"Building Anthropology in Eurasia" Seminar in Kyrgyzstan

Call for Applications

We invite you to become a participant in something new and exciting.  Anthropology, as known elsewhere in the world, did not exist in the Soviet Union, and has been very slow to develop in the post-Soviet space.  The Regional Seminar on “Building Anthropology in Eurasia” will undertake to provide a substantial beginning for anthropology to scholars in this new space.

If you are an aspiring anthropologist, or if you are a scholar of culture, society, politics, history, etc. and would like to learn more about anthropological approaches, we encourage you to join us.  This will be an extraordinary gathering in its way: We will begin with three weeks on the shores of the “pearl of Central Asia” -- Isiq Qöl (Issyk Kul), “the hot lake” nestled in the spectacular mountains of the Alatau.  We will bring together world-prominent faculty -- notably three professors from Harvard University -- and an aspiring younger generation of scholars to explore anthropology and its potential to inspire and give grounding to scholarship in and of the region.  We will challenge many common assumptions, explore innovative approaches to research and teaching, and create a small community of the “anthropologically inspired.”

Anthropology, in international scholarship, occupies a special position.  It overlaps with essentially all social science fields and many fields of the humanities.  What distinguishes anthropology is its theoretical approaches, its fine-grained field methodology, and its holistic approach, which seeks to understand all social and cultural phenomena in their rich and complex context.  In international scholarship, there has been a tremendous flow of ideas and approaches from anthropology to other fields, for example, with anthropological qualitative methods (e.g., participant observation, life history) assuming an important role in fields such as sociology or social history, and theoretical approaches borrowed widely, for example, by political scientists studying “clans” or patronage networks, and historians studying religion.  Because non-anthropologists in Eurasia are largely unfamiliar with anthropology, they are also unfamiliar with the ways that other fields internationally have benefited from inputs from anthropology, and there are many new approaches to be explored.

ReSET on “Building Anthropology in Eurasia”

This Regional Seminar for Excellence in Teaching (ReSET), like others, involves a group of about 25 younger faculty from the region -- in this case, the region of Eurasia (see definition below) -- and a group of resource faculty which work together over three years: We will meet for about three weeks each summer and interact in other ways through the rest of the three-year period.  The goal is to pursue activities which will strengthen university-level teaching of anthropology, whether it be in courses on anthropology or in university departments teaching related fields while employing anthropological approaches.  Important components of this ReSET include building an understanding of how anthropology is pursued in research, and how research is integrated with the undergraduate teaching process.

The Seminar will explore seven key dimensions relevant to building anthropology in this region, looking at: 1) how anthropologists are trained, 2) how theory and thematic issues serve to inspire anthropological research, 3) how research is conducted, 4) how one participates in the international network of anthropological scholarship to obtain grants, break through in publications, etc., 5) how anthropology is written for various purposes, 6) the ethical considerations which guide anthropologists, and 7) the ways that anthropology can contribute to the analysis of Eurasian cultures and societies.

At the end of the first three-week session of the Seminar, participants will have: 1) had the opportunity to gain a close acquaintance with internationally prominent anthropologists and anthropologists studying Eurasian societies, 2) gained an in-depth exposure to anthropology as it is relevant today, especially for the purposes of teaching and doing research in this region, 3) had the opportunity to interact substantively and establish friendships with colleagues with similar interests, and 4) begun work on research and teaching projects which will build a grounding in anthropology in their own careers.  Furthermore, while the program will be intensive and demanding, and it will aim to challenge you and provoke you to assimilate new approaches, we will do all of this in the beautiful and relaxing environment of the shores of the Isiq Qöl, with time also to enjoy nature’s beauty, the pristine waters, and the company of colleagues.

This ReSET is organized by co-directors Aida Alymbaeva (American University-Central Asia=AUCA), John Schoeberlein (Harvard University), and Mukaram Toktogulova (AUCA).  The institutional host is the Aigine Cultural Research Center in Bishkek (where Alymbaeva is also affiliated), in cooperation with the Dept. of Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology at AUCA and the Program on Central Asia and the Caucasus at Harvard University.  The Core Resource Faculty of the ReSET, in addition to the three co-directors, include Gulnara Aitpaeva (Aigine), Theodore Bestor (Harvard), and Michael Herzfeld (Harvard).  See the full list of resource faculty below.

Project Activities

During the first summer session, there will be a variety of activities, including seminars and workshops on anthropological theories, field methods, ethics, teaching strategies, grant seeking, academic writing and publishing, and much more.  In the course of 19 program days (not including arrival and departure days), there will be 16 work days and 3 days for cultural program or individual exploration.  Most work days will consist of four meetings of varied character -- each 1.5 hours -- including seminars, roundtables, practicums and project work, interspersed with organized meals and coffee breaks, as well as a three-hour period in the afternoon for reading, socializing and relaxation.

Both during the summer session, and in the remainder of the year following the summer session, participants will be expected to carry out a number of projects of varying dimensions, including projects in research, teaching, curriculum development.  The ReSET -- both faculty and participants -- will provide intensive inputs and feedback on the projects, and the outcomes will be aimed at practical implementation.  For example, we expect the research projects to yield contributions to your field and publications; the pedagogical projects will yield plans that can be implemented as new courses and curricula.

More information about the program may be obtained by contacting the organizers.

