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