.org/events.html. To register, please email
Anna Zelkina at azelkinagooglemail.com.

CONF./PROG.- Iran and the Caucasus: Unity and Diversity, June 06-08, 2008, Yerevan, Armenia

Posted by: Khachik Gevorgyan <iranistyahoo.co.uk>
Posted: 31 May 2008


International Conference
"Iran and the Caucasus: Unity and Diversity"
June 06-08, 2008
Yerevan, Armenia
www.armacad.org/iranocaucasica

DAY 1: June 06, 2008
Registration and Opening Ceremony (Golden Palace Hotel, Azatutyan Ave.,
Yerevan 375037, Armenia)

10.00-11.30 - Registration
11.30-12.30 - Opening Ceremony

Garnik Asatrian, Chair, Organising Committee
Levon Mkrtchian, Minister of Higher Education and Science, RA
Aram Simonian, Rector, Yerevan State University
Flora Nakhshkarian, Board of Trusties, Arya International University
Uwe Bläsing, Associate Editor, "Iran and the Caucasus"
'Abbas 'Ali Madih, Mayor of Neyshabur (Khorasan, Iran)

12.30-13.00 - Keynote speech
Boghos Levon Zekiyan
Culture, Policy, and Scholarship in the Sub-Caucasian Region: Some
Methodological and Critical Remarks

13.00-14.00 - Lunch

All sessions will take place at Arya International University,
Shahamiryanneri str. 18/2

15.00-16.30 - Session 1

Session 1-A:
Walter Bruno Henning Auditorium (303)
Chair: Ali Granmayeh
Discussants: Tamaz Beradze, Anton Alexeev
Mousa Haqani, The "Molla Nasreddin" Tabloid and the Constitutional
   Revolution in Iran
Javad Abbasi, Rashid ad-Din and the Caucasus
Samvel Markaryan, The Rebellion in Qandaghar of 1709 (The Beginning of
   the Fall of the Safavid Dynasty in Iran)
Vahe Boyajian, Baloch asbarans: Pioneers of Shica Faith?
Roman Smbatyan, The importance of the Caucasus and Nadir Shah's
   multipartite policies to control it

Session 1-B:
Wilhelm Eilers Auditorium (308)
Chair: George Sanikidze
Discussants: Alexander Rusetsky, Baiba Kine, Mousa Haqani
Julien Zarifian, The New Iranian-Caucasian Geopolitics: Resuming
   Relationships under US Suspicious Eyes
Hossein Seifzadeh, The Landscape of Cultural Plurality &National Identity
Haila Al-Mekaimi, Southern Caucasus and Gulf Region: Common Threats,
   Missing Efforts
David Karapetyan, La République Islamique d'Iran et le conflit du
   Haut-Karabakh
Phil Evans, Nuclear Ambitions, Suspicion and the Twelfth Imam: Shaping
   National Identity in Ahmadinejad's Iran

Session 1-C:
Conference Hall (209)
Chair: Murtazali Gadjiev
Discussants: Khachik Gevorgyan, Tea Shurghaya
Hoseyn Ahmadi, The Iranian Culture in the City of Shushi
Jila Moshiri, A Review on Armenian Clothing in Iran
Azam Mosavi, Iranians & Armenians Common Feasts & Festivals
Askar Bahrami, Notes on the Social Situation of the Armenians in Iran
   on the Verge of the Constitutional Revolution
Malekzadeh Elham, The Progressive Role of the Armenian Women in the
   Twentieth Century Iran
Irène Natchkebia, Notes of Napoleon's Emissaries about Armenia (1805-1809)

16.30-17.00 - Coffee break

17.00-18.30 - Session 2

Session 2-A:
Indo-Iranian Civilisation Auditorium (208)
Chair: Jamshid Giunashvili
Discussants: Vladimir Livshits, Habib Borjian,Vardan Voskanian
Martin Schwartz, Medeo-Armenica
Pavel Basharin, The problem of Kurdish Substrate Vocabulary
Ehsan Hushmand, Kurdish Studies in the South Caucasus
Elena Besolova, To Semantics of the Notion of Horse (Bæx) in the
   Ossetian Language
Helen Giunashvili, Studies on Middle Persian Lexis in Old Georgian
Sándor Földvári, Mede and Parthian Components in The Ethnogenese of
   the Armenians

