Other Upcoming Events
International Caucasia Congress
April 26 - 27, 2012
Kocaeli University Umuttepe Campus
Turkey
Full information and deadlines: http://icc.kocaeli.edu.tr
Deadline for abstracts – March 9th, 2012, Friday
Accepted abstracts will be announced – March 19th, 2012, Monday
Deadline for full papers – April 13, 2012, Friday
Caucasus as one of the most important regions on earth, strategically, covers 440.000 km2 from Taman Peninsula to Absheron Peninsula, from Don and Kumar Rivers to Aras River and Kars Plateau. The region is between Don River in north and Aras River in south and Caucasus is home to the Caucasus Mountains, the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus.
Caucasus is in the crossroads between north and south and east and west. It starts with inner Russia and spreads out towards Anatolia, Middle East; so it has the old trade roots. The old Silk Road which ties China to Europe is on Caucasus. Caucasus is also an intersection point of energy transportation which is highly important for today’s world.
The main determinant of the region is its multicultural structure. Caucasus is the homeland of different ethnicities. It is one of the rare regions on earth because of the diversity of language and religion.
Because of the geostrategic importance, Caucasus seemed attractive to Huns, Arabs, Mongolians, Ottomans, Persians and Russians. Power struggles over Caucasus in the history affected and shaped the region politically and culturally. Diversity of ethnicities is also affected from these power struggles.
Caucasus can be separated into two regions: North and South Caucasus. North Caucasus includes Adygea, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, Ingushetia and Chechnya which are territories of Russia. South Caucasus covers Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.
Caucasus faced newly independent states and new balance of power emerging from the collapse of Soviet Union. This affected both the countries of the region and the ones which have interests regarding the region. In today’s world Caucasus have a privilege on international affairs because of its rich resources, geopolitical position, geostrategic importance, multicultural structure and ethnic conflicts. The region is also important on the grounds of global security.
“The Silk Road Project”, “Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan Pipeline”, “Baku–Tbilisi–Erzurum gas line”, “Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railroad”, “TRACECA”, “INOGATE” etc. increases the role and the importance of the Caucasus. Because the region is close to the Middle East, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, this makes it priceless. After the collapse of Soviet Union, a vacuum of power emerged in the region. This vacuum makes regional and global powers to follow foreign policies to control the region.
Turkey, as a principle of mutual respect and independency in domestic affairs, aims to diversify and improve the relations with the regions’ countries. Therefore, Turkey hopes to contribute on construction of peace, security and stability in the region by increasing cooperation.
Turkey’s foreign policy approach on Caucasus gives much attention to the consolidation of the region states’ independences, protecting territorial integrity and increasing economical potential. Turkey also support them in membership to the Euro-Atlantic organizations. Unresolved and ongoing conflicts in the region continue to be a major threat to both to the region itself and to the Eurasia. Turkey believes that to the conflicts of the Caucasus can be found peaceful solutions. So economic prosperity and political stability can be achieved and further developments in the region can be possible. Because of all these reasons, with the purposes of achieving and maintaining peace, security and stability in the Caucasus we found that it will be a great experience and opportunity to organize International Caucasia Congress, Kocaeli University as a host and with the partnerships of Eurasian National University and Bilgesam.
The Congress which will be held in 26 – 27th of April, Kocaeli University Umuttepe Campus will contribute to our relations on state level and university level.
Linked Ancient World Data Institute (LAWDI)
May 31st to June 2nd, 2012
New York City
ISAW will host the Linked Ancient World Data Institute (LAWDI) from May 31st to June 2nd, 2012 in New York City.
Applications are due 17 February 2012.
http://isaw.nyu.edu/about/news/lawdi
LAWDI, funded by the Office of Digital Humanities of the National Endowment for Humanities, will bring together an international faculty of practitioners working in the field of Linked Data with twenty attendees who are implementing or planning the creation of digital resources.
More information, including a list of faculty, and application instructions are available at the LAWDI page on the Digital Classicist wiki.
Don't Stop Thinking about Yesterday: An Experiment with Conflict Narratives in the Caucasus
Scott Radnitz
Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington
Friday, February 18, 2012
Series: Central Asia Lecture Series
208N, North House
The Munk Centre For International Studies
1 Devonshire Place
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3K7
Canada
PH: (416) 946-8900 FX: (416) 946-8915
Contact Info: Janet Hyer, CERES (ceres.admin "at" utoronto . ca)
How susceptible are people in post-conflict societies to alternative narratives of the conflict? In this paper I report the results of a laboratory experiment conducted in July-August 2009 in Azerbaijan, a country that fought a brutal fratricidal war with neighbouring Armenia in the late 1980s and early 1990s, an event that has left a deep impression on both populations. Subjects were exposed to three narratives about the conflict that attribute blame to different actors. Narratives were presented either in written format or in the context of a group discussion. The results suggest that attitudes formed out of many years of exposure to a monolithic discourse are indeed sticky, but that certain appeals—and formats—are more effective than others. I find, counterintuitively, that exposure to narratives that are consistent with pre-existing views or that redirect blame away from an adversary and toward a third party are more effective in altering attitudes in a conciliatory direction than narratives that invoke ideas of mutual understanding and common identity. Narratives presented and discussed in a social context are more effective than ones in a written format that involve no discussion.
