Paper short abstract:

This paper examines a new holistic approach to the study and teaching of humanities at institutions of higher learning in Central Asia by the University of Central Asia’s Aga Khan Humanities Project (AKHP).

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines a new holistic approach to the study and teaching of humanities at institutions of higher learning in Central Asia by the University of Central Asia’s Aga Khan Humanities Project (AKHP). The project was originally launched in 1997 by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Tajikistan (later expanded to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) to foster a deeper understanding of ethical issues and the moral choices, which societies in Central Asia faced after the disintegration of the USSR. Its mission was to promote pluralism in ideas, cultures, and peoples by initiating and supporting the creation and implementation of an interdisciplinary undergraduate humanities curriculum, pedagogical and professional development of faculty at Central Asian universities. Exploring the origins and later development of the AKHP activities in the region, this paper examines how successful the project has been in delivering its objectives since its creation, and what are the key contributions it has made to the field of humanities in Central Asia. This study deploys original AKHP archive materials, curriculum modules and other documents related to the project’s activities in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Key words: AKHP, curriculum, Central Asia, interdisciplinary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

Paper short abstract:

The paper examines the present factors in cross-border academic migration from, to and within the five post-Soviet republics of Central Asia, and the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict on student mobility flows in Eurasia.

Paper long abstract:

The paper examines the present factors in cross-border academic migration from, to and within the five post-Soviet republics of Central Asia. In the first decades of the 21st century, the number of Central Asian youth studying abroad almost doubled and continues to grow, while the domestic tertiary enrolment has not kept pace with the growing demand for higher education. The data on international academic migration shows that the bulk Central Asian academic migrants go to Russia, where they currently make about 40 % of the total international student population. Besides, the Russian government continues to sponsor incoming mobility the post-Soviet states via scholarships and tuition waivers. Such support, granted to the Russian ‘compatriots’, enable to maintain a continuous migration and further naturalization of the ethnic Russians, especially from Kazakhstan. Apart from Russia, the USA, the UK, Germany, China, Turkey and Islamic countries take considerable efforts to attract students from the region within their public diplomacy and development aid programmes. There is also a visible educational migration within Central Asia; and Kazakhstan has established its Bolashak study abroad scholarship as a part of a nation’s modernization programme.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on academic mobility worldwide, causing complete or partial cease of international travels, imposition of quarantine, and forced introduction of digital education. Numerous surveys among students, teachers and experts in higher education have shown much vulnerability of the existing academic mobility schemes, such as insufficient level of assistance to international students, learning problems, financial and psychological issues. The situation has just started to improve slowly by 2022, but the Russian invasion in Ukraine generated new threats to cross-border student migration, not only in countries directly involved in the conflict, but on a much larger scale. After its show of force in Ukraine, Russia’s soft power in Central Asia will no longer work the same way. While hostilities are underway, and Russia stands isolated from the world’s financial, logistic, cultural and educational space, thousands of academic migrants from Central Asia encounter stresses of uncertainty. This crisis is likely to lead to reconfiguring the landscape of international education in Eurasia.

Paper short abstract:

The following paper proposes a language course for Green Card holders and future residents of the US where they become aware of dialects,be receive psychological support to avoid a 'culture shock',and get acquainted with people who are already residents

Paper long abstract:

As English is a dynamic language, teaching methods, approaches and planning also fluctuate. In this globalized world economics, cultures, trade, and information rapidly grow interdependently. The USA is considered one of the most powerful countries in the world. Thus, thousands of people from Uzbekistan take a chance to become a resident of the US by Diverse Visa. They also take a risk of being misunderstood through culture, not understanding the language as some of the residents speak no word in English, face issues regarding socialization. Children of immigrant families are engaged in diverse cultural and linguistic communities at school, home, heritage language communities, and other places. This proposal of a language course could help future residents and their families to experience life in a new community in a more confident way. It is also important for both the US and Uzbekistan as it strengthens and forges connections between the two countries .As this proposal was written based on Needs Analysis, it will meet the needs of the learners (Green cardholders and future residents). It will also be a good experience for teachers as they will work hand in hand with the native speakers and also gain knowledge in diverse dialects that are spoken in the US even without traveling and living there

Paper long abstract:

The conflict in Ukraine has led to suspension of Russian immersion and study abroad programs in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. With such programs currently unavailable in these countries, South Caucasus and Central Asia should expand their study abroad programs to increase their presence in international education. Foreign Russian language teacher associations call for update of existing and development of new courses centered around individual post-Soviet states, their history, protest culture, cinema, and art. I argue that successful implementation of Russian study abroad programs in South Caucasus and Central Asia requires a critical approach to language instruction. In fact, focus on individual states, their culture and history to supplement Russian lessons represents stepping away from a grand cultural narrative and its prototypes with local (i.e., Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Uzbek) small-scale attempts at developing projects fitted to specific experiences and goals. A critical approach to teaching Russian in South Caucasus and Central Asia demands that the instruction reflects local culture and linguistic peculiarities and transforms teaching approaches and materials. Such transformation aims at no longer perpetuating language colonialism but giving voice to local communities and reflecting elements such as local culture and linguistic peculiarities. South Caucasus and Central Asian countries can provide Russian immersion conditions as they have culturally rich Russian-speaking communities, where Russian is a native, home, community, or heritage language. Its peculiarities could be studied in the classroom for intermediate and advanced Russian language learners. Baku Russian and other local dialects are worth researching further and could represent a selling point for advanced Russian language learners, who are also interested in South Caucasus and Central Asian history, political science, identity, and arts.