James Pickett, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh, will discuss his just-released book, Polymaths of Islam: Power and Networks of Knowledge in Central Asia (Cornell, 2020). To join the event, please use this Zoom link. James Pickett … Read more
Maya Peterson of the History Department at UC Santa Cruz will give a talk about her recent book: Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia's Aral Sea Basin (Cambridge University Press, 2019). Peterson received her Ph.D. from Harvard University … Read more
The sudden interest in the legacy of Abu Nasr al-Farabi (ab. 870-950) in Soviet academic circles during the 1970 and 1980s resulted in numerous publications dedicated to his treatises in Central Asian Soviet Republics. Born in southern Kazakhstan and known … Read more
In order to promote students studying abroad to demonstrate “religious freedom” of its Muslim population and to strengthen ties with allies in the Middle East, the Soviet government established the Central Asian Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SADUM) in Tashkent. This … Read more
Please join the Central Asia Working Group for a presentation by Aida Aaly Alymbaeva, an associate PhD Candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, who will present on “Contesting Identities in Kyrgyzstan: The Kalmak Case.” The paper is about people … Read more
Join us for the Central Asia Working Group's first event of the year with Zumrat Salmarbekova, The presentation will provide a brief overview of socio-political changes in Central Asia since independence. It will look at the similarities and differences in … Read more
Join UNC’s Central Asia Working Group for a presentation from Azamat Jusibai, Professor of Sociology (Pitzer College), and Barbara Junisbai, Associate Professor of Organizational Studies (Pitzer College), on “Interpreting Kazakhstan’s Recent Political Unrest.” Meeting ID: 953 3999 3535; Passcode: 035874
Join the Central Asia Working Group as Jeff Eden discusses his latest book, God Save the USSR (Oxford University Press, 2021), examines the explosion in Muslim and Christian devotional life that occurred in the Soviet Union during World War II. … Read more
This presentation provides a feminist analysis of the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s precarious livelihoods and the lack of multi-dimensional empowerment in Uzbekistan due to a market-driven economy, liberalization and neoliberalism – structures that are ill-prepared to deal … Read more
First migrating from northwest China to Russian Central Asia after the suppression of the Dungan Revolt (1862–1877) under the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, the Dungan people boast a rich oral tradition, which served as an important breeding ground for the development … Read more
