To be held under the auspices of and at
the Department of English Language and Literature at Cairo University, Egypt.

Theme:
POWER AND THE ROLE OF THE INTELLECTUAL
November 22-24, 2005

“Knowledge is Power” is now an axiom solemnly intoned by countless academics in universities all over the world. But the relationship between knowledge and power is so complex that it warrants being addressed by intellectuals, academics, critics, etc. in different disciplines and with various approaches.

The intellectual has often steered the uneasy course between university and the world, the private and the public domain, but if the intellectual’s role is to “produce” and disseminate knowledge, then what is his/her stance vis-à-vis the “power” that is ostensibly engendered by the knowledge? What part does power play in the life of the intellectual? Does the intellectual manipulate others through power? Does s/he engage with power or is the role of the intellectual that of an outsider, a “metaphorical exile” (in Edward Said’s words), a dissident, or does the knowledge produced allow the intellectual to play the role of the Shakespearean fool?

Papers are accepted in English and in Arabic.
Presentations at the Symposium should not exceed 20 minutes, to be followed by a 10-minute discussion.
Deadline for submission of abstracts: March 1st, 2005. Replies will be posted by the end of June, 2005.

Read more about the symposium on the following website.