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January 12-14, 2007

Conference on

Islamic Identities, Gender & Higher Education in Pakistan

(pdf format)

Sponsored by

American Institute of Pakistan Studies

in collaboration with

Quaid-i-Azam University and others

One of the major objectives of the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS) is to facilitate scholarly research relating to Pakistan and to encourage the exchange of ideas among American and Pakistani scholars and the publication of scholarly information. Academic research and exchanges between the US and Pakistan have been greatly curtailed since 9/11/2001, but conferences provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and to promote the field of Pakistan Studies. In January 12-14, 2007 the AIPS, in collaboration with leading institutions in Pakistan, will hold a conference on Islamic Identities, Gender and Higher Education. In addition to the discussion of key issues facing educational institutions in Pakistan and the US, this meeting will promote collaboration between Pakistani and U.S. academicians and institutions and will result in a major publication to disseminate the results of the conference.

The 2007 conference would be the third major biennial international meeting organized by AIPS and the first one to be held in Pakistan. The two previous conferences were held at Columbia University, New York in 2003 and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia in 2005. The central focus of this conference will be on university-level pedagogical development in Pakistan Studies, both in the US and in Pakistan, with an emphasis on the humanities and social sciences. Its goal is to build bridges between disciplines such as archaeology, history, literary and cultural studies, anthropology, political science and education, with overall sensitivity to issues of gender and Islam. The conference will draw upon the expertise of scholars who address these issues in their teaching and research, with a specific view to advance the field of Pakistan Studies in the US and in Pakistan.

Pedagogical and Intellectual Concerns

Academics, politicians and activists working on issues related to Pakistan usually view identity and gender as separate issues. Gender is too often conflated into discussions of women's experience, or worse, “the women question.” Yet scholarly literature over the past two decades, throughout the humanities and social sciences, has shown clearly that the gendering of knowledge affects social constructions of masculinity no less than femininity. Thus, in many US classrooms there has been greater effort at examining the intersections of gender with race and class within the overall concept of “Identity.” While race may or may not be the critical issue in Pakistan that it is in the US, one desired outcome of the January 2007 conference will be to explore comparable factors in the Pakistani environment, such as linguistic nationalism and ethnic affiliation, that can be incorporated into a strengthened pedagogy for Pakistan-related social sciences and humanities instruction.

Whereas “identity,” in the singular, is often relegated currently to the realm of “folklore,” a more nuanced understanding of the complex of social identity formation would also enable critical study of urban and non-marginalized identities (such as Punjabi or Sindhi.) Moreover, university educators struggle to impart received knowledge within specific disciplines, and unexamined or inherited ideology can often overshadow prospective interrelated discourses. The AIPS conference will aim to elicit thoughtful, and not narrowly critical, discourse on Pakistani identities from the perspective of gender and religion during specific time frames. It aims to go beyond simple critique to indicate future avenues for research and teaching, especially in the existing university classroom.

One of the aims of the conference is to foster collaboration between individuals and institutions and will be facilitated by having no concurrent panels. This would allow participants to attend all the presentations. Overall, the conference would establish a conversation among academics working on Pakistan both inside the country and abroad on methods to develop new knowledge at the university. We envision a brief introduction to each panel, during which there will be a summary of the received wisdom in the relevant field, and how this conventional knowledge engenders intellectual and pedagogical constraints upon teachers and scholars, focusing specifically upon university education. Another concern will be the context in which knowledge about Pakistan is produced and disseminated in US educational institutions and in its public discourse.

During the closing round table session, notes from each panel would be taken up, with discussion centering on possible pedagogical correctives. A very productive set of proposals can result from such discussion, and would contribute immensely to the advancement of Pakistan Studies in both countries, the US and Pakistan.