Main Sponsor: Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies
Sponsored by: Central Asia Program
Source URL: http://www.utoronto.ca/ceres/centralasiaevents.html
Lecture: "State-Society Relations in Hybrid Regimes: The Case of Azerbaijan"
Part of IERES’ Visiting Scholar Roundtable Series
with
Gokhan Alper Ataser
Research Assistant, Middle East Technical University
Thursday, February 9, 2012
4:00-5:00pm
The George Washington University
Voesar Conference Room
1957 E Street NW, Suite 412
Washington, DC 20052
Please RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/AtaserGWU
This event is on the record
How does a hybrid regime consolidate its power and what does this mean? For many students of post-Soviet regimes, defining the regime type in a specific period of time has been more important than understanding its workings. However, hybrid regimes are dynamic entities where the interplay of state and society should not be overlooked even at times when society appears to be totally subdued. In the case of Azerbaijan, large-scale social transformations in several spheres, including the economy and demography, continue to couple with processes of nation- and state-building. In such a fragile setting, reliance on authoritarian methods is insufficient, and staying in power requires responding creatively to a changing society.
Gokhan Alper Ataser is a Ph.D. candidate and Research Assistant in the Department of Sociology at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey. He is currently a visiting scholar at IERES. His research interests include post-Soviet democratizations, state-society relations in postcommunist societies, Soviet society, and the sociology of mass communication.
Presented by The Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) and The Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University.
Source: https://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/02.09.12.pdf
Conference: "From Kolkhoz to Jamaat: The Politicisation of Islam in the Rural Communities of the Former USSR"
January 27-28, 2012
Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
Final conference of the research project of Eastern European history at Bielefeld University and the Humboldt University in Berlin.
Friday, January 27, 2012
(Inst. f . Geschichtswissenschaften, Humboldt-Universität, Hausvogteiplatz 5-7, R. 0109)
10:00-11:00 Welcome and Introduction
Department of History, Humboldt- University
Prof. Dr. h.c. mult Stephan Merl, Department of History, University Bielefeld
Dr. Wolfgang Levermann, Volkswagen Foundation (to be confirmed)
Stéphane A. Dudoignon (Paris), Christian Noack (Amsterdam): Intro-duction
11:00-13:00 Northern and Southern Caucasus I
Vladimir Bobrovnikov (Moscow): Micro-History of Re-Islamisation in the (Ex-)Kolkhozes in the 1950s- 2010s: A Dagestani Case
Shamil Shikhaliev (Makhachkala): Развитие суфизма и передача исламских знаний в процессе переселенческой политики в Дагестане в 50 – 80-е гг. ХХ в.
Ahmet Yarlykapov (Moscow): Ислам в ногайском совхозе: советский период и перемены постсоветского времени
Discussant: Uwe Halbach (Berlin) (to be confirmed)
Continued
(Inst f. Geschichtswissenschaften, Humboldt-Universität, Friedrichstraße 191, R. 5009)
14:00-15:30 Northern and Southern Caucasus II
Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya (Moscow): Governing Fragmented Societies: Social Integration and Informal Politics in Ingushetia and Chechnya
Rufat Sattarov (Berlin): Urban, Rural or Something in Between: The Development of Alternative Islamic Communities on the Absheron Peninsula (Azerbaijan)
Discussant: Eva-Maria Auch (Berlin)
16:00-18:00 Tajikistan
Stéphane Dudoignon (Paris), Saidahmad Qalandar (Dushanbe): “They Were All from the Country:” The Revival and Politicisation of Islam in the Lower Wakhsh River Valley of the Tajik SSR (1950s-1990s)
Beate Giehler (Berlin): The Impact of the Institutional Framework of the Kolkhoz on Islam (through the Case of the Former Cotton Kolkhoz Maxim Gorki in Southern Tajikistan
Ariane Zevaco (Paris): From the Upper Matcha Mountain Valley to the Lower Matcha Steppe Plain: The Resettlement and Redefinition of Islamic Practice towards the Cotton Kolkhozes of Northern Tajikistan
Discussant: N.N.
19:00 Reception
Saturday, January 28, 2012
(Inst f. Geschichtswissenschaften, Humboldt-Universität, Friedrichstraße 191, R. 5009)
09:30-11:00 Uzbekistan
Bakhtiyar Babadjanov (Tashkent): Колхозный кишлак: От советской модернизации к исламскому возрождению
Sharifjon Islamov (Tashkent): Джамаат из узбекского кишлака. О группе Maр‘ифатчилар” (Просветители)
Discussant: N.N.
11:30-13:00 Volga-Ural Region
Liliya Sagitova (Kazan): Результаты советской модернизации сельских мусульман внутренней России: к вопросу о взаимодействии традиции и инновации
Il’nur Minnullin (Kazan): От колхоза к мусульманской общине: экономика, общество и ислам в селе Белозерье Республики Мордовия (1950-2011 гг.)
Discussant: Adeeb Khalid (Carleton College)
13:00-14:00 Conclusions:
Stéphane A. Dudoignon (Paris), Michael Kemper (Amsterdam), Christian Noack (Amsterdam)
Lecture: "From the Post-Soviet Space to What? An American Perspective"
Dean Sherman Garnett
Dean, Michigan State University
January 25, 2011, 15:00
Venue: Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy
Shamil Azizbayov, 88
Part of the “Global Perspectives” Lecture Series, by the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy's School of International Affairs and Business.
RSVP: globalperspectives "at" ada. edu . az or telephone 437 32 35
Lecture: Everyday Life and Education of Women in Azerbaijan
Dr Tamara Sivirtseva (Independent Scholar, Associate Member of Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies, the University of Chicago)
Date: 8 December 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Finishes: 8 December 2011Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings Room: G50
Type of Event: Seminar
Series: CCCAC Seminar Programme
Organiser: Centres & Programmes Office
Contact email: events "at" soas. ac. uk
Centre of Contemporary Central Asia & the Caucasus (CCCAC)
School of Oriental and African Studies
University of London
more info: http://www.soas.ac.uk/cccac/events/seminars/08dec2011-everyday-life-and-education-of-women-in-azerbaijan.html
"Japanese Cultural Influence and Youth Solidarities in the Former Soviet Union"
December 5-6, 2011
Higher School of Economics - St. Petersburg
10 liniia, 3/30, St. Petersburg, Russia
All activities are in Room 13 unless otherwise indicated.
