Venue: British Academy, London, 17-19 March 2010

Sponsored by British Academy, British Institute for the Study of Iraq, European Studies Research Institute/University of Salford (Greater Manchester)

Twice within the last one hundred years, Western powers have tried to significantly alter the configuration of the Middle Eastern political order.

In analyzing the interactions of regional and outside powers, this comparative and interdisciplinary conference will bring together political practitioners and historians, political scientists, and international relations scholars.

Reflecting the overall conference theme, the programme follows a two-pronged approach. Firstly, the conference organisers are looking for papers from political scientists and historians that deal with the foreign policies of important external powers (nation-states as well as inter- and transnational organisations) towards the Middle East, and Iraq in particular, as well as the constructions and narratives accompanying/justifying specific policies.

We therefore welcome abstracts of papers that deal with:

- the dilemmas and contradictions of US/UK/European policies toward the region,

- the role of international actors such as the European Union, the United Nations, and the League of Nations,

- the impact of transnational actors such as global human rights groups and terrorist organisations.

Secondly, in order to avoid a narrow Western perspective which would treat Middle Eastern actors only as objects of the policies of Western powers, the conference will examine the policies of influential domestic Iraqi political actors and other regional powers, whose international role has been affected by the political developments in Iraq.

We therefore also welcome abstracts of papers that deal with:

- the history and current state of Iraqi domestic politics and foreign policies including bilateral relationships with other countries within and beyond the region,

- an assessment of the influence of other external powers such as China and Russia,

- the perceptions and narratives dominating the views of Arab publics and governments,

- the reactions of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Israel and Egypt to foreign interventions and regional upheavals.

Keynote Lectures will be delivered by:

- Professor Charles Tripp (SOAS, London)
- Professor Erik Goldstein (Boston University, US)

Confirmed Speakers:

- Dr Federica Bicchi (LSE)
- Professor Eric Davies (Rutgers University, US)
- Professor John Fisher (University of the West of England)
- Professor Manuel Froehlich (Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena/Germany)
- Professor Henner Fürtig (German Institute for Global and Area Studies, Hamburg)
- Dr Riyadh Aziz Hadi (Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Baghdad University)
- Dr Saad Jawad (Baghdad University)
- Professor Dietrich Jung (University of Southern Denmark)
- Professor Isam al-Khafaji (Amsterdam)
- Dr Michelle Pace (Birmingham)
- Dr Glen Rangwala (Cambridge)
- Dr Mowaffak Al Rubaie (former National Security Advisor, Government of Iraq)
- Dr Priya Satia (Stanford University, US)
- Dr Guido Steinberg (German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin)
- Dr Reidar Visser (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo)
- Dr Frederic Volpi (St. Andrews)
- Dr Mouyad al-Windawi (Baghdad University, formerly United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq)


The deadline for submitting a 200 word abstract to Dr Lars Berger at l.berger@salford.ac.uk is Friday, 30 October. Acceptance of papers will be communicated by 13 November.

A limited number of bursaries covering travel, accommodation and conference costs are available for PhD students presenting a paper. Those wishing to apply for this bursary should add one page in which they state why they are in need of financial assistance. They would also need to describe the broader research context from which their PhD originates and how attending the conference might benefit their project.