Geographies of Power: Justice, Revolution, and the Cultural Imagination

Using historical analysis and cross-cultural awareness, this conference will emphasize shifting geographies of power in the period between the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the 2011 Arab Spring. The project is premised on the idea that “the frontiers of cultural understanding” are undergoing a transformation that can only be appreciated through a cross-cultural perspective and a multi-disciplinary methodology that is alert to the historical precedents behind current geopolitical and cultural conflicts.

This conference is being led by researchers; Dr. Sophia McClennen (Penn State), Dr. Ziad Elmarsafy (University of York), Dr. Shamil Jeppie (University of Cape Town), and Dr. George Pavlich (University of Alberta), and conducted with support from the Worldwide University Network (WUN), a consortium of 18 research universities from five continents. Additional support is provided by University of Alberta, University of Cape Town, The University of York, the Center for Global Studies, College of Liberal Arts, School of International Affairs , The Confucius Institute, Rock Ethics Institute, International Center for the Study of Terrorism, Center for Democratic Deliberation, Department of History, Department of Comparative Literature, Department of Political Science, and University Office of Global Programs.