Georgetown Faculty Conference Explores Indian Ocean World
The cultures, beliefs, politics, and citizens of countries bordering the Indian Ocean were on the agenda at a recent event at Georgetown University in Qatar. The University’s annual faculty conference brought together multidisciplinary scholars from around the world to discuss this year’s theme, The Liberal State and its Alternatives in the Indian Ocean.
The conference was held on March 20-21 at GU-Q’s Education City campus, and focused on the dynamics of continuity and change in the region. The conference was made possible by a Conference and Workshop Sponsorship Program award (CWSP 11-C-1019-16029) from the Qatar National Research Fund, a member of Qatar Foundation.
Through discussions on issues such as political power, state-building, globalization, migration, urbanization, and ethnicity, the conference aimed to foster a greater understanding of the states, movements, and people of the Indian Ocean world. In addition to GU-Q’s respected faculty, participants involved in the event hailed from a diverse mix of international and local institutions, including Oxford University, University of Cambridge, King’s College London, Stanford University, the University of Singapore, Qatar University, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Conference Videos
Day 1
Opening and Keynote Speech
Opening and Keynote Speech by Dr. Thomas Blom Hansen, Stanford University on genealogies of distributed sovereignty in the wake of colonial forces and imperial involvement in the Indian Ocean region.
Panel 1: The Weberian State and its Challengers
Panelists: Abdullah Baaboud, Qatar University – Chair; Steffen Hertog, London School of Economics and Political Science; Sharath Srinivasan, University of Cambridge; Anatol Lieven, GU-Q
Panel 2: Ethnicity, Justice and Urbanisation
Panelists: Rogaia Abusharaf, GU-Q- Chair; Zoha Waseem, King’s College London; Uday Chandra, GU-Q; Islam Hassan, GU-Q
Panel 3: Civil Society, Migration, and Social Development
Panelists: Amal Al-Malki, HBKU – Chair; Shandana Mohmand, Institute of Development Studies (Sussex); Sana Tariq, GU-Q; Amelia Fauza, National University of Singapore
Day 2
Panel 4: Neoliberal Development and its Alternatives
Panelists: Harry Verhoeven, GU-Q – Chair; Pranab Bardhan, University of California at Berkeley; Lamia Karim, Oregon University; Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, University of Oxford; Chua Beng Huat, National University of Singapore
Panel 5: The Geopolitics of the Indian Ocean
Panelists: James Reardon-Anderson, GU-Q -Chair; Rana Mitter, University of Oxford ;Afyare Elmi, Qatar University ;Harry Verhoeven, GU-Q
Panel 6: Religion, Nationalism, and Conflict
Panelists: Amira Sonbol, GU-Q – Chair; William Reno, Northwestern University; Michael Woldemariam, Boston University; James Onley, Qatar University / Exeter University
