Annual North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies Conference:
Memories & Futures in Middle East Studies–Temporalities, Nostalgias, Anxieties
April 4-5, 2025
WFU organizing committee: Michaelle Browers, Ryan Schroth, Merih Danali, Kimberly Wortmann, Lina Benabdallah, Charles Wilkins
Description: This interdisciplinary conference of North Carolina-based scholars of the Middle East studies aims to illuminate the complex interplay between memory and futurity, fostering critical conversations about how historical narratives and collective memories shape contemporary realities and future possibilities in the region.
The conference will feature three dynamic panels, each addressing critical facets of the overarching theme:
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Protest and Resistance (organized by Ryan): This panel will examine the role of temporalities, nostalgias and anxieties about the future in informing acts of protest and/or resistance in contemporary movements across the Middle East.
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Memories and Futures (organized by Merih): This session will delve into the creative expressions that reflect and shape cultural memories and aspirations for the future. Presentations will cover diverse forms of art and literature that engage with nostalgia, trauma, and hope, illustrating how these narratives influence perspectives and identities.
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Transnationalism and Alliances (organized by Lina and Kimberly): This panel will explore how transnational networks and alliances inform and are informed by the construction of memory and futurity in Middle Eastern contexts.
Click here to view the full flyer with the 2025 schedule for the Annual North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies Conference.
Please register for the conference at: https://go.unc.edu/NCMideast2025
The North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies encourages collaboration and cooperation in all aspects of Middle Eastern studies across Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, throughout the state of North Carolina, and across disciplines. We study the Middle East as the region extending from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, and focus on interdisciplinary work. Learn more about the consortium at https://ncmideast.org/
