Psychoanalysis Conference in Karachi
Organised by:
University of Exeter
Description
Journeying Beyond the West:
Can Psychoanalysis Find New Roots in Pakistan?
April 12th–13th, 2025 (for clinicians and non-clinicians)
April 12th–14th, 2025 (for clinicians)
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Aga Khan University (AKU-FAS), Karachi (Pakistan), and the Psychology Department at the University of Exeter (UoE), (United Kingdom), are jointly organising a conference to explore the opportunities and challenges of a psychoanalytic thinking space in Pakistan. The conference will be curated by Prof Duane Rousselle (AKU) and Dr Marta Bolognani (UoE).
Psychoanalysis has often been criticised for being Western-centric, promoting the notion of a universal subject while ignoring local knowledge and perspectives. This critique, including an awareness of power dynamics and their effects on the psychic lives of individuals, is present in Europe and America, too. A general disinterest in faith and religion in some of the most prominent schools of psychoanalysis has also contributed to its postcolonial critique. However,
psychoanalysis has played a significant role in postcolonial critical theory. Despite one of the most notable post-war British psychoanalysts originating from Jhelum, Masud Khan, Pakistan still lacks widespread clinical application of psychoanalytic practice.
The goal of this conference is to bring together individuals with a shared interest in
psychoanalysis to discuss both clinical and theoretical ideas relevant to Pakistan and its diaspora, and what establishing psychoanalytic trainings may entail, inviting people to be part of an envisioning for future developments in the field.
Dr Shameel Khan, Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Assistant Professor (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts department) at the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi, will deliver the keynote address. Prof Richard Mizen from the University of Exeter, UK, Frank Rollier, Professor at the Clinical Section of Nice, France, and Prof Gary Winship, from Nottingham University, UK, and Director of the British Journal of Psychotherapy (BJP) will be guest speakers.
The conference will span over two days, open to both clinicians and non-clinicians, where papers and case studies will be presented and discussed under strict confidentiality. On the third day, clinicians will have the opportunity to participate in smaller supervision groups, discussing their clinical work with guest supervisors. These sessions will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.
We are circulating the call for papers now, and the registration information will be circulated on 13th January 2025.
Call for Papers
We invite clinicians and non-clinicians with an interest in psychoanalysis to submit abstracts by December 31st, 2024 to duane.rousselle@aku.edu or m.bolognani@exeter.ac.uk.
We also welcome more general queries about psychoanalysis in Pakistan and the conference. For the first two days of the conference, we are accepting submissions for short papers (10-20 minutes) and longer papers (up to 45 minutes) on topics related to the following areas:
1. Psychoanalysis, Literature, and Philosophy
2. Clinical Discussions/Topics
3. Psychoanalytic training
4. Identity and Violence
Please specify whether your submission is a short or long paper and include a brief biographical note with your abstract. We hope to generate a special issue for the BJP with a selection of the conference papers.
For the clinical day (Monday, April 14th), we welcome expressions of interest from those wishing to present a case for discussion in a supervision group led by one of the supervisors (Dr Marta Bolognani, Dr Shameel Khan, Prof Richard Mizen, Dr Frank Rollier and Prof Duane Rousselle, Prof Gary Winship). There won’t be more than 7 people in each group
To book, email m.bolognani@exeter.ac.uk
