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Annual Conference

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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.