Political boundaries are sharp, but cultures tend to blend into each other. That ‘in-betweenness’ is rarely contained by political frontiers. How did the earliest Egyptian and Nubian cultures interrelate? What did Egypt owe to other African cultures in Nubia and, inversely, what did it bequeath to them? In ancient Egypt, Nubians were portrayed as wretched enemies, bound captives, or soldiers. To what extent were their lives defined by Egyptian ideas and colonization? What societal roles did they have and how did their cultural practices impact Egyptian ones? In later times, the Kushite and Meroitic rulers of Nubia revitalized pharaonic culture. Their adoption of Egyptian symbols and beliefs is frequently examined through the lens of ‘Egyptianization’. What was the nature of this borrowing, and how were Egyptian customs blended with indigenous traditions? The conference casts light on the complex interactions and interdependence of different cultures in Egypt and Nubia, from prehistory (ca. 3800 BCE) through the Post-Meroitic era (641 CE). Further, it intends to bring diverse audiences up to speed on broader issues: for example, how legacy Nubian collections can be represented anew in the 21st c. museum; how archaeological discourse has shaped our understanding of ancient Nubia and how it can be retooled to address new questions and data; the impact of major infrastructure and archaeological work on modern stakeholder communities; and the ongoing crisis in Sudan as it affects its people, museums, and cultural heritage today.