Open to the public on a reservation basis. Due to limited space and our intention that there should be a good discussion among people closely involved in this topic, if you wish to attend you should send a note to youth.hse.spb "at" gmail . com, stating why you are interested and what background you have related to the topic of the workshop. We will send confirmation to you by Dec. 3 about whether we are able to accommodate you.
Program
December 5, 2011, Monday
09:30-10:00 - Registration (1st floor lobby)
10:00-10:30 - Opening Session
Guzel Ansarovna Sabirova, Deputy Director, Center for Youth
Studies, HSE - St. Petersburg
Dr. John Schoeberlein, Program on Central Asia and Caucasus, Davis
Center, Harvard University (USA)
10:30-11:00 - Infusing the Post-Soviet Space: Conditions of Japanese
Cultural Influence
John Schoeberlein, Harvard University
11:00-11:30 - Contemporary Youth Culture: Global Trends and Local
Cultural Identities
Dr. Elena L. Omelchenko, Head of the Department of Sociology HSE -
St. Petersburg, Director, Center for Youth Studies, HSE - St. Petersburg
Guzel A. Sabirova, Deputy Director, Center for Youth Studies, HSE -
St. Petersburg
11:30-12:00 - Discussion
12:00-12:20 - Coffee break
12:20-12:40 - The Subculture of Anime: A Union of People and Things
Yekaterina Sukhoruchenkova, Student, Volgograd State University
12:40-13:00 - The Audiences of Festivals of Japanese Culture: A Change
of Generations
Anastasia Lebedeva, Student, HSE - St. Petersburg
13:00-13:20 - Socio-cultural Space of Russian Festivals of
Contemporary Japanese Culture
Tatiana Kazmina, Student, St. Petersburg State University
13:20-14:00 - Discussion
14:00-15:00 - Lunch
15:00-15:20 - Using a Subcultural Approach to the Study of Anime Communities
Vladimir Gushchin, Head of the Dept. for Analysis of Youth
Subcultures, The "Kontakt" Center
15:20-15:40 - Anime Culture in St. Petersburg: The Space of Activity,
Consumption, and Means of Inclusion
Aleksandr Pronin, Lecturer in Sociology, HSE - St. Petersburg,
Aleksandr Lukoyanov, Student, HSE - St. Petersburg
15:40-16:20 - Discussion
16:20-16:30 - Coffee break
16:30-17:30 - Round Table:
International Research on 'External' Cultural Impact on the Local
Youth Community: The Search for Theoretical Approaches and the
Characteristics Empirical Work
Moderators:
John Schoeberlein, Harvard University
Guzel Sabirova, Deputy Director, CYS, HSE - St. Petersburg
17:30 - Dinner
December 6, 2011, Tuesday
10:00-10:20 - Japanese Cool: Pan-Asian Identity in the Russian Far East
Aimar Ventsel, Senior Researcher, Lecturer University of Tartu (Estonia)
10:20-10:40 - Japanese Cultural Presence in Belarus
Sergei Sakuma, Inst. of Arts, Ethnography and Folklore, National
Acad. of Sciences of Belarus (Belarus)
10:40-11:20 - Discussion
11:20-11:30 - Coffee break
11:30-11:50 - The Reiki System of Healing and the Influence of Eastern
Philosophy
Alina Zakirova, Student, HSE - St. Petersburg
11:50-12:10 - 'The Japanese Trace' in the Historical Reconstruction
and 'Strikeball' of Post-Soviet Countries - Problems and Prospects
of Research
Vadim Stetsyuk, Senior Lecturer, Ivan Ogienko Kamenets National
University (Ukraine)
12:10-12:40 - Discussion
12:40-15:00 - Summing Up and Concluding the Workshop
Moderators:
John Schoeberlein, Harvard University.
Guzel Sabirova, Deputy Director, CYS, HSE - St. Petersburg
Frozen Conflicts Twenty Years After the Fall of the Soviet Union
Friday, 02 December 2011
9:00am–6:00pm
1501 International Affairs Building
Harriman Institute
Columbia University
Two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union the conflicts in Abkhazia, Nagorno Karabakh, South Ossetia and Transnistria remain unresolved and their dynamics continue to impact political stability, state-building and great power competition in the former Soviet Union. Over the last years, the international community’s strategy for addressing them has varied significantly. By bringing together leading scholars, policy analysts, and NGO representatives from Europe, the United States and Eurasia to discuss these issues we hope to provide an opportunity to reflect on the last twenty years and to think about possible steps forward.
Speakers include: Christopher Borgen, Laurence Broers, Alexander Cooley, Svante Cornell, Thomas de Waal, Sabine Fischer, Timothy Frye, Amb. Temur Iakobashvili, Charles King, Sergei Markedonov, Kimberly Marten, Lincoln Mitchell, Dennis Sammut, Peter Semneby, Gerard Toal, Cory Welt
This event is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservation required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Talk: "Representative Sampling in Georgia"
Lucy Flynn and Giorgi Babunashvili
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 - 6:15 PM
International School of Economics of Tbilisi (ISET)/CRRC Georgia
Zandukeli St. 16, Conference Room
Tbilisi, Georgia
During the course of the talk the presenters will show how a sample of 2,000 people can be representative of Georgia, using the Caucasus Barometer as an example. They will first walk through the processes of sample design and sample selection, to show how CRRC chooses who to interview. They will then show how C.B. fieldwork is conducted, and how data from questionnaires is entered into the database. They will walk through the processes of data cleaning and weighting, and finish by presenting an introduction to data analysis.
The presentation will not require any background knowledge of statistics or any other field, and will be accessible to persons of varied backgrounds. It will be particularly useful for anyone who wishes to cite CRRC’s results in publications or presentations, as it will provide them with an understanding of how those results are reached.
