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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'><div><div dir="ltr"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="color:rgb(34, 34, 34);font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><div><div class="ecxgmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><b><font class="ecxApple-style-span" size="4">Tonight! </font></b></div><div dir="ltr"><b><font class="ecxApple-style-span" size="4">7 p.m.: Keynote Presentation: </font></b></div><div dir="ltr"><b><font class="ecxApple-style-span" size="4">“The War in Syria and the Destruction of Syrian Antiquity” </font></b></div><div dir="ltr"><b><font class="ecxApple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></b></div><div dir="ltr"><b><font class="ecxApple-style-span" size="4">Presented by Dr. Amr Al-Azm. </font></b></div><div><span style="color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:35px;font-weight:500;line-height:42px;">at</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:35px;font-weight:500;line-height:42px;">Central and Southwest Asia Studies Center (CSWA) International Conference</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="ecxgmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-size:18px;font-weight:500;">March 23, 2016 @ 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm <span style="border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(51, 51, 51);padding-left:10px;display:inline-block;">University Center Theater</span></span><br><p style="">The conference, hosted by the Central and Southwest Asian Studies Center at UM and jointly organized with UM’s Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center and the Montana World Affairs Council, will feature several panels and presentations that address timely issues such as the recent Iran nuclear deal, women as change agents in the Middle East and Muslim immigration to Europe, among others. Speakers include U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, who will deliver a keynote presentation about responsible leadership as it relates to foreign policy; Fatima Sadiqi of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., who will speak on women as agents of change in the Middle East; Dominic Thomas of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at UCLA, who is a foremost specialist on Muslim immigration in Europe; and Amr Al-Azm, a visiting professor who has taught at the University of Damascus and directs the scientific and conservation laboratories of antiquities and museums of Syria, will speak on the war in Syria and the destruction of Syrian antiquities. Numerous scholars from UM departments, such as history, modern and classical languages, anthropology and the Defense Critical Language and Culture Program, also will participate.</p><ul style=""><li>Noon-1:30 p.m.: Keynote Presentation: “France: Territorial, Social and Ethnic Apartheid,” presented by Thomas. Moderated by UM Professor Mladen Kozul.</li><li>2-3:30 p.m.: Panel: “Critical Texts: Fatima Sadiqi on the Vitality of Publishing, Research and Writing Regarding Women in the Middle East and North Africa,” presented by Sadiqi. Moderator and discussants include UM English Professor Prageeta Sharma and Rachel Mindell of the Montana Book Festival.</li><li>3:30-5 p.m.: Panel: “Western Europe and Immigration Crisis.<em>” </em>Panelists will each present. UM Professor Michel Valentin will deliver “De-Territorialization, Globalization and Emigration.” Thomas will deliver “Fortress Europe: Migration and Race.” UM journalism Professor Henriette Lowisch will deliver “The German Experiment: A Crumbling Welcome.” Kozul will serve as the moderator.</li><li>7 p.m.: Keynote Presentation: “Women in the Middle East and North Africa: Agents of Change,” Presented by Sadiqi. Rep. Andrea Olsen, Montana State Legislature, will serve as the moderator.</li></ul><p style="">Events continue on Thursday and Friday, March 24-25:</p><p style=""><strong style="font-weight:bold;">Thursday, March 24</strong></p><ul style=""><li>10-11 a.m.: Panel:<strong style="font-weight:bold;"> “The Golden Age of Central Asia,” </strong>presented by UM Central and Southwest Asia Program Associate Director Ardeshir Kia. UM lecturer Samir Bitar will serve as the moderator.</li><li>11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Panel: “<strong style="font-weight:bold;">Struggle for Women’s Rights in Afghanistan & Iran,” </strong>presented by Shaima Khinjani, manager of academic programs, UM’s Defense Critical Language & Culture Program. UM anthropology Professor G.G. Weix will serve as the moderator.</li><li>12:30-2 p.m.: Panel:<strong style="font-weight:bold;"> “Central & Southwest Asian Studies Student Panel.”</strong> Ardi Kia will serve as the moderator.</li><li>2-3:30 p.m.: Panel:<strong style="font-weight:bold;"> “China and the Middle East.” </strong>Panel members include a delegation from Shanghai International Studies University: Professor Degang Sun, deputy director of the Middle East Studies Institute; Gafar Karar Ahmed, honorary research fellow of the Middle East Studies Institute; and Jiani Wang, Middle East Studies Institute doctoral student. Bitar will serve as the moderator.</li><li>7-9 p.m.: Keynote Presentation: <strong style="font-weight:bold;">“A Senator’s Perspective on Foreign Policy,” </strong>presented by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.</li></ul><p style=""><strong style="font-weight:bold;">Friday, March 25, 2016</strong></p><ul style=""><li>11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Panel:<strong style="font-weight:bold;"> “Foreign Language Instruction and Cultural” </strong>Panelists are from the Mansfield Center’s Defense Critical Language & Culture Program and include UM Adjunct Professor Owen Sirrs, UM Associate Professor Reza Samar, Khinjani and UM Associate Professor Abdelilah Bouasria. Retired Maj. Gen. Don Loranger, director of the Defense Critical Language and Culture Program.</li><li>1-3 p.m.: Panel: <strong style="font-weight:bold;">“Putin’s Russia and its Policies in Ukraine, the Caucasus and the Middle East.”</strong> Panelists include UM history Professor Robert Greene, UM history Professor Michael Mayer, UM visiting scholar Milena Oganesyan and Mehrdad Kia. Bob Seidenshwarz, president of the Montana World Affairs Council, will serve as the moderator.</li><li>7 p.m.: Keynote Presentation:<strong style="font-weight:bold;"> “The War in Syria and the Destruction of the Syrian Antiquity,” </strong>presented by Al-Azm. Bitar will serve as the moderator. Retired UM Professor Tom Lee will be a discussant.</li></ul><div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small;border-collapse:separate;"><div><a href="http://events.umt.edu/#event%7ccentral-and-southwest-asia-conference%7c1641562912137" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17, 85, 204);">http://events.umt.edu/#event|<wbr>central-and-southwest-asia-<wbr>conference|1641562912137</a></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span><br><br><br> </div></div> </div></body>
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