The media shapes our perception of the world, oftentimes advancing stereotypes and partial truths. Nowhere does this seem more true than in relation to women in the Muslim world. Join us for a panel discussion with a group of Pakistani women to hear their stories without the filter of the media. The five panelists are all faculty of English Literature at Kinnaird College for Women, which has been educating Pakistani women at its Lahore campus for over a century. They are in residence at ASU this semester as part of a three year exchange program on “Globalizing Research and Teaching of American Literature,” resulting from the partnership of the ASU Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict and Department of English, the Department of English Literature at Kinnaird College, and the US State Department's Embassy in Islamabad. These scholars will discuss their experiences, as well as their perceptions of the U.S., before and after their arrival. The audience will have the opportunity to pose questions to the panel about life in Pakistan. The discussion will be led by Neal Lester, Foundation Professor of English and Director of ASU Project Humanities. The panelists are: Tehreem Arslan Aurakzai, who holds a graduate degree in English Literature from Kinnaird College. She teaches courses in English language, communication, and literature at Kinnaird, including a course on war literature. Her research interests include cultural studies, gender and sexuality, and diaspora studies. Zahra Hamdani is a lecturer in English Literature at Kinnaird, where she also completed her graduate studies. Her research and teaching interests include South Asian diaspora literature, the South Asian novel, cross-cultural and transnational studies, and gender and sexuality studies. Kanza Javed has completed her M.Phil in English Literature from Kinnaird College where she is also a lecturer in the English Department. Her research interests include American drama and poetry, gender and sexuality studies, race and ethnicity studies, and transnational and cross-cultural studies. In addition to her scholarly work, she is also the author of several short stories and a novel. Mahwish Khan has graduate degrees in English Literature from Kinnaird College and Beaconhouse International University. She teaches courses in English Literature at Kinnaird and at Lahore School of Economics. Her research interests include diaspora and transnational studies in American and South Asian literatures, literatures of migration, race and ethnicity studies, and gender and sexuality studies. Aisha Usman has graduate degrees in English Language Teaching and English Literature from Kinnaird College for Women and the University of the Punjab. She is a member of the faculty in English Literature at Kinnaird College. Her specialties and interests include American literature, gender and sexuality studies, and transnational and cross-cultural approaches to US and South Asian literature.