Conference on Civilizations in Uzbeksitan

A distribution of: CentralAsia-L - Announcement List for Central Asian
Studies


CONF.- Civilizations of Central Asia, Samarkand, 25-28 Sept. 2002

Central Asia is one of the largest historical-cultural regions of the East
with its unique material and spiritual culture, where the processes of
formation of the ancient civilizations and foundation of the earliest state
communities took place. This process was promoted by two main factors:

  * Location of Central Asia on the crossroads of the most important
    trade-economical and ethno-cultural communication routs of Eurasia.

  * The diversity of palaeo-geographical and ecological conditions of
Central
    Asia which promoted the formation of various economical and cultural
types
    and close contacts of settled agricultural, nomadic and semi-nomadic
    cattle-breeding cultures.

These issues will be the main topics for discussion on the Conference on

"Civilizations of Central Asia: Sedentary and Nomadic Peoples: Traditions
and the Present"

The following main topics are:

1. Central Asia on the Threshold of Civilizations (economy, spiritual
culture);

2. Ancient Civilizations (economy, spiritual culture, interactions between
    settled peoples and nomads, formation of trade-economical relations);

3. Problems of Formation of Nomadic Civilizations (palaeo-ecological
    environment  in the development of nomadic societies, peculiarities of
    social and economic life, definitions of civilization);

4. Medieval Civilizations (economy and social systems, culture and
    religions, interactions between settled and nomadic civilizations,
Central
    Asia on the crossroads of the Great Silk Road).

5. Traditions and the Present (the modern types of communication, the
    problems of tolerance, confessional processes and forms of
interrelations.

The Conference will be held within the framework of the scientific program
of the International Institute for Central Asian Studies (IICAS) and
organized in co-operation with the Institute of Archaeology of the Uzbek
Academy of Sciences, French Institute for Central Asian Studies (in
Tashkent) and with the UNESCO financial assistance.

The Conference will take place in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) from 25 to 28
September 2002.

In view of your knowledge and experience as well as your active interest in
this field we therefore have pleasure in inviting you to participate in our
Conference and presenting a communication (not exceeding 15 minutes). The
working languages of the Conference will be Russian and English.

If, as we hope, you are able to accept to participate, we should be grateful
if you would fill in the Application Form enclosed herewith and return it
before 30 May 2002 to Ms K. Tashbaeva, Director of IICAS (E-mail:
[email protected]; fax: (998 662) 33 75 65; Tel: (998 662) 31 06 55)

The abstracts of papers should not exceed one standard page. The Organizing
Committee kindly asks you to forward the abstracts of your paper to the
above-mentioned.

The deadline for submitting the abstracts is 30 June 2002.

After receiving  these documents the Organizing Committee will make all
necessary arrangements for your visa, and will be in direct contact with you
in this connection.

The Organizing Committee of IICAS encourages the participants to seek the
funding of their travel.  Meal and accommodation are provided by the
Organizing Committee

The International Conference will be followed by the 7th session of the
Academic Council of the International Institute for Central Asian Studies
(IICAS), from 27 to 28 September 2002.

On behalf of the Organizing Committee

Sincerely yours,

K. Tashbaeva
Director
International Institute for Central Asian Studies (IICAS)
19 University Boulevard
703029, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: (998 662) 33 75 65; Tel: (998 662) 31 06 55