Annual North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies Conference

“Memories & Futures in Middle East Studies–Temporalities, Nostalgias, Anxieties”

April 4-5, 2025

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:

1. Protest and Resistance: 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.

2. Memories and Futures: 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.

3. Transnationalism and Alliances: 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://forms.gle/73juQKtQBmvNjSKt8. The final program and other details will be emailed to all who register.