Session 2-B:
Conference Hall (209)
Chair: Mohammad Mousavi
Discussants: Mehdi Sanaei, Julien Zarifian, Nagihan Haliloglu
Alexander Rusetsky, Cooperation of Iran, Russia and Armenia (IRA) in
   the Context of "Real politics" and Greek Mythology
Baiba Kine, Armenia and Iran: United in Diversity?
Ali Granmayeh, Iranian- Armenian Relations: History and Politics
George Sanikidze, Iran and Georgia: Historical Heritage and Modern
   Political Realities
Dmitry Shlapentokh, Armenia Between Iran and Russia: the Geopolitical
   Combinations of the Post Soviet Era

Session 2-C:
Friedrich Carl Andreas Auditorium (306)
Chair: Fatema Soudavar Farmanfarmaian
Discussants: Manana Gabashvili, Ralph Kauz
Raisa I. Amirbekyan, Qajar Art as an Alternative Source of History:
   Look Through the 18th and 19th Century Persian Illuminated Manuscripts
   from the Armenia's Collections
Amir Porooshani, Sogdian Culture, An Intermediary for Religion,
   Culture and Language Interactions
Abolghasem Dadvar, The Art of Sassanids and its Influence on the
   Painting of Middle East
Neamatollah Salahshoori, Jafar Mehrkian, Stone Lion (SHIR-SANGI) in
   Bakhtiari Culture
Soroush Shahbazi, The Role of Tanbur (Instrument) in Preservation and
   Supporting Gurani Versified Literature in Guran

Session 2-D:
Wilhelm Eilers Auditorium (308)
Chair: Mohammad Sharaf-e Alam
Discussants: Boghos Levon Zekiyan, Roman Smbatian, Samvel Markarian
Hayrapet Margarian, Armenian Iranian Relations in 9-14th Centuries
Manana Sanadze, Mirian the First Christian King oof Kartli and the
   Issue of His Descent
Hirotake Maeda, The Importance of Galust Shermazanian's Work for
   Iranian and Russian Relations and the Fate of Enikolopians family in
   the 19th century
Saeed Jalali, The Role of the Caucasians in the Formation of the
   Socialistic Ideas in Iran During the Constitutional Revolution

18.30 - Ceremony of the Unveiling of Shaykh-Farid al-Din Attar
   Neyshaburi's marble Monument Donated by the City Council of Neyshabur
   City in Iran to Arya International University

19.30 - Reception

DAY 2: June 07, 2008

09.00-10.30 - Session 3

Session 3-A:
Walter Bruno Henning Auditorium (303)
Chair: Babak Rezvani,
Discussants: Aldo Ferrari, Mohammad-Reza Sahab
Nagihan Haliloglu, Iran as Model: Persian Influence on Turkish Culture
   and Politics in the Contemporary Context of Transposition
Rudik Yaralyan, The Jews from the Kurdish Inhabited Areas in Israel
Nana Gelashvili, Politics of Iran towards Georgia in 70-80-ies of the
   XVI century
Tamaz Beradze, A Project on Exporting Iranian Silk to West Europe in
   XVI-XVII cc.

Session 3-B:
Friedrich Carl Andreas Auditorium (306)
Chair: Philipp Bruckmair
Discussants: Andrew Peacock, Hadi Sultan-Qurraie, Abolghasem Dadvar
Viktoria Arakelova, Again on the Formation of Yezidism: the Shi'a
   Portion in the Syncretic Tradition
Pascal Kluge, Turkish views on Christians
Phillip Hopkins, Muslims and Christians Together: Pain, Suffering, and
   Death to the Glory of God
Mohammad Sharaf-e Alam, Iran and the Caucasus: A study of Culture and Religion

Session 3-C:
Conference Hall (209)
Chair: Uwe Bläsing
Discussants: Behrooz Mahmoodi-Bakhtiari, Ali Shahidi, Mateusz Klagisz
Ali Ashraf Sadeghi, On the Origin of the Toponym "Baku"
Hasmik Asatrian, Borrowings from Armenian in the Turkish Dialect and
   Jargon Vocabulary
Natalia Plechistova, Armeno-Turkish: Armenian Borrowings or Spoken Turkish?
Oleg Kshanovski, The Azerbaijanian-Persian Linguistic Interference
   from the Point of Linguistic Typology
Ruben Melkonyan, The Phenomenon of Religious Re-adoption among Hidden
   Armenians in Turkey

