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The conference is organized by the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) and other institutions. The aim of the conference is to explore new avenues for researching the Arabic speaking world, China and Japan, and Eastern Europe and Russia; to encourage comparative studies of these regions and countries; to facilitate a cross-centre dialogue; and to offer a forum for postgraduates to present their work to peers.Papers on the following broad themes will be particularly welcome:1. The global vs. the local2. Social imaginaries3. Nation-building: continuities and discontinuities4. Identity politics and the media5. Language in use: discourses, narratives and perspectives6. The production, maintenance and transformation of power7. Religion as politicsAbstracts of no more than 200 words should be submitted by 1 December 2013 to lbasconference2014@gmail.com.