Texas A&M University at Qatar Hosts Liberal Arts International Conference
Published Feb 04, 2013Texas A&M University at Qatar will host an international Liberal Arts conference next week at Education City’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Center. The event, sponsored by Qatar Petroleum, is organized by the University’s Liberal Arts Program in collaboration with The Initiative in Professional Ethics (TIPE) – an umbrella organization for all ethics-related activities at Texas A&M. The theme of this year’s conference is “Ethical Engagement with Globalization, Citizenship and Multiculturalism: Multidisciplinary Perspectives” (EGCM 2013). This theme is geared towards raising awareness about the relationship and complexities that exist between the notions of citizenship within a globalized world and the means by which universalistic and/or particularistic ethical systems and structures fit into a multicultural globe.
The two-day event will run 3-4 February and will feature lectures and panels for students, faculty and staff of educational institutions and research centers in Qatar. The conference will be attended by more than 50 leading scholars representing 35 universities from 17 countries. Keynote speakers at the event are Francis Robinson and Patrick Linke. Dr. Robinson is Professor of the History of South Asia at the Royal Holloway University of London, Sultan of Oman Fellow, and has served as President of the Royal Asiatic Society. In his address, his will discuss the characteristics of the modern nation state and its implications for citizenship, multiculturalism, and globalization.
Dr. Linke is Professor of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University at Qatar and Chief Engineer at the Qatar National Food Security Program. His address will delineate the opportunities and challenges faced by the QNFSP, as well as the program’s ongoing strategies.
Dr. Phillip W. Gray, visiting assistant professor of political science at Texas A&M at Qatar and director and co-founder of TIPE, said, “This conference promises to be quite stimulating, bringing scholars from across the globe to our campus and Qatar. This is a marvelous opportunity for researchers to connect and expand in their ideas, as well as a perfect opportunity to showcase the academic environment within Education City.”
Dr. Troy Bickham, Liberal Arts program chair at Texas A&M University at Qatar, said, "The conference promises to be an exciting international event that draws on the research and expertise of scholars from a wide variety of disciplines around the world. The conference is a further sign that Hamad Bin Khalifa University and its branch campuses are quickly emerging as global leaders in higher education and academia."
For more information about EGCM 2013, as well as a detailed conference schedule, please visit http://www.tipe-qatar.org/egcm-2013/