Session 3-D:
Indo-Iranian Civilisation Auditorium (208)
Chair: Hoseyn Ahmadi
Discussants: Nana Gelashvili, Baiba Kine
Mohammad Mousavi, US and the Political Economy of Energy Transfer from
   the Region
Mehdi Sanaei, The Importance of Cooperation between Iran and the
   Caucasus in Globalisation Era
Habibollah Abol-Hassan Shirazi, Fahimeh Behrang, Iran's National
   Interest in the Caspian Geopolitical Region
Mohammad Firuzian, Iran's Regional Approach to Caucasus Issues

10.30-11.00 - Coffee break

11.00-12.30 - Session 4

Session 4-A:
Friedrich Carl Andreas Auditorium (306)
Chair: Boghos Levon Zekiyan
Discussants: Vardan Voskanian, Natalia Plechistova, Jamshid Giunashvili
Ralph Kauz, Armenia and the Caucasus. The Chinese View
Anton K. Alexeev, Main Persian Muslim Sources on Caucasus Region
Andrew Peacock, Al-Anawi's Anis al-Qulub: a medieval Muslim view of Armenians
Mohammad-Reza Sahab, The Caucasus in Old and Historical Maps
Aldo Ferrari, Persia and Persians in Raffi's Xamsayi melik'ut'iwnner?

Session 4-B:
Walter Bruno Henning Auditorium (303)
Chair: Lucian Stone
Discussants: Tamerlan Salbiyev, Mohammad Parham, Farzaneh Sajadpur
Miruna-Ioana Fulea, Mahdism (Islamic Messianism), can it become a
   future political doctrine?
Philipp Bruckmair, Maturidi kalam: The spread of Persianate Central
   Asia's contribution to Islamic theology
Manijeh Maghsudi, Comparison between Poorkhani in Turkmen Sahara and Shamanism
Khachik Gevorgyan, On Genre Specifications of Persian Fotovvatnamehs

Session 4-C:
Wilhelm Eilers Auditorium (308)
Chair: Matteo Compareti
Discussants: Jafar Mehrkian, Amir Porooshani, Mohammad Sharaf-e Alam
Dariush Borbor, The Origins of Self-rule and Early Democracy in the
   Zagros Mountains and its Hinterland
Mahmood Heydarian, Mojtaba Safari, Morvarid Mazhari, The Analysis and
   Typology of Early Bronze Ware in Koliayi Plain in Central Zagros of Iran
Levon Yepiskoposian, Ashot Harutyunian, Armine Khudoian, Genetic
   Legacy of Hamshen Armenians
Habib Mahmoodian, Cultural Relations between Deylaman and the Caucasus
   in Ancient Period (According to archaeological data)

13.00-14.00 - Lunch

14.30-16.00 - Session 5

Session 5-A:
Conference Hall (209)
Chair: Martin Schwartz
Discussants: Helen Giunashvili, Pavel Basharin, Sándor Földvári
Vladimir Livshits, The Sogdian Ancient Letters
Arezoo Altafi, Plant Names in Mazandarani Dialect
Habib Borjian, Position of Gorgani among Iranian languages
Tadevos Charchyan, Parthian Inscription of Armazi
Ali Shahidi, South Eastern Persian and Pazand; A Comparative
   Linguistics Study on Iranian Dialects
Vardan Voskanian, On the Vocabulary of Bashagardi

Session 5-B:
Indo-Iranian Civilisation Auditorium (208)
Chair: Andrew Peacock
Discussants: Mahmoud Jaafari-Dehaghi, Tamura Yukio
Jamshid Giunashvili, On the Significance of "abkhaznein" in the Verse
   by Khaqani
Tamerlan Salbiyev, Bahram Gur Bahram "Onager" <
Lucian Stone, Armiran: The Bio-Schizophrenia of the
   Armenian-Iranian-American Poet Leonardo P. Alishan
Sohrab Ehsani, Molana Sa'd od-din-Mas'oud ebne Omar Abddol-lah
   Al-Taftazani (722-791 AH' 1322-1389 AD)
Manana Gabashvili, Persia and Persian Universe according to Shota
   Rustaveli's "Knight in the panther's skin"

Session 5-C:
Wilhelm Eilers Auditorium (308)
Chair: Ali Ashraf Sadeghi
Discussants: Vahe Boyajian, Jila Moshiri, Irène Natchkebia
Golbehesht Taghva, Islamic Coins Minted in Armenia, from Timurid to
   Safavid Period (1370-1736 a.c)
Mohammad Aref, Theatricalised Folk Rituals of Komijan Region
Marina Alexidze, Haj Sayyah in Tbilisi
Mateusz Klagisz, Why Chattering During a Meal is a Misdeed? Some
   Remarks on Arda Wiraf Namag's Sins, Especially Odd Ones.

