International Symposium on “China’s West Asian Strategies and Belt and Road Initiative-BRI”

International Symposium on  “China’s West Asian Strategies and Belt and Road Initiative-BRI”

Request: Call for Papers

Date: November 25, 2018 

Location: Ataköşk Hotel, Kızılırmak Mahallesi, Mevlana Blv. No:148, 06520 Çankaya/Ankara-TURKEY

Subject Fields: 

China’s Relations with West Asian Countries; Belt-Road Initiative; Chinese Grand Strategy and West Asia.   

Description and Objectives:

Geopolitical and geostrategic importance of the Asia has become increasingly important. While Russia was the key player in the region in the past, China’s influence is growing. Tremendous economic growth performance during the last three decades and the recent ambitious economic project (Belt and Road Initiative) have the potential to cause serious consequences in several spheres in global political and economic landscape. In addition to economics, political, military, and many other dimensions in today’s evolving global landscape have attracted scholars and experts to ponder over the recent rise in Chinese power.   

As China becomes a global power, economic and political relations between West Asian countries and China get more intense and strategic.  China’s influence over West Asia in general and on Iran are also noticeable in recent years. Particularly, Iran’s strategic location and its capacity to supply oil and gas to China make Iran as a key country for Belt and Road Initiative. Moreover, Iran is an observer status in Shanghai Cooperation Organization.  Large number of Iranian students pursue their education in China and moreover since 2009, Confucius Institutes, aiming at promoting Confucian culture has been operating in Iran.   

In addition to several infrastructure investment agreements with Pakistan including Gwadar Port, in recent few years China has signed a large number of political economic and military agreements or memorandum of understanding (MoU) documents with West Asian nations.  These maneuvers will seem to change political and economic landscape and will induce other powerful actors to engage more intense competition not only in West Asia but also in other regions, particularly Asia-Pacific and Africa. 

Contemporary relations between West Asia and China are very complex and multifaceted. This symposium therefore aims at analyzing these interconnected, dynamic and recent hot topics. Although the relations among West Asian countries and China have deep historical roots, the symposium narrows its focus on more recent themes of: international relations, political science, economics, sociology and culture. 

Papers are invited, but not limited to, on following topics.

  • West Asia and China Relations
  • Iran- China Relations
  • Turkey- China Relations
  • Pakistan: “The” Key Country
  • China-Russia Relations: Cooperation or competition
  • China and Other West Asian Countries
  • Belt and Road Initiative-BRI
  • Energy and Energy Security
  • New Markets and New Opportunities in West Asia
  • Infrastructure and Other Investments
  • International Organizations in Asia and Their Capacity
  • US’ China and West Asia Policy
  • Global Order: Past, Present and Puture

Organization: 

Ankara Center for Iranian Studies (IRAM) and Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University (AYBU) are hosting the symposium. The symposium will take place in Ankara during November 25, 2018.  

We invite interested scholars and advanced graduate students to submit proposals for the conference below.

Please submit your proposal by October 15, 2018 to (taylancokenoglu@iramcenter.org) or congress@iramcenter.org.  We acknowledge receipt of all emails and will reply to all. If you do not receive a reply, please resend your abstract.  Acceptance notices will be sent by October 20, 2018. In case your abstract is accepted, a draft paper of around 4000 words is due on October 26, 2018.   We intend to compile an edited volume with the best papers for publication. There is no fee for this conference. For selected papers, organizer will cover the lodging & boarding expenses during the symposium.

Important Dates

Abstract Deadline

November 10, 2018

Please specific if you want financial assistance.

Acceptance Notification

November 15, 2018

 

Letter for Visa

November 15, 2018

 

Financial Assistance Decision

November 16, 2018

Only selected researches are eligible for financial assistance. Financial assistance covers the lodging & boarding expenses.

Symposium

November 25, 2018

 

For questions and comments please send e-mail to congress@iramcenter.org or  taylancokenoglu@iramcenter.org.

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Event Date:   25/11/2018
Event Time:   09:00
Event End Date:   25/11/2018