Russia and the Muslim World
13-14 May 2018 : Abba Eban Hall
13 May
16:00-16:30 Gathering + Greetings:
Menachem Blondheim , Director Truman Institute
Zeev Levin, Central-Asia Unit
16:30 – 18:00 Session 1 Russia in the Caucasus
Chair: Reuven Enoch Ariel University
Walt Richmond, Occidental College, Los Angeles
The Circassian Factor in Russian-Muslim Relations
Lars Funch Hansen, Malmö University
Ethnicity and Education: Towards a Renewed Arena of Conflict in the North Caucasus?
Chen Bram, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Colonization of the Caucasus between Past and Present: Russia and the struggle over the Circassian Genocide
18-00 – 18-30 Coffee Break
18-30 Keynote:
Paul Stronski – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Russia and the Muslim World in a Changing Geopolitical Environment
14 May
08:30 – 09:00 Gathering
09-00 – 10-30 Session 1- Russia and the Middle East
Chair: Moshe Maoz, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Denis Parkhomchuk, Third secretary of the Russian Embassy in Israel and director of Russian cultural center in Tel-Aviv
Russian Centers of Science and Culture in the Muslim World: Public Diplomacy, Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations
Vladimir Mesamed, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Russia and Iran in Syria: Partnership or Rivalry
10-30 – 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 – 12:30 Session 2 – Russia in the Gulf
Chair: David Yerushalmi, Tel-Aviv University
Igor Delanoë, French-Russian Analytical Center Observo
The Trade between Russia and Petro-Monarchies: new Perspectives, new Challenges
Clément Therme, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Paris
Iran and Russia: towards an alliance?
Bat Chen Druyan-Feldman, Ben-Gurion University
Russian Orientalism and Contemporary Image of Iran
12:30 -13:30 Lunch Break
13-30 – 15-30 Session 3- Russia in Central Asia
Chair: Yaacov Ro’i, Tel-Aviv University
Mirzohid Rahimov, The Institute of History of The Academy of Sciences of The Republic of Uzbekistan
New dynamics of Russian and Central Asian relations
Dawood Azami, BBC London
The Return of the Bear: Russia’s Assertiveness in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Zeev Levin, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Russian heritage in Central Asia
15-30 – 16-00 Coffee break
16-00 – 17-30 Session 4 – Russia and the Muslim World in History and Memory
Chair: Yaacov Ro’i, Tel-Aviv University
Alikber Alikberov, Institute of Oriental Studies (RAS) St. Petersburg
Russia’s interaction with Muslim lands: the main stages of history
Zhar Zardykhan, KIMEP University Almaty
Russian attempts to win over Muslim hearts in times of trouble: Reflections from the World War I and the current Syrian conflict.
Tim Kucharzewski, The University of Potsdam
Russian wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya deconstruction of a memory
17-30 – 18-00 Coffee break
18-00: Minister Zeev Elkin, MP Ksenia Svetlova
Russia in the Muslim World: a view from Israel
18-30 – 19-30 Round table Discussion: Zvi Magen INSS,
Future of Russian presence in the Muslim World
Concluding remarks: Zeev Levin