Lucy Flynn earned her B.S. and M.S. at the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. She has worked as a research scientist, most recently modeling the population dynamics of steelhead trout for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. She has worked as a statistical consultant, most recently calculating in-season run size forecasts for the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery. She has also taught a wide variety of subjects including fishery management, computer programming, and English. After completing her M.S., Lucy spent a year in Azerbaijan as a Fulbright scholar. She is fascinated with the Caucasus, and has spent a great deal of time traveling throughout the region. She is currently interested in applying her statistical and modeling skills to regional social science problems.
Giorgi Babunashvili holds M.A. in International Relations from Tbilisi State University State University. Prior to joining CRRC, he worked as a Lead Research Associate in a team for evaluation of the Ilia Chavchavadze Program for Reforming and Strengthening Georgian Secondary Education System. Giorgi also worked as Research Assistant for Centre for Social Studies and Administrative Officer in small business advocating project in Union Business League. Giorgi's research background includes 2007 scholarship from Heinrich Böll Foundation and joint research with ESI. His research interests are political parties and processes of political transition in post-Soviet societies.
W-i-P is an ongoing academic discussion series based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that takes place every Wednesday at the International School of Economics (ISET) building (16 Zandukeli Street). It is co-organized by CRRC and the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS.
The purpose of the W-i-P series is to provide support and productive criticism to those researching and developing academic projects pertaining the Caucasus region.
Exhibition: Speaking to One Another
Opening: November 28th, 18:00
Exhibition: November 29th – December 10th 2011
Every day except Monday, 11:00 – 16:30
Georgian National Museum.
Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts
1, Gudiashvili str.
0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
Speaking to One Another Exhibition which was jointly opened in 2010 by Anadolu Kültür, Armenian Actors Union and dvv international and travelled to various cities in Turkey and Armenia is now opening in Georgia in November. Georgia Museum of Art in Tbilisi will host the exhibition that is an outcome of oral history research conducted in Turkey and Armenia.
http://speakingtooneanother.org/
The South Caucasus: 20 Years Of Independence
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, D.C.
Monday-Tuesday, November 28-29, 2011
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/2011/11/29/south-caucasus-20-years-after-independence/6nrl
Twenty years after the end of the Soviet Union, the South Caucasus countries can no longer be considered “in transition.” Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have built functioning sovereign states. But questions remain about how well they are faring compared to the democratic countries of the European Union or the rising economies of Asia.
The Carnegie Endowment will host a two-day conference to examine the lessons learned from twenty years of independence and state-building in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia and discuss the best paths of future development in the region.
The conference will bring together more than twenty experts, academics, journalists, and civil society activists from the South Caucasus to discuss the evolution of human rights, economic reform, and the media, as well as the role of Western institutions in promoting democratization in the region.
This event is supported by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.
AGENDA
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/The_South_Caucasus_Agenda1.pdf
Monday, November 28
8:15 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast and Registration
9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks
Jessica T. Mathews, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Thomas de Waal, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Anthony Richter, Open Society Foundations
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. Data Presentation: Changing public attitudes in the South Caucasus
Moderator
Thomas de Waal, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Presenter
Hans Gutbrod, Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC), Tbilisi
10:15 – 10:45 a.m. Coffee Break
10:45 – 12:30 p.m. Session 1. Lessons Learned From 20 Years of Independence and Statebuilding: Armenia
Moderator
The Honorable John Evans, former U.S. ambassador to Armenia
Panelists
Levon Barseghyan, Asparez Journalists’ Club, Gyumri
Emil Danielyan, journalist, Yerevan
Richard Giragosian, Regional Studies Center, Yerevan
Alexander Iskandaryan, Caucasus Institute, Yerevan
12:30 – 1:45 p.m. Lunch. Keynote Address: South Caucasus on the Silk Road to Europe
Eric Rubin, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian
Affairs, U.S. Department of State 1:45 – 3:30 p.m. Session 2. Lessons Learned From 20 Years of Independence and Statebuilding: Azerbaijan
Moderator
The Honorable Richard D. Kauzlarich, former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan
Panelists
Shahin Abbasov, journalist, Baku
Leila Alieva, Center for National and International Studies, Baku
Tabib Huseynov, analyst, Baku
Elnur Soltanov, Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, Baku
3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Coffee Break
4:00 – 5:45 p.m. Session 3. Lessons Learned From 20 Years of Independence and Statebuilding: Georgia
Moderator
The Honorable Kenneth S. Yalowitz, former U.S. ambassador to Georgia
Panelists
Ivlian Haindrava, Republican Institute, Tbilisi
Ghia Nodia, Ilia State University, Tbilisi
Shorena Shaverdashvili, Liberali magazine, Tbilisi
Tuesday, November 29
8:15 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast and Registration
9:00 – 10:45 a.m. Session 1. Human Rights and Rule of Law: To What Degree Are Human
Rights Respected and the Rule of Law Observed?
Moderator
Anthony Richter, Open Society Foundations
Panelists
Emil Danielyan, journalist, Yerevan
Erkin Gadirli, legal expert, Baku
Giorgi Gogia, Human Rights Watch, Tbilisi
Hikmet Hadjy-zadeh, FAR Center, Baku
Davit Khachaturyan, legal expert, Yerevan
10:45 – 11:15 a.m. Coffee Break 11:15 – 12:45 p.m.
Session 2. Economic Reform: What Is the Economic Picture, 20 Years After
the Transition to a Market Economy?
Moderator
Clifford G. Gaddy, Brookings Institution
Panelists
Ingilab Ahmadov, Public Finance Monitoring Center, Baku
David Grigorian, Policy Forum Armenia, IMF (TBC)
Vladimer Papava, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International
Studies (GFSIS), Tbilisi
Mamuka Tsereteli, U.S.-Georgia Business Council
12:45 – 2:00 p.m. Lunch Presentation. The South Caucasus: Independence at Age 20
Moderator
The Honorable James F. Collins, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Presenter
Gerard J. Libaridian, University of Michigan
2:15 – 4:00 p.m. Session 3. Conflicts, Security and Insecurity: How Has 20 Years of Unresolved
Conflicts Shaped the South Caucasus?
