For the second year in a row, AKDC@MIT was well represented at the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRIMSES) annual meeting. This year’s conference, Movement and Migration in the Middle East: People and Ideas in Flux, was held at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, July 5-7, 2017.
Under the larger conference theme, AKDC Program Head Sharon C. Smith and Archnet Content Manager Michael Toler co-organized “Chronicles and Curation: Documenting Cultural Transitions in the Wider Middle East (in 2 parts)” spanning two sessions; both panels chaired by Smith.
Panel 1A contained papers examining challenges in archiving personal collections in Yemen, an oral history project documenting Kurdish heritage, and issues in contemporary Iranian art and archives. Toler presented his research on preserving and presenting post-independence Moroccan music in panel 2A along with papers ranging from documenting revolution in Egypt and new challenges for bibliographical projects.
Over the past two years, the diverse, international audience and panel participants of the BRISMES conferences have provided AKDC the opportunity to connect with similar institutions and centers throughout the United Kingdom and beyond and have presented opportunities to forge partnerships and collaborations in alignment with MIT and the Center’s global mission.
