CULTURAL STUDIES NOW is a major international conference organised by the School of Social Sciences, Media & Cultural Studies (SSMCS) at the University of East London. Cultural Studies, as the paradigmatic interdisciplinary project, has always been defined by its relationships to proximate sets of ideas, practices and institutions. As Cultural Studies has grown and matured, its borders have multiplied. Cultural Studies has affected and been affected by contiguous disciplines, academic and non-academic institutions, political movements and projects, and creative practices of many kinds. The question now is: has Cultural Studies been expanded, relocated and disseminated to the point where it no longer has a coherent identity? Is there a future for Cultural Studies as such? The conference will consider these issues by addressing a number of connected topics including: *Cultural Studies & Politics *Cultural Studies & Its Disciplinary Neighbours *Cultural Studies in the Public Sphere *Cultural Studies & Creative Practice *Cultural Studies & National Contexts