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“Teaching about the Middle
East in the 21st Century” is the theme of a conference Oct. 16-18 at
California State University, Fresno that will present research of top
international scholars.
Speakers and workshops will share research and teaching about such
influences on the contemporary Middle East as art, literature, history,
religion, sociology and politics.
The conference, which is aimed at educators and students, is open to the
public. It is sponsored by the Middle East Studies Program in the
College of Arts and Humanities.
The three-day event begins at 5 p.m. Oct. 16 with a keynote examination
of plural beliefs about feminism in Islamic culture by Dr. Haleh Afshar,
a professor of politics and women's studies at the University of York in
England.
The other keynote speaker is Dr. Juan Cole, a professor of modern Middle
Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan and
president of the Global Americana Institute. He will discuss “Making
Iraq Understandable” at 5 p.m. Oct. 17. His presentation will be
followed by a dinner on campus.
Afshar, Cole, Dr. Eric Hooglund, a visiting professor of politics at
Bates College in Maine, and Dr. Sasan Fayazmanesh, an economics
professor at Fresno State, will participate in the plenary session
discussion of “What the Future Has in Store for the Middle East.” It is
scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 18 and will be moderated by Dr. Afshin
Matin-Asgari, a history professor at California State University, Los
Angeles.
Other sessions Oct. 17 and 18 will examine such topics as visual and
performance arts, language and literature, the Palestinian diaspora,
minorities in the Middle East, history’s impact on the region today,
comparative religions and teaching the subject. Musical entertainment
and an art exhibit are scheduled in the evenings.
Professors from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bethlehem University,
American University, Cornell, Hofstra, West Chester (Pa.) University,
University of Georgia, University of Sydney (Australia) and the
University of Washington will participate. They will be joined by
scholars from numerous California universities.
The conference at Fresno State is the first of its kind in the 23-campus
California State University system, said Fayazmanesh, the conference
program chair. “While the emphasis is on pedagogy, the conference
presents a diverse and comprehensive representation of major topics
related to the contemporary Middle East,” Fayazmanesh said.
He added, “The conference also aims to create a network for scholars in
Middle East studies to engage in dialogue, interact with colleagues and
collaborate in scholarship and teaching.”
Conference registration fees range from $50 (before Sept. 1) to $100 (at
the door). For information and reservations,
click here.
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