Venue: Margala Hotel, Islamabad

M-2, Near Convention Center, Tel. 051-227-6500

FINAL PROGRAM:

Friday: Afternoon/Evening: Opening and keynote paper

Saturday: Two morning and two afternoon panels:

(9:00-10:45; 11-12:45; 2-4:00; 4:15-6:15), Cultural Evening

Sunday: One morning panel, Roundtable Discussion

      (9:00-10:45; 11-12:45)

CONFERENCE PANELS

FRIDAY, (late afternoon/evening) JANUARY 12, 2007

Opening: Welcome by J. Mark Kenoyer, AIPS President

US Embassy or Dept of State representative

Pakistan Ministry of Education Representative

Dr. Qasim Jan, V C Quaid-i-Azam University

Keynote Address

Khalid Masud, Chairman, Council of Islamic Ideology: Gendering Knowledge

Dinner for Participants and special guests: Margala Hotel

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2007

Morning Session: 9:00-10:30 AM

1.   Identity in the Indus Valley: Archeology and Uses of Ancient Memory in Today's Pakistan

a)   J. Mark Kenoyer, University of Wisconsin, Madison:

“The Indus Civilization and its importance in Higher Education”

b) Nilofer Shaikh, Chair, Khairpur University, Department of Archaeology: “Archaeology and Curriculum in Pakistani Universities”

c)   Farzand Masih, Chair, Punjab University, Department of Archaeology:

“Early Historical Studies and Research in the University”

Discussant: Dr. Ihsan Ali, Vice Chancellor, Hazara University

Morning Session: 10:45 AM-12:45 PM

2.   Engendering Identity: Pre-colonial & Colonial Notions

a)   Rukhsana Qamber, Area Study Centre for Africa, North & South America, Quaid-i-Azam University: “Gender Before & After the Martial Race Theory”

b)   Noman ul Haq, Lahore University of Management Sciences: “Types of Ambiguity: The Construction of a “Muslim” Identity in Medieval South Asia”

c)   David Gilmartin, Professor of History, North Carolina State University: "Community and Gender Reformulations under Colonial Planning"

Discussant: Imran Ali, Dean of Research & Publications & Professor of Economic History & Business Policy, LUMS (author of The Punjab Under Imperialism)

Lunch Break: Margala Hotel

12:45-2 PM

Afternoon Session: 2:00-4:00 PM

3.   Writing, Religion and Gender

a) Scott Kugle, Swarthmore College/ University of Cape Town: “Gender & Identity in Sufism”

b) Carla Petievich, Montclair State University: “Notions of the ‘Authentic

                 Feminine' Voice in Sufi Kafis and Rekhti ghazals.”

c) To be arranged

Discussant: Barbara Metcalf, Alice Freeman Palmer Professor of History,

                 University of Michigan.

Afternoon Session: 4:15 - 6:15 PM

4.   Post Independence Realities

a) Saba Khattak and Nazish Brohi Executive Director and Associate Researcher respectively at SDPI, Islamabad: "Sculpting the Muslim ID: MMA & Gender Politics"

b) Anita Weiss, International Studies, University of Oregon: "Pakistani Identity & Gender Politics: Challenges of Reforming the Hudood Laws"

c)   Tariq Rahman, National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University: "Center vs. Margin: Language Politics, Gender and the Pakistani State"

Discussant: Kamran Asdar Ali, University of Texas at Austin

Dinner for Participants and special guests: Margala Hotel

Evening Session and Performance: Organized and Presented by Adam Nayyar, Director of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts

Time and Venue To Be Arranged

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2007

Morning Session: 9:00-10:45 AM

5. Constructing Gender and Identity: Arts & Media

a) Erica Dodd, Emeritus Fellow, Center for the Studies of Religion and Society, University of Victoria: “Model for a Modern Madrasa: The Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore.”

b) Salima Hashmi, Dean of School of Visual Arts, Beaconhouse National Univ:

“Unveiling the Visible: Lives & Works of Women Artists of Pakistan”

c) Susan Moeller, Director, Centre for Media Studies, University of Maryland. "Pakistan Through the Media's Gender Prism"

Discussant: Gulzar Haider, Dean of School of Architecture, Beaconhouse National University; Emeritus Professor, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada)

Morning Session: 11 – 12:45

6.   Roundtable: Issues of Gendered (Islamic) Identities in Higher Education &

Training

Discussion Leader: Hank Kennedy, Wake Forest University (bureaucratic training)

Ministry of Education representative

Higher Education Commission representative

Grace Clark, Executive Director, USEF(P)