Join the organizing team for Wesleyan’s first International Relations Conference

I am writing on behalf of the recently-formed Wesleyan International Relations Association (WIRA), to inform you about our prospective inaugural International Relations conference. WIRA plans to hosts International Relations Conferences annually, focused on a different region of the world each year, to give Wesleyan students, faculty, administration and the community a chance to hear from specialists on the specific region. This year, WIRA, in collaboration with the Wesleyan Pakistan Flood Relief Initiative and South Asian Studies Certificate Faculty, has decided to organize the conference on “Deciphering Pakistan and US-Pak Relations.” As part of this conference, we will invite academics, diplomats and journalists from all over the world to come to Wesleyan University and address the topic from their specific lens of expertise. Given the scale of the conference, we will require considerable planning for it. Thus, we would like to invite the Wesleyan student body to join the Organizing Team for Wesleyan’s first International Relations Conference, tentatively planned for Oct. 1, 2011.

Topic–“Deciphering Pakistan and US-Pak Relations” Conference”
Despite being an important strategic player in South Asia, Pakistan is a mystery for many people around the world. Thus, the aim of this conference is to increase understanding and awareness about Pakistan, its problems and contributions. In league with this, the conference will also focus on US-Pak relations, which have simultaneously strained and strengthened substantially after 9/11. Our speakers will analyze Pakistan’s geopolitical and social situation, and US-Pakistan relations in a global context.

What is the format of the Conference? The event is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2011 at Wesleyan University. This will be a daylong conference which will conclude in the evening with a concert and cultural event. We will have two keynote speakers, two panel discussions and lunch. The conference will be free to attend for all. However, we will charge a nominal fee for the cultural event and lunch. All proceeds will go to the Pakistan Flood Relief efforts.

Speakers:

1. Ahmed Rashid: Mr. Rashid is a former Pakistani revolutionary, a journalist and best-selling author of several books about Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia.
2. Ambassador Howard B. Schaffer: Howard Schaffer is a retired American Foreign Service officer who spent much of his 36-year career dealing with U.S. relations with South Asia.
3. Asim Khawaja: Mr. Khawaja is Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
4. Stephen Cohen:  Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, 21st Century Defense Initiative (Brookings Institution). 5. Hassan Abbas: Mr. Abbas is an Affiliate with the Belfer Center, Quaid-i-Azam Chair Professor at Columbia University and a Bernard Schwartz Fellow at the Asia Society NY.
6. Stanley Wolpert: Mr. Wolpert is an American historian, biographer and novelist (emeritus professor of History University of California, Los Angeles).
7. Adil Najam: Mr. Najam is currently the Director of the F. S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future and Professor of International Relations and of Geography & Environment, both at Boston University.
8. Shuja Nawaz: Mr. Nawaz currently serves as the Director of South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council of the U.S.
9. Mehreen Jabbar screening Ramchand Pakistani: Ms. Jabbar is a noted Pakistani film-maker and television director/producer.

Who is organizing it?
The event is being planned and organized by the Wesleyan International Relations Association, Wesleyan Pakistan Flood Relief Initiative and the Wesleyan South Asian Studies Certificate Faculty.

Recruitment of Organizing Team:
This will be the first International Relations Conference at Wesleyan University. We hope Wesleyan students will join the organizing team to help us start the tradition of IR Conferences at Wesleyan University. Not only will this be a great opportunity for students interested in International Relations to network with like-minded students, academics and diplomats, but this will also give students great experience in organizing large-scale IR conferences, which contribute immensely to the understanding of International Relations. We are looking for students for the following positions:

Registration Coordinator
Panel/Speaker Coordinator
Information and Communication Coordinator
Marketing Coordinator
Funding Coordinator
PR and Media Coordinator
Logistics Coordinator
Social Events Coordinator
Publication Coordinator
Web-Designer/Webmaster
Graphic Designer
Other (Please describe):

If you are interested in any of the aforementioned positions, please send an e-mail to achaudhry@wesleyan.edu with your name, the position (if applicable) that you are interested in and your relevant background (just a few sentences should suffice).

If you have any questions, concerns or if you require more information about the positions/conference, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at achaudry@wesleyan.edu. I look forward to hearing from you and I hope you will join us in organizing what promises to be a highly informative and exciting conference!