Amman, Jordan, 11-16 June 2006
The Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS)
is pleased to announce that it has been chosen to organize and
host the Second World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies
(WOCMES-2), which will take place in Amman, Jordan on 11-16 June
2006. This will be the first time that experts on the Middle East
drawn from all over the world and all branches of the humanities
and social sciences will assemble together in the region to share
and exchange their research, experience and ideas, and to discuss
the challenges of methodology vs. theory and praxis vs. politics
and their possible resolutions. It promises to be an unprecedented
event that will finally bring Middle Eastern studies to the Middle
East.
Initiated by the Middle East Studies Association of North America
(MESA), the First World Congress was organized and hosted by the
University of Mainz in 2002 and attracted over 2000 scholars,
experts and students from around the globe. It involved the
participation of the European Association for Middle Eastern
Studies (EURAMES), the British, French, Italian and German Middle
East studies associations (BRISMES,
AFEMAM, SeSaMO and DAVO) and other similar organizations in North
America, the Middle East and the 14 other member countries of
EURAMES.
RIIFS now extends its own invitation to all of the institutions
and organizations that took part in the First World Congress and
requests that they inform their members about WOCMES-2 and
consider how they may contribute to its success. In particular,
RIIFS asks that they begin coordinating their 2006 activities with
the WOCMES-2 Secretariat in the autumn of 2004, organizing panels,
workshops, symposia and major
conferences under the WOCMES-2 umbrella.
This invitation also applies to other associations, research
centres, university departments, international organizations and
institutions which did not take part in the First World Congress,
but which are involved in the study of the Middle East, North
Africa and the Muslim states of Central Asia in addition to those
areas of the world directly or indirectly affected by developments
in these regions. Those working in fields that were
under-represented at the First World Congress (for instance,
political science and economics) are especially urged to
participate. Calls for papers from individual scholars will be
sent out in 2005.
Local and international media and high-ranking decision-makers
involved in political, economic and cultural spheres are also
expected to attend the Second World Congress and to disseminate,
in the months that follow, the new ideas and interpretations that
they encounter there. The working language of the congress will be
English, with some French and Arabic.
Because the Second World Congress will actually take place in the
Middle East, the cultural program is expected to be particularly
rich. Organizers are presently considering two book fairs (Arabic/International)
involving book-sellers, publishers and authors; exhibitions of
modern Arab art by Jordan's national and local galleries;
other exhibitions related to various aspects of Middle Eastern
studies; a film festival with panel discussions; and concerts
featuring musicians from across the Arab world. The timing will
also be advantageous since the weather will be pleasant and many
academics will be on their summer break, leaving them with ample
time to explore Jordan's well-known tourist attractions (such as
Petra, Jerash, Madaba and Mount Nebo), as well as those in
neighbouring countries, during their visit to the region.
RIIFS is presently redesigning its website (www.riifs.org) and the
new version is expected to be up and running in October 2004. Once
it is online, users will be able to click on the WOCMES-2 icon
appearing on the home page in order to register for the Second
World Congress and to obtain more information. Until that time,
any further announcements will be sent out by list-serv and will
also be posted on the RIIFS home page. Communications from the
representatives of institutions and organizations interested in
participating, as well as other urgent requests for further
information, may be addressed to the e-mail address given below.
We look forward to hearing from friends and colleagues, old and
new, in the coming months.
HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, President of WOCMES-2
HE Ambassador Hasan Abu Nimah, Director of RIIFS
Baker al-Hiyari, General-Secretary of WOCMES-2
WOCMES-2 Secretariat
Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS)
P.O. Box 830 562, Amman 11183, Jordan
Tel.: 962 6 4618051; Fax: 962 6 4618053
E-mail: wocmes2@riifs.org
www.riifs.org
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