Session 5-D:
Walter Bruno Henning Auditorium (303)
Chair: Habib Borjian
Discussants: Viktoria Arakelova, Murtazali S. Gadjiev
Mohammad Parham, Farzaneh Sajadpur, Ebrahim Jamali, Immigration and
   Cultural Changes among the Kormanj people of Amarlu
Tatevik Margaryan, Ethnic Minorities of Armenia
Armenak Manukyan, Kurds and Yazidis Residing in Armenia in the
   Maelstrom of Stalinist Repressions
Mahmoud Joneydi Jaafari, On the Ethnic Situation in Contemporary Iran

16.30-21.00 - Cultural programme (visit to Garni pagan temple with
   reception under a big tree)

DAY 3: June 08, 2008

09.00-10.30 - Session 6

Session 6-A:
Walter Bruno Henning Auditorium (303)
Chair: Ralph Kauz
Discussants: Marina Alexidze, Lucian Stone
Mahmoud Jaafari-Dehaghi, A Poem by Shah Da'i-e Shirazi in Shirazi
   Dialect of Seventh Century
Tamura Yukio, The Usage of Persian language in Central Asiatic judicial courts
Behrooz Mahmoodi-Bakhtiari, "Language of the heavens": Notes on the
   Myths about Persian
Hasmik Kirakosian, On Some Lexical Archaisms in Azari "Fahlaviyyat"
Manana Kvachadze, Linguo-Cultural Aspects of Multiethnic Situation
Tea Shurgaia, "Regional Dialogue" Through Proverbs (According to
   Persian, Georgian and Armenian Proverbs)

Session 6-B:

Conference Hall (209)
Chair: Viktoria Arakelova
Discussants: Garnik Asatrian, Habib Borjian, Hossein Seifzadeh
Hadi Sultan-Qurraie, Northern Azerbaijan or Aran? Southern Azerbaijan or
   Iranian Azerbaijan? Rhetoric of Conflicting Politics in Transition
Lina Malekian, Great Armenian Immigration from Iran to Armenia Between
   1946 and 1947: Constructing New Socio-Cultural Identity
Mohammad Parham, Farzaneh Sajadpur, Ebrahim Jamali, Increasing and
   Decreasing Sanctity, two major Identity Challenges of Iranian Minority
   Religious Groups, Case Study: Zoroastrians and Assyrians of Iran
Babak Rezvani, The Shiite Moslem Georgians of Iran
Lina Yakubova, Assyrians in Georgia and Eastern Armenia at the
   beginning of 20th century

Session 6-C:
Indo-Iranian Civilisation Auditorium (208)
Chair: Tamerlan Salbiyev
Discussants: Dariush Borbor, Anton K. Alexeev
Fatema Soudavar Farmanfarmaian, The Meanders of the Road from Ardabil to Astara
Murtazali S. Gadjiev, Zoroastrian funeral complex near Derbent
Matteo Compareti, The Wings Motif between Persia and the Caucasus: A
   Zoroastrian Symbol of Glory among the Christians?

10.30-11.00 - Coffee break

11.00-11.50 - Session on the International Journal "Iran and the
   Caucasus" (Brill, Leiden): The Enlarged Meeting of the Editorial Board

Speakers: Vladimir Livshits
Boghos Levon Zekiyan
Uwe Bläasing
Jamshid Giunashvili
Murtazali Gadjiev
Garnik Asatrian

12.00 12.50 - Session Devoted to the 35th Anniversary of Encyclopaedia Iranica

Speakers: Vladimir Livshits
Fereydun Vahman
Martin Schwartz
Habib Borjian
Garry Trompf
Garnik Asatrian

13.00-14.00 - Closing Ceremony and a Special Session on Establishing
   the "International Society for the Study of Iran and the Caucasus" (ISSIC)

15.00 - Cultural Programme (Visit to a Yezidi summer camp in the
   Khosrow forest with Reception under a huge tent)

Go to: Conference Index Page | Conference Posting Archive Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32