'From Local Initiative to Global Project': International Conference of Experts in Asian and African Studies at HSE University-St Petersburg
The Institute of Asian and African Studies at HSE University-St Petersburg is preparing to hold the international conference 'Army, Elites and Society in the Middle East and North Africa'. How large research projects appear and why international cooperation is important for Asian and African studies—read on to find out from Milana Iliushina, head of the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies.
— The Institute for Asian and African Studies regularly hosts research conferences and seminars. Is 'Army, Elites and Society in the Middle East and North Africa' a new project or does it have its back story? What topics are you planning to discuss?
— The key topics are the relations between the army, elites, and society in political, social, and cultural spheres in the Middle East. They are identified in the conference title itself. The conference continues the series of research seminars and meetings covering a vast range of issues related to military traditions in the Arab world. In 2023, our department opened a research and study group 'Army and Military Traditions in Politics, Society and Culture of Arab Countries'. Then, in collaboration with the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, we organised two All-Russian Conferences for young experts in Middle Eastern studies. The participants showed a strong interest in military history and the traditions of the region.
This year, we take this to an international level—such a local academic initiative has grown into a huge research project involving international partners.
— Which international universities do you cooperate with?
— The Institute for Asian and African Studies at HSE University-St Petersburg consistently develops international partnerships, including ones with universities in the Middle East.
In May of this year, Professor Evgeny Zelenev, director of the Institute, signed the cooperation road map with the Centre for Arabic Studies and Humanities at the University of Nizwa. One of the directions of joint work was organising a section devoted to the history and culture of the Sultanate of Oman. The conference will feature Dr Suleiman Al Husseini, director of the Centre.
We already tried a similar format in spring: in April, the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies of the Institute for Asian and African Studies held the first international research seminar 'Studies of Oman in Russia: New Directions for Scientific Research' organised jointly with colleagues from Nizwa. This experience showed how productive a scientific dialogue between Russian and Middle Eastern researchers can be.
— How do students participate in the conference preparation?
— Students of the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies take an active part in the organisation. Their creative ideas help to create an eventful cultural programme and interesting research discussions. The work on preparing the conference allows the students to unlock their creative potential and encourages their interest in research.
We believe it is important to create a platform for communication between students of various generations and representatives of different research schools. That is why we invite not only experienced researchers but also newcomers—PhD, master's, and senior bachelor’s students.
— Will the students be able to present their reports?
— Of course! Senior students prepare meaningful reports based on the sources in Arabic, and junior students will try themselves in the section 'Research Debut', which we open specifically for those who are taking their first steps in science. Here, young researchers will be able to present their first developments and understand how and in which direction they should develop their research interests.
The international research conference 'Army, Elites and Society in the Middle East and North Africa' will take place on November 6-8. The applications are open till October 23. The organisers are the Institute for Asian and African Studies at HSE University-St Petersburg and the Centre for Arabic Studies and Humanities at the University of Nizwa (the Sultanate of Oman).