Moderator
Christian Caryl, Foreign Policy
Panelists
Margarita Akhvlediani, Go Group Media, Tbilisi
Archil Gegeshidze, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International
Studies (GFSIS), Tbilisi
Richard Giragosian, Regional Studies Center, Yerevan
Ilgar Mammadov, Republicanist Alternative (REAL) movement, Baku
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Coffee Break
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Session 4. Foreign Assistance: To What Degree Has Western Aid Helped
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia?
Moderator
Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Panelists
S. Neil MacFarlane, University of Oxford
Lincoln Mitchell, Harriman Institute, Columbia University
Mark Mullen, Transparency International Georgia
6:15 – 8:00 p.m. Reception
This conference is supported by a grant from the Open Society Foundations
Lecture: Global Nuclear Technology Transfers and its Implications for the Caucasus
Dr. Matthew Kroenig (Georgetown University, USA).
Date: November 18, 2011
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Location: Small Auditorium, main building of American University of Armenia, 5th floor, 40 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan, Armenia
Language: English with simultaneous translation into Armenian
Public lecture co-sponsored by CRRC-Armenia, Yerevan State University and American University of Armenia
The lecturer will present research from his recent book, Exporting the Bomb, in which he examines the historical transfer of sensitive nuclear materials and technology. In contrast to many analysts that consider nuclear transfers from an economic point of view, Dr. Kroenig will argue that state decisions to provide nuclear assistance are the result of a coherent, strategic logic. He will examine the most important historical cases, including France's nuclear assistance to Israel in the 1950s and 1960s; the Soviet Union's sensitive transfers to China from 1958 to 1960; China's nuclear aid to Pakistan in the 1980s; and Pakistan's recent technology transfers. After analyzing nuclear transfers in a global perspective, Dr. Kroenig will discuss the implications of his research for nuclear smuggling in the Caucasus. The lecture will be followed by a question-answer session and discussion.
Dr. Matthew Kroenig received his Ph.D. from the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He currently specializes in nuclear deterrence and is a professor at Georgetown University, as well as a special advisor to the U.S. Department of Defense. He is the author of the book Exporting the Bomb: Technology Transfer and the Spread of Nuclear Weapons (Cornell University Press, 2010), coauthor of The Handbook of National Legislatures: A Global Survey (Cambridge University Press, 2009) and coeditor of Causes and Consequences of Nuclear Proliferation (Routledge, 2011). More information is available at: http://www.matthewkroenig.com.
Registration: If interested, please confirm your attendance via crrcnews "at" crrc. am (mentioning “Global Nuclear Technology Transfers Lecture” in the subject line) or call at 58 13 30, 58 14 50 by November 16, 5 pm, mentioning your organizational affiliation and translation needs.
Lecture: "Small and medium enterprise (SME): Social responsibility in Azerbaijan"
Turkhan Sadigov
November 18th, 2011
15:30
CRRC-Azerbaijan, Khazar University, 122 Bashir Safaroglu Street, Baku
What is the extent of small and medium enterprise (SME) social responsibility in Azerbaijan? Do they drive the country’s modernization and economic development or prefer to side with more traditional ways of doing business? These and other important issues are studied in the in-depth survey conducted by the author. Based on the survey of the Azerbaijani SME, the research demonstrates that the local entrepreneurs demonstrate low rates of social participation.
Turkhan Sadigov holds MA in International Affairs from the University of South Carolina, 2009. He was an Edmund Muskie Graduate fellow (2007-2009). In 2003-04 he undertook a graduate course at the Central European University (Budapest, Hungary). His current research focuses on factors influencing social choices of wide population strata in the post-Soviet region. Special consideration is given to the issues of population initiated corruption and socio-political modernization. Mr. Sadigov has taught widely in Azerbaijan (Academy of Public Administration, Baku State University). He also conducted a range of qualitative and quantitative researches for various Azerbaijani and international agencies. Mr. Sadigov is currently an independent consultant.
The lecture will be conducted in English.
To attend the presentation, please confirm your participation by writing to Seymur Javadov via seymur "at" crrccenters. org before November 18th, 2011. Please indicate in the subject line "SME".
This talk is presented by the Caucasus Research Resource Center -- Azerbaijan, a program of Eurasia Partnership Foundation.
Exhibit: After the Thaw: New photography exhibition looks at life in the former Soviet Union
What: Exhibition marking 20 years of independence in the former Soviet Union.
Where: The Strand Gallery, 32 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6BP
When: 15 – 19 November 2011, 11am – 7pm
Price: Free
A new photography exhibition looking at everyday life in the forgotten corners of the former Soviet Union will be displayed at the Strand Gallery in London from 15 to 19 November 2011.
Organised by Oxfam, the “After the Thaw” exhibition marks 20 years of independence in the former Soviet Union and provides a unique insight into the lives of ordinary people in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Tajikistan.
The photographs reveal the revival of traditional culture and fashions in the former states of the Soviet Union as well as the grinding poverty that still affects many rural families.
Images of colourful Tajik dresses, painted monobrows, and prayer flags on Tuvan hillsides are contrasted with images of showing the hardship of rural life. In Armenia, an elderly woman looks at dismay at her frozen apricot crop; and in Tajikistan shepherds keep watch over their livestock in a desolate landscape.
The photographs were taken by Andy Hall, David Levene, Mike Goldwater, Justin Jin and Abbie Trayler-Smith, and Kieran Doherty.
