Press Releases 2007
U.S. Embassy Supports 10th American Studies Conference
10/26/2007
Islamabad – The Dr. Rais Ahmad Khan Memorial 10th American Studies
Conference opens Friday at Quaid-i-Azam University with U.S. Professor
John L. Caughey as keynote speaker.
Dr. Caughey is director of
American Studies at the University of Maryland, USA. He holds a
doctorate in cultural anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania.
The
Embassy of the United States of America in Islamabad is co-sponsoring
the conference, which is organized by the Area Study Centre for Africa,
North & South America at Quaid-i-Azam University. The Embassy will
also sponsor a series of lectures and consultations featuring Dr.
Caughey at universities in Pakistan.
“American Studies is a
unique, interdisciplinary approach to analyzing and understanding the
cultural and intellectual influences that help to define the American
experience,” said Kay Webb Mayfield, U.S. Embassy Counselor for Public
Affairs.
The goal of the three-day international conference,
coordinated by Area Study Centre Director Dr. Rukhsana Qamber, is to
encourage further development of a network of American Studies scholars
throughout Pakistan and elsewhere in South Asia. Participants from
several other countries in the region are expected to join Pakistani
scholars to present their research during the event.
“The
participants in the conference will discuss a range of topics,
including themes as diverse as critical readings of American
literature, the role of the United States in international relations,
and the experiences of immigrant populations in the Western
Hemisphere,” Ms. Mayfield commented. “We hope the presentation and
publication of these scholarly works will make a lasting contribution
to the field of American Studies and will inspire other researchers to
continue building the body of literature in this field.”