The official UK launch of the al-Sabah Programme, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Nasser of Kuwait, with a symposium on 'Asianisation of the Middle East' was on Thursday 13th September 2012 in Great Hall, Durham Castle, Palace Green.
An ESRC and AHRC sponsored conference organized by the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World in partnership with the al-Sabah Programme from 12-13 February 2013 in Collingwood College at Durham University.
Recent scholarship has posited that a convergence of the Eastern and Western edges of the Asian continent is taking place, citing as evidence the growing links connecting the Middle East with South, South-East, and East Asia. This process of the ‘Asianisation’ of the Middle East is developing across several fronts – including economic, diplomatic and strategic.
This two-day interdisciplinary workshop will contextualize the ongoing Asianisation of the Middle East against the backdrop of centuries of maritime and overland contact between East and West Asia. Distinguished speakers from across the world of academia will join their colleagues from Durham University in discussing the many dimensions of historical contact across the Asian landmass, reflecting on the influence that these have had on present-day linkages.
The lecture programme has welcome distinguished visitors.
For instance, Professor Niv Horesh one of our Visiting Research Fellows, talked to us on “China’s global leadership narrative in the 21st century”. Professor Niv Horesh is a China specialist with over 20 years of experience ranging across the private sector, public service and academia. Between 2000-2003, he lived and worked in Beijing, and has been visiting different parts of the Chinese-speaking world regularly since. In 2002, Niv received accreditation as Professional NAATI Translator from Chinese into English.
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