Oxfam is working in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Tajikistan to tackle poverty. Its work includes programmes to help improve the prospects of small farmers and expand people’s access to basic services, such as healthcare.
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/applications/blogs/pressoffice/2011/09/19/after-the-thaw-a-photo-exhibition/?v=newsblog
Talk: Prevention and healthy lifestyle- Can Georgia afford the economics of cancer and chronic diseases with limited resources?
Mahnaz Harrison
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 - 6. 15 PM
International School of Economics of Tbilisi (ISET)/CRRC Georgia
Zandukeli St. 16, Conference Room
Tbilisi, Georgia
Mahnaz was born and raised in Iran. Mahnaz is an American citizen that had lived in the US for the better part of her life. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). She is in Georgia as a Fulbright Fellow working with cancer providers and other stakeholders to develop the Blueprint for a National Cancer Control Policy based on the WHO’s modules. She has an extensive background in health management and policy development. She has decades of leadership involvement in many community organizations from their inceptions to full blown institutions. As a part of her community activities with the Fulbright, she spearheaded the community education and awareness campaign about breast cancer, healthy lifestyle and prevention. She will continue being the liaison between the Cancer Prevention Center and the American Embassy for this educational campaign, identifying new communities and opportunities.
She is married to Ross Harrison, professor at the Georgetown University, in the Master program School of Foreign Service (MSFS). She has two grown children.
This is the 6th talk of the Fall 2011 Works-in-Progress Series, presented by American Councils and the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC).
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W-i-P is an ongoing academic discussion series based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that takes place every Wednesday at the International School of Economics (ISET) building (16 Zandukeli Street). It is co-organized by CRRC and the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS.
The purpose of the W-i-P series is to provide support and productive criticism to those researching and developing academic projects pertaining the Caucasus region.
Talk: Caucasus 2.0
Onnik Krikorian
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011 - 6. 15 PM
International School of Economics of Tbilisi (ISET)/CRRC Georgia
Zandukeli St. 16, Conference Room
Tbilisi, Georgia
New and social media has been increasingly in the spotlight in recent years and not least since popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. Focus on these new tools in the Yerevan, Tbilisi and Baku has also been largely confined to the possible role they might be able to play in the democratization process in the region. However, riven by ethnic conflict, can new and social media also be used to unite the South Caucasus or at least facilitate cross-border communication and cooperation between activists and journalists where, in many cases, little or none existed before?
This is the 5th talk of the Fall 2011 Works-in-Progress Series, presented by American Councils and the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC).
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W-i-P is an ongoing academic discussion series based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that takes place every Wednesday at the International School of Economics (ISET) building (16 Zandukeli Street). It is co-organized by CRRC and the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS.
The purpose of the W-i-P series is to provide support and productive criticism to those researching and developing academic projects pertaining the Caucasus region.
Conference: Thor Heyerdahl and Azerbaijan
Baku, 26-29 October 2011
The conference will be arranged by Azerbaijan University of Languages and the University of Oslo. The two universities have an ongoing cooperation project, that develops a regional studies program on Scandinavia, with focus on Norway. Our institutions in Baku and Oslo would like to take advantage of the existing cooperation and arrange an academic conference where Heyerdahl’s theories regarding pre-viking contact will be presented and discussed by national and international scientists.
Heyerdahl and Azerbaijan
The fame of the explorer Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002) is undisputable. Many a young girl or boy has read his books about Kon-Tiki, Ra and Tigris – dreaming about similar adventures. Heyerdahl’s activities – voyages, excavations – were based upon his theories. His theory on early connection between the Nordic countries and the southern part of Caucasus is widely known in Azerbaijan. The theory was based upon the Icelandic saga writer Snorre (around 1200 AD) and the arguments were taken from different fields, for example archeology and linguistics.
Arguably, Heyerdahl is the most famous Norwegian in Azerbaijan, and also very popular, for many reasons: he visited Azerbaijan no less than four times, during an epoch when not many people from western countries did go there. Moreover, he developed good relations to Azerbaijani leaders; he also played a part when Statoil was established in the country.
Aims
The conference aims at bringing together scholars from different fields of expertise in order to discuss the theories of Thor Heyerdahl – a field of common interest. Addressing an aspect of Heyerdahl’s work that has aroused a lot of positive interest in Azerbaijan but which also gave him critics in his homeland, the ambitions are to manage this in a professional manner and hopefully to come to some conclusions.
The seminar in addition aims at strengthening the cooperation between Scandinavia and Azerbaijan by shedding light on the relationship between our two regions in the past as well as the present. Scholars from Azerbaijan and Norway and other countries will be invited to the conference to argue academically and come out with findings related to Thor Heyerdahl’s theories. Special emphasis will be put on methodology and potentially diverging opinions between Azerbaijani and Norwegian scholars in this area.
The conference
- The conference will have two main parts: academic discussion and popular lectures.
- There will be two conference languages: Azerbaijani and English. All presentations will be interpreted, and the program will be bilingual.
- Side events will be arranged: an exhibition, an excursion to Gobustan, etc.
- It is planned to publish a (bilingual) book with presentations from the conference.
Conference program: http://skandinavisksenter.wordpress.com/heyerdahl-konferanse-program-2/
Contact information
In Baku:
Sevdagul Aliyeva: sevdagul [at] mail.ru
In Oslo: Vibeke Roggen: vibeke.roggen [at] ifikk.uio.no –
phone: (+47) 917 31 871
Source URL: http://skandinavisksenter.wordpress.com/category/thor-heyerdahl/
Panel Discussion: New Public Policy Research from Georgia
Thursday, 20 October 2011, 12:00pm
Room 1219 International Affairs Building
Harriman Institute
Columbia University
New York, NY
“Interest Groups in Georgia: An Example of Professional Associations”
Professor Archil Abashidze, Ilia State University, Tbilisi
“The Role of Institutional Changes During Transitions of Post-Soviet Economies”
Professor Akaki Tmomaia, Ilia State University, Tbilisi
“Conflict and Cooperation Between Ethnic Minorities in Georgia”
Professor David Aprasidze, Dean, Ilia State University, Tbilisi
http://www.harrimaninstitute.org/
Social Capital: How do Armenia and Georgia Compare?
