Saturday conference explores Central Eurasian cultures

IU's Association of Central Eurasian Students are sponsoring their 13th annual conference from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in Ballantine Hall. The conference itself is unique because it is run entirely by graduate students, said Daniel Beben, president of the association. The organization is for graduate students who are studying the countries and people of the Central Eurasian region.\nBeben said many graduate students, scholars and professors from Russia, central Europe and China, among other countries, will be presenting papers in the form of panels for each session, which are open to the public.\n"Anybody can come learn, watch and listen to what's going on," he said. \nBeben pointed out it will be "more than just people standing there presenting papers" -- there will be discussion as well.\nBeben said some of the most popular topics covered in the sessions are U.S. foreign policy toward central Asia, Iranian politics and development, how Islam is practiced in different countries, economic development in central Asia, and literature and cinema.\nBeben mentioned different discussions will occur simultaneously. \n"This conference has grown quite a bit over the last few years," he said. "Last year, we had about 40 people presenting and this year (it's) almost 100. Next year, we are hoping to make it a two-day conference. But people are welcome to walk in and out of different things to see what's going on."\nProfessor Peter Perdue of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will be presenting the keynote address titled, "Why Do Empires Expand?" This topic will be addressed at 2:15 p.m. in Ballantine Hall Room 013. All other sessions will be taking place between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the first two floors of Ballantine. \n"We're hoping to get people who are doing research in some of these areas to be able to meet and interact with each other and find out what's going on," Beben said. "It's an opportunity to share ideas and network with people from around the world you wouldn't get a chance to meet otherwise."\nA cultural event titled "Central Eurasia Through Images, Sounds and Words" will conclude the conference. Professor Shahyar Daneshgar, lecturer in IU's Central Eurasian studies department, said it will include food, music, poetry and a dance in order to "highlight the cultural aspects of the lives of the people that the conference focuses on." It will also include a photography exhibit from a student who spent a year in Turkistan. The cultural event begins at 7:30 p.m. in Ballantine 013.\nThe conference is free and open to any student who wishes to attend and learn more about the Central Eurasian Studies program. It is one of the few conferences in world that focuses on the Central Eurasian region, Beben said.\n"More universities don't have a department of Central Eurasian studies," he said. "We're very lucky."\n"Speaking about these issues is important," Daneshgar said. "Parents' sons and daughters are overseas. I think this conference and music and events give them a better idea of what those cultures are about."\nFor a complete schedule as well as more information about the Association of Central Eurasian Students, visit www.indiana.edu/~aces/.