Draft programme INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

Encounters between the Caucasus and the West: Image and Reality

VU University Amsterdam: Metropolitan Building Buitenveldertselaan 3, Z 009

April 23 - 24, 2010; tel: 06-51065.268

April 23, 2010

9.30-10.00 / Registration of the participants and welcome coffee
10.00 -10.15 / Welcome speeches and practical info
Presentation time 15 minutes each (beamer/laptop available)
10.15-11.15 / panel Encounters in 19th expeditions (Chair/discussant: M.Kemper, UVA)
G. Sanikidze -19th century French Perception
L.K. Maracz - 19th century Hungary
B. Obrusanszky – silk road then and now
[J. Meskhidze - 18th/20th century encounter Italy-Caucasus][1]
M. Kemper - discussant
11.15-11.30 / Coffee Break
11.30-12.15 / Encounters: Ethnic (Chair/discussant: G. Sanikidze, Oriental Studies Tbilisi)
G. Shabashvili - stereotypes Caucasus-West
H. Aktas - Meskhetian Turks and USA
G. Sanikidze, discussant
12.15-13.00 / Encounters : Linguistic & Identity[2]. (Chair: H. Aktas, Karadeniz TechU)
K.Czeglédi – encounters Europe and Caucasus – discussant L. Maracz
Z. Kikvidze - Linguistic Symbols and National identity Georgia – “ K. Gochitashvili
H. Aktas, chair
13.00-13.45 / lunch/break
13.45-14.30 / Encounters: Education institutions[3]/multi ethn.[4] (Chair/discussant: Peter van Rijn)
P. van Rijn and M. Tsereteli - Educational measurement Georgia-Netherlands
K. Gochitashvili - Multiethnic Georgia and Multi ethnic Education
14.30-16.00 / Geopolitics.[5] (Chair: D. Rochtus, Lessius College Antwerp)
N. Kemoklidze –The Kosovo Precedent and the ‘Moral Hazard’ of Secession
B. Rezvani - The Caucasus: Civilizations and the Clash of Encounters
E. Efegil & or N. Kenar - on protocol signed with Armenia
T. Wittig – on terrorism
D.Rochtus comments/discussion
16.00-16.45 / Tea break
16.45-17.45 / Encounters: Civil Society/Institutions (Chair M.J.Faber, VU University Ams)
T. Rommens - Georgia Europeanized but how? – Eastern partnership
M. Dobbins/Parsadanishvili – Rose Revolution transfer
[D. OBeachain - Rose revolution, will participate in discussion][6]
MJ Faber, discussant
17.45 / Closing / drinks followed by buffet at ca 18.00 hours

24 April

10.15 AM collect at boat company Gray line, Damrak: in front of the Central Station Amsterdam, coming out of the station on the left side of the Damrak by the water, before arriving at the Beurs van Berlage (our “Wall street”);

  1. 10.30 -11.30 boat tour;

11.30-11.45 walk to the Schreierstoren, VOC café Prins Hendrikkade 94/95 for lunch; from the Damrak facing the Central Station keep to your left, pass the Barbizon Hotel turn around the corner and there you will see the VOC tower Schreierstoren in front and on your right hand side.

  1. 45 – 13.00 lunch in the Schreierstoren, Terrace room;

13.00 free time or film

14.00- 16.00 uur film Pieter Jan Smit on Georgian-American encounter

P.S. Tram tickets (for example nr 5 from the Centre to the VU and v.v. can be bought in the tram itself for E 2.60. For the metro 51 you need to buy a card in the stations, not in the metro. From Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Central Station is on average a 20 minute ride and costs E 3.80 per ride. Tickets can be bought in machines or at a NS Trainticket counter in the back of the Central Hall. The trainstation is beneath the airport to be reached via escalators in the Central Hall.

[1]Meskhidze: is working on paper encounter Mansur-Battista Boetti; Lordkipanidze is working on paper Europe-Georgia, then and now; Crombach is working paper Azerbaijan;

[2]Zhigunova: is working on paper female Circassian identity; Matosyan: is working on European Values and Armenian identity

[3]Dutzkievitz will possibly also send paper on statehood (weak states);

[4]Melikishvili sent paper on ethnology education; Sideri sent paper on Cosmopolitanism and pluralism;

[5]Ergun: is working on political transition Azerbaijan in geopolitical context;

[6]Obeachain: paper will follow later;