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The inaugural event of the Asian Sphere Program will take place on Tuesday-Thursday, December 15-17, 2015, at the University of Haifa, Israel.The Asian Sphere Program is designed to take a fresh look at the continent of Asia as a concept and as a reality. It aims at exploring and analyzing the numerous interconnections that have tied its people, cities, and nations. This conference is devoted to an examination of these connections in various fields and their contribution to the formation of the Asian Sphere in the past, present, and future.We invite paper proposals in one of the following thematic domains :The Asian Sphere as a Concept/Construct: What criteria and perspectives can be used to examine the definition and organization of Asia as a sphere in the past, present, and/or future? Can Asia be defined as a single entity in geographical, cultural, economical, political and/or other terms?The Making of the Asian Sphere: What has enabled or prevented interconnectivity in the sphere? Why have certain religions flourished in it in certain times while others failed? Why certain doctrines have been accepted while others were rejected?The Importance of the Asian Sphere: Why did the sphere enable the rise of many of the world’s leading civilizations, the largest populations, and the largest nation-states? Why and in what senses did Asia play a leading role in the world for much of human history, why did it fall behind at the beginning of the modern age, and why it has resumed its leading role in recent decades?The Distinctiveness of Asian Sphere vs. Other Continental Spheres: In a comparative view, what defines the Asian Sphere? Is there anything unique about the Asian Sphere?Interconnections in the Asian Sphere: What are the characteristics and intensity of the cultural, economic, and political ties within this sphere over time and these days?The Future of the Asian Sphere and Its Megatrends: What will be the main trends in the sphere? What will be the political map of the region? What will be the main conflicts? Who is going to lead?Proposals for panels/papers, as well as further enquiries, should be sent by email to the conference secretariat (TheAsianSphere@gmail.com). Proposals should include the title of the panel or the individual paper and a short abstract (150-200 words).The deadline for submitting proposals is July 30, 2015. Accepted proposals will be notified by 15 August 2015.The organizers will cover three-night stay in Haifa and the transportation costs from Europe (up to US$600) and beyond (up to US$1000) for scholars whose proposals will be accepted.The conference will be conducted in English. It is open to the public and participation is free of charge. We would be grateful if you could distribute this call for papers among your colleagues. Please save the dates!Conference steering committee :Prof. Rotem Kowner &#60;kowner@research.haifa.ac.il&#62;Dr. Nimrod Baranovitch &#60;nbaranov@research.haifa.ac.il&#62;Prof. Ronnie Ellenblum &#60;msronni@mscc.huji.ac.il&#62;Prof. Itzchak Weismann  &#60;weismann@research.haifa.ac.il&#62;Conference's secretariat &#60;TheAsianSphere@gmail.com&#62;Plus d'infos