International Conference on: “Language, Literature, and the Challenges of a New Century”

14 - 16 April 2007 (Cairo)

The conference aims to address two main topics: 1) The challenges and problems facing language and literature at the beginning of the 21st century. 2) The pivotal role played by language and literature - as key elements within the cultural system - in solving world problems. As such, the conference is an attempt by the Faculty of Al-Alsun to play a role in shaping the enlightened Arab mind, through interaction with other cultures,and to partake in an epistemological experience that seeks cultural continuity, and rejects self-containment and all calls for extremism and violence in a highly complicated world, threatened by the dangers of hunger, poverty, wars, international conflicts, ecological hazards, and calls for cultural confrontation. The conference also calls for a constructive dialogue that stems from the importance of language and literature in both the peoples' cultural system and the confrontation of societal and ecological problems, while enhancing the values of dialogue, tolerance, and acceptance of the Other. Conference Pivots: Language: Language and the dialogue of cultures Language and modern technology/techniques Language and informatics National languages between identity and globalization Modern languages and the Arabic linguistic theory Literature: Literature and national peculiarities Comparative literature and the question of identity Heritage and nationalism Literature and cultural hegemony Modern directions in literatures Literature and the dialogue of cultures Literature and ecology Literature and international conflicts Children's literature and science fiction Literature and war Literature and poverty problems Translation Arabization of sciences Translation and national peculiarities Translation and comparative literature Machine translation Translation and globalization Orientalism Orientalism between the past and the present Orientalism and the Arab heritage Orientalism and the translation of Arabic literature The self and the Other in the eyes of Orientalism Conference Languages: Arabic / English / French / Italian / Spanish / German / Russian / Czech / Chinese / Persian / Turkish / Japanese / Korean. Paper Preparation - Deadline for submission of abstracts (no more than 5 pages) is 28 February, 2007. - Deadline for submission of accepted papers in full (20-30 pages) is 15 March, 2007. - Papers in foreign languages should be accompanied with an Arabic abstract. - Papers should be submitted on CD. - Formatting: Papers should be submitted in Times New Roman, font size 16, (18 for titles). Writing area is 12.5 x 20 cm including page numbers. Total page size is 17.5 x 25 cm, and 2.5 cm are to be left from all sides. Fees for Egyptians: LE 200 for conference attendance and publications. Fees for Non-Egyptians: - $200 for conference attendance, publications, and a 3-day, full-board accommodation. - Within the framework of the Conference a number of sessions, symposiums, meetings, a book fair, plastic arts fair, and various cultural and folkloric activities by the participant countries will be held. - The conference organizes trips to tourist sites in Egypt (optional). Contacts: Prof. Makarem El-Ghamry Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University. Abbasya-Cairo, Egypt. Zip Code: 11566 Fax: 2627412 E-mail: alsun3@hotmail.com For further information: tel. (002-02) 4036340 / 2626259