The Arabic world is in a state of transition. Destabilisation of the old order, mass outbreaks of conflict, weakening political and economic dominance of the West and rising power of local political forces cause causes the situation in numerous areas of the region to be fluid and enigmatic. The Jagiellonian University will be holding a conference aimed to discuss the current condition of Arabic states, culture and societies, their various aspects and possible developments.

The conference will provide an opportunity to reflect on regional and international dynamics and perception of the contemporary armed conflicts as well as their political and social effects. The participants will discuss stability and possible future of political systems and social structures in the Middle East. The topics of human rights and local democratic processes will also be raised. The organisers are also interested in the influence of religion, and global and local trends in the culture of Orient.

The conference will serve as a platform for scholars interested in the region, which will allow them to present their research to a wider audience. The organisers hope that in this way they will be able to show the eponymous mosaic of the Arab world.

The conference is directed to scholars specialising in the following areas:

• Influence of regional and international dynamics on conflicts in the Middle East; multiple aspects of conflicts in the Middle East; the role of political and social institutions (local, regional and international) in mitigation of the conflicts; Middle-Eastern wars in Western and Arabic media.
• Current condition of the Arabic states as well as ideological and social trends in the Arabic world; democratisation and human rights.
• Political and social influence of religion in the Arabic states; religion vs. state; integrating and disintegrating aspects of religion; family law in Islam; secularisation and radicalisation.
• Global cultural trends and contemporary Arabic culture; Arabic culture within global culture; glocalisation in popular culture; anti-Western sentiments; advertisements in the Arabic world; folklore.

Important information

Abstracts

Application forms with abstracts (200–250 words) should be sent to mosaic@uj.edu.pl. Abstracts in English are preferred. Applications can be sent until 1 March 2017. Confirmation of participation will be sent until 19 March 2017.

Conference fee

The conference fee for students and PhD candidates is 50 PLN. It includes coffee and snacks, lunch, and conference materials. The fee must be paid until 2 April 2017.

Conference proceedings

After receiving positive reviews, selected papers will be published in English as conference proceedings. The organisers will provide every participant with one free copy. Papers will be chosen at the discretion of the organising committee. Papers should be sent until 31 July 2017.