Conference watch

* "Shopping is becoming more than just leisure, it is becoming cultural," says Jessica Bush of Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College. She is giving a paper at the Commerce and Fashion 1500-2000 workshop at Wolverhampton University on March 8, organised by the Centre for the History of Retailing and Distribution. See http:///home.wlv.ac.uk/~in6086/fashion.html#prog

* The International Conference on Information Warfare and Security , at the University of Maryland from March 15 to16, will focus on developing areas such as understanding threats and risks to information systems, the development of a strong security culture, incident detection and post-incident investigation.

See http:///academic-conferences.org/iciw/iciw2006/iciw06-hom...

* The 4th Annual Forced Migration Postgraduate Student Conference , at the University of East London, from March 18 to19, will include a roundtable on the link between refugee communities, research and policy, makers, as well as an exhibition of refugee art.

See www.uel.ac.uk/ssmcs/research/fmsc/

* To coincide with St Patrick's Day, Queen's University Belfast will debate questions such as whether Irish identity is something that can be "adopted, brokered or consumed" and how the festivities are celebrated, commemorated and contested in our modern world. Paraders, Performers and Promoters runs from March 24 to 25. Contact irish.studies@qub.ac.uk

* Nottingham University will discuss the legacy of the political philosopher Leo Strauss from March to 28. The conference hopes to "draw out the practical, policy implications of Strauss's ideas, as interpreted by his followers today".

See www.nottingham.ac.uk/american/news/straussprog.htm