UA MENA Graduate Student Organization
The Eighth Annual Southwest Conference in Middle Eastern Studies
Presents: Popular Cultures of the Middle East
When: April 16th-18th, 2008
Where: University of Arizona
SCHEDULE
Hosted By:
Middle East and North Africa Graduate Students Association of the University of Arizona
In Cooperation With:
The University of Arizona Department of Near Eastern Studies
The Center For Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona
Graduate and Professional Student Council
Associated Students of the University of Arizona
The 8th Annual Southwest Graduate Conference in Middle Eastern Studies will focus on the theme of popular culture in the Middle East and will feature keynote speaker Mark Levine, Professor of History at UC-Irvine whose new book, Heavy Metal Islam, is forthcoming. In addition, the Southwest Graduate Conference in Middle Eastern studies will give graduate students at the M.A. and Ph.D. level an opportunity to present their work in a friendly forum to receive constructive feedback from faculty commentators on work-in-progress while also giving students an opportunity to present their work in a conference environment. Paper submissions have been encouraged from array of specialties in addition to Middle Eastern Studies. This years student panels will focus on a number of subjects including, but not limited to Middle Eastern languages, politics, media and music studies, gender studies and historical analysis.
The 8th Annual Southwest Graduate Conference in Middle Eastern Studies will be held April 16-18, 2008 at the University of Arizona's Department of Near Eastern Studies. Events will commence on Wednesday April 16th with a welcome session for Prof. Levine and visiting student presenters following which the first set of panel discussions will be held. Evening entertainment will be provided at 7pm on Wednesday, April 16th with the presentation of a Middle Eastern film. Thursday, April 17th will see a continuation of panel discussions beginning at 11am, ending with Prof. Levine's keynote address at 6pm to the graduate conference. Following Prof. Levine's keynote address a catered dinner will be held in the commons area of the Department of Near Eastern Studies at 8pm. This year’s conference will wrap up on Friday, April 18th with the final set of panel discussions. Friday will culminate with a live musical performance by Hypernova at 7pm.