Dr. Hans Gutbrod
International School of Economics of Tbilisi (ISET), Conference Hall
Zandukeli St. 16, Tbilisi, GEORGIA
Wednesday, October 12, 6:15 PM
In reports and presentations, CRRC has previously argued that social capital plays a central role when considering political, societal and economic development in Georgia. How then, does Georgia compare to Armenia, a country that shares the Soviet history and the experience of a difficult transition, and but otherwise has some marked differences? Hans Gutbrod will present some findings from a recent countrywide survey on social cohesion in Armenia, as an introduction to a discussion of similarities and differences, and what those might tell us about how social capital is formed.
Note: research in Armenia was generously supported by UNDP, while the Georgian effort was funded by USAID. Views expressed in the presentation are not necessarily those of either organization.
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W-i-P is an ongoing academic discussion series based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that takes place every Wednesday at the International School of Economics (ISET) building (16 Zandukeli Street). It is co-organized by CRRC and the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS.
The purpose of the W-i-P series is to provide support and productive criticism to those researching and developing academic projects pertaining the Caucasus region.
12th General Congress of the Association Intérnationale des Études Arméniennes
30th Anniversary of the AIEA
Central European University
Budapest - Hungary
6-8 October 2011
Organisational Committee: Valentina Calzolari, Theo Van Lint, Zaroui Pogossian, Benedek Zsigmond, István Perczel
Secretariat: Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, Zaroui Pogossian
E-mail : AIEA2011 "at " gmail .com
CEMS is hosting the next AIEA General Conference with István Perczel in charge for the organization.
This conference will be of special significance since it will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the AIEA in 2011.
According to tradition there are no specific subjects prescribed for AIEA General Conferences and the present congress will be no exception to this tradition. However, a special session will be dedicated to the transmission of texts and ideas between the Armenian-, Greek-, Syriac-, Georgian-, Arabic- and Persian-speaking communities. Another session will focus on the current situation of Armenian and Caucasian studies in Eastern Europe; since the Congress will be held in Budapest, this opportunity will be used to commemorate the great Hungarian Armenian scholar, the late Prof. Edmund Schütz.
For more information, please see http://cems.ceu.hu/aiea
Call for a New Editor/Editorial Team: Problems of Post-Communism
The publisher of the bimonthly Problems of Post-Communism is looking for a new editorial home for the journal and invites inquiries and proposals from prospective editors.
Problems of Post-Communism is the ?privatized? successor to the invaluable Problems of Communism, launched in 1952. When the USIA abruptly terminated publication of Problems of Communism, publisher M.E. Sharpe invited James R. Millar to relaunch the journal as a scholarly but also timely, policy-focused publication. George Washington University?s Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs provided the journal with an editorial home for a decade. In 2003 Robert T. Huber took the helm and the journal moved to the National Council for Eurasian and East European Research. Ann E. Robertson has served as managing editor of the journal for both teams. Ronald H. Linden of the University of Pittsburgh joined as associate editor in 2006.
The mission of Problems of Post-Communism is to provide reliable information, readable analysis, and lively debate about the communist and post-communist world, with an emphasis on thoughtful but timely coverage of current economic, political, and international issues. It serves as a meeting ground for scholars, researchers, and policy makers interested in reaching a broad audience of readers both inside and outside the academy. The journal has always been an important resource for students.
Essential assets for the new editor or editorial team include appropriate academic credentials and experience, familiarity with scholarly publishing conventions, a commitment to effective communication with a broad readership, a strong network of currently active researchers and scholars involved in the region (widely defined), and a compatible and actively supportive institutional base. M.E. Sharpe maintains an experienced, proficient, multilingual publishing staff that takes the journal from copyediting through to manufacture, marketing, and distribution in both print and electronic formats.
Please direct inquiries to Patricia A. Kolb, VP and Editorial Director, M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
(pkolb "at" mesharpe. com)
For more information about Problems of Post-Communism, visit
www.mesharpe.com/mall/results1.asp?ACR=PPC
Wodka and the Wahabis – Paths and Challenges of Islamic Reorganization in Azerbaijan
Lecturer: Hendrik Fenz (Universität Freiburg)
Date/Time: Wednesday, 8/6/2011, 5 – 7pm
Location: Centre for Area Studies | Thomaskirchhof 20, First Floor | 04109 Leipzig
Organisation/Cooperation: Centre for Area Studies (CAS), Eurient e.V., Orientalisches Institut
Like other post-Soviet states Azerbaijan faced an Islamic revival after the fall of the Soviet Union. Every government since 1991 had to cope with the dilemma of either advancing and controlling or categorically preventing this development. Promoting Islamic revival involved external players like Iran whereas suppression could lead to radicalisation and the stigmatization of religious institutions. The lecture will be about these developments and dangers but also about the potential of a liberal Islam in Azerbaijan.
Hendrik Fenz is an acting professor of Islamic and Turkish studies within the Department of Islamic Studies at the Oriental Institute at the Universität Freiburg. His research interests include breaking points in cultural and social developments in which social change emerges. Coupled with his research are both regional case studies (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, North Iran) and theory guided studies (nationalism, transformation, Islamism, identity formation). His current research projects deal with the Kurdish cavalry (Hamidiye), the role of media as a ‘fourth estate’ in Turkey, and Islamic forms of conflict management.
Source: Hendrik Fenz, “MitarbeiterInnen,” Universität Freiburg: Orientalischen Seminar, http://www.orient.uni-freiburg.de/islam/mitarbeiter/fenz.
URL: http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~cas/de/aktuelles/1-aktuell/184-lecture-by-hendrik-fenz-862011
Conference Program: Armenian Art History and Culture (10th – 20th Century)
An International Conference In Honor of John Carswell and Jerry Murphy O’Connors
Organized by the Calouste Gulbenkian Library of The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Held in Gulbenkian Library Jerusalem (July 11 – 13 2011)
Monday July 11th
8.30-Coffee
8.45-Opening Remarks
Fr. Norayr kazazian: Director Gulbenkian Library
Archbishop Nourhan Manougian: Grand Sacristan
George Hintlian: Conference Coordinator
9.00 First Session-Valentina Calzolari Moderator:
9.00-10.00 Michel Basmadjian and Harutune Khatchadourian
Corpus of Isphahan & Jerusalem Khatchkars
10.00-10.30 Patrick Donabedian
Typological Specificity of Diaspora Khatchkars Particularly in the Levant
10.30-10.45 Questions
10.45 Break
11.15 Second Session - Moderator: Denys Pringle
11.15-11.45 George Hintilian
Rewards of Polishing Copper
11.45-12.15 Thomas Hummel
Khatchik Levonian: The Profile of a Pioneering Armenian Historical Geographer of Van in the Early 20th Century
12.15-12.45 Beatrice St. Laurent
From Kutahya to Jerusalem-The tiles of the Dome of the Rock & the Dome of the Chain
12.45-13.00 Questions
13.00-15.00 Lunch Break
15.00 Third Session - Moderator: Patrick Donabedian
15.00-15.30 Claude Mutafian
Comparison of the State of Armenian Monuments in Cilicia & Greater Armenia
15.30-16.00 Valentina Calzolari
The Lamentation over the capture of Jerusalem by Grigor Tghay
16.00- 16.30 Denys Pringle
Wilbrand Oldenbourg's Travels in Cilicia
16.30-16.45 Questions
16.45-17.15 Break
17.15 Fourth Session - Moderator: Albert Aghazarian
17.15-17.45 Alberto Tonini
The Armenians through Italian eyes: The Italian Diplomatic Documents on Armenia 1878-1923
17.45-18.15 Goran Gunnard
Swedish Explorers and Writers and the Armenians at beginning of the 20th Century
18.15-18.30 Questions
Tuesday July 12th
8.30 - Coffee
8.45 First Session - Moderator: Boris Adjemian
8.45-9.15 Meline Pehlivanian
The Impact of Printing on the Armenian Society of the 18th century
9.15-9.45 Aida Boudjikanian
Armenians and the Art of Jewellery
9.45 10.15 Isabelle Augé
The Circulation of Manuscripts during the "Silver Era" of the Armenian Culture
10.15-10.30 Questions
10.30-11.00 Break
11.00 Second Session - Moderator: Claude Mutafian
11.00-11.30 Michael Stone
The Reception and the Reworking of the Abraham Traditions in Armenian
11.30-12.00 Gerard Dedeyan
Colophons of Manuscripts as a Source of the History of Armenians of Cyprus
12.00-12.30 Nina Stone
A Gontak from the Jerusalem Patriarchate
12.30-12.45 Questions
12.45-14.45 Lunch Break
14.45 Third Session - Moderator: Dickran Kouyoumdjian
14.45-15.15 Deluga Waldemar
Armenian art in Warsaw in the 18th century
15.15-15.45 Joanna Rydzkowsky
Miniature Painting of Armenian Artists from Tokat in the Polish- Lithuanian Union
15.45-16.15 Varvara Basmadjian
Examples of an Armeno-Polish Hybrid Art of the 16th-18th centuries in the ideal town of Zamosc
16.15-16.30 Questions
16.30-17.00 Break
17.00 Fourth Session - Moderator: George Hintilian
17.00-17.30 Nazareth Benneian
The Gardens in the Armenian Quarter (A botanical survey)
17.30- 18.00 Khader Salameh
The Connections of a Moslem 18th Century learned Sheikh and Gregory the Chainbearer and Hanna Vartaped
18.00-18.30 Albert Aghazarian
Reflections on the Development of the Armenian Identity in Palestine Through the Centuries
18.30-18.45 Questions
Wednesday July 13th
8.30 Coffee
8.45 First Session - Moderator : Michel Bassmadjian
8.45-9.15 Fr. Goriun Baghdassarian
180 years of Armenian Printing in Jerusalem
9.15-9.45 Fr Koussan Aljanian
Some Features and Rituals of the Armenian Holy Week in Jerusalem
9.45-10.15 Herbert Maurer
Profile of Hagop Pascal : A 19th century Austrian Armenian Diplomat in Palestine
10.15-10.30 Questions
10.30-11.00 Break
11.00 Second Session - Moderator : Aida Boudjikanian
11.00-11.30 Ruth Hummel
Armenia and Armenians in the Eyes of the 17th Century Western Travelers
11.30-12.00 Boris Adjemian
The Orphans, the Negus and the Fanfare from Jerusalem: Ethiopian Policy towards the Armenians (17th to 20th century)
12.00-12.30 Nurith Canaan
19th Century Paintings in the St. Archangel's Church
12.30-12.45 Questions
12.45-14.45 Lunch Break
14.45 Third Session - Moderator : Asdghig Tchamkerten
14.45-15.15 John Carswell
The Kutahya Tiles in St James Cathedral; A Reconsideration
15.15-15.45 Dikran Kouyoumdjian
Jerusalem Manuscript No 473: History of the Alexander the Great dated 1536, Remarks on Its Incomplete Miniature Cycle
15.45-16.15 Adom Boudjikanian
The Healing Prosperities of Selected Biblical plants in Comparison with Species Cited in Armenian Medico Pharmaceutical Sources
16.15-