Resource Faculty

Gulnara Aitpaeva, Doktor filologicheskikh nauk (Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic), Director of Aigine Cultural Research Center, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Aida A. Alymbaeva, Instructor, Dept. of Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology, AUCA, Bishkek; Researcher, Aigine Cultural Research Center, Bishkek

Theodore C. Bestor, PhD in Anthropology (Stanford Univ.); Professor of Anthropology, Dept. of Anthropology, Harvard University, USA

Arienne Dwyer, PhD in Chinese and Altaic Linguistics (Univ. of Washington, Seattle), Asst. Professor of Linguistic Anthropology, Univ. of Kansas, USA

Michael Herzfeld, D.Phil. in Anthropology (University of Oxford), Professor of Anthropology, Dept. of Anthropology, Harvard University, USA

Nathan Light, PhD in Folklore and Anthropology (Indiana Univ.), Postdoctoral Fellow, Miami University of Ohio, USA

Morgan Liu, PhD in Anthropology (Univ. of Michigan), Asst. Professor, Ohio State University, USA

John Schoeberlein, PhD in Anthropology (Harvard Univ.), Director, Program on Central Asia and the Caucasus, and Lecturer on Anthropology, Harvard University, USA

Nikolai Ssorin-Chaikov, PhD in Anthropology (Univ. of California-Berkeley); Lecturer in Social Anthropology, Univ. of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Mukaram Toktogulova, Kandidat filologicheskikh nauk (Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic), Associate Professor, Dept. of Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology, AUCA, Bishkek

Note: The summer session of another ReSET (on “Nationhood and Narrative”) will run concurrently with our ReSET on Anthropology, which will offer participants in our ReSET some opportunity to get to know colleagues in the other project.  In addition, we expect to involve some of the faculty of that project in contact sessions of the Anthropology ReSET, including, for example, round tables on anthropology’s relationship to social history and to sociology.  These faculty members are expected to include: Sergei Abashin (Russian Academy of Sciences), Sarah Amsler (Kingston Univ., UK), Gulnara Ibraeva (AUCA, Bishkek), Adeeb Khalid (Carleton College, USA), Madeleine Reeves (Univ. of Cambridge, UK), and Jeff Sahadeo (Carleton Univ., Canada).

Eligibility

• Applicants must be pursuing a career to teach at the undergraduate university level.  Most participants will be those who currently teach courses for students pursuing “diplom” (i.e., post-secondary, or BA equivalent) at institutions of higher education in the region.  Some participants may be those with advanced training in their field who anticipate teaching undergraduate courses within two years.

• Target participants are drawn from the “Eurasian region” — defined, for the purposes of this ReSET, to include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Mongolia, Southern Russia, and Western China.  “Southern Russia” and “Western China” do not have clearly defined boundaries, but are understood as those which are closely linked geographically, culturally and historically with the mentioned countries. In Russia, these include places like the Northern Caucasus, the Volga Basin, the Altay region, Tuva and Buryatia.  In China, these include Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and adjacent regions.  (Those from outside of “Eurasia” as defined here who are interested in participating may be able to; see note under “Provisions for Participants” below.)

• No prior training in anthropology is required.  However, prior background in anthropology -- independent reading, participation in seminars, advanced training, etc. -- will be considered a sign that the applicant is more committed to the goals of the ReSET and will have more to bring to it.  Those with advanced degrees in sociocultural anthropology are encouraged to apply, as the program will be geared toward the needs of those with both greater and lesser knowledge of anthropology.

• Applicants may be those whose major focus is anthropology itself.  Equally, they may be those who expect to use anthropological methods, theories and approaches in their scholarship and teaching in another related field (sociology, history, political science, cultural studies, etc.).

• A strong knowledge of both spoken and written English is a very important requirement for participants.  The ReSET will be conducted in English, and will involve participants who have no other common language.  In order to develop an in-depth understanding of anthropology, to read the essential literature, and to contribute to international scholarly discourse and publication, English is vital.

• For those who may already be involved in (or considering applying to) another ReSET project, please note that the ReSET program does not allow ReSET funding to go toward any individual in more than one ReSET project in a given year.  (Participation in a second ReSET is allowed only if funding to cover that individual is obtained from another source.)

• All participants are expected to participate in all three years of the project, and all applicants must be able to commit to this.

• There are no age limitations, but applicants who have some maturity as teachers and scholars, as well as showing the flexibility to take on new approaches typical of younger scholars, are expected to be better able to benefit from and contribute to the project.

Provisions for Participants

Costs related to the ReSET project, including travel expenses, accommodation, meals and reading materials will be covered by the ReSET by means of a grant from the Open Society Institute’s Higher Education Support Program.

With the OSI grant, we are able to support full costs of participant only in the case of participants from the target region.  However, if you are interested in participating, this may be possible for a small number of non-“Eurasian” participants with support from other sources (especially if you can find your own support for transportation to Kyrgyzstan).  Those interested should enquire with A. Alymbaeva.

Application Process

Deadline: April 15, 2007 at 17:00 Bishkek time (i.e., GMT +6:00).
Applications received after the deadline cannot be assured consideration.

Applications should be sent via email to both addresses: aaly mail.auca.kg (Aida Alymbaeva) and schoeber fas.harvard.edu (John Schoeberlein’s address is provided as a backup in case of communications failures; most correspondence will be with Aida Alymbaeva and her assistants during this period).

Important Note: Once the first-round selection is completed, the organizers will contact all of the top candidates by telephone to make an assessment of their English ability.  In a brief interview, candidates will be asked to discuss questions related to their scholarly interests.  For this purpose, it is essential that applicants make sure they can be reached by telephone.  We will contact you by email to schedule the interview, so please make sure that, during the period April 25-May 6, you are checking the email address(es) you provide, so that we can communicate about scheduling.

We expect that the selection process will be completed by about May 11, and the applicants will be notified of the results shortly thereafter.  We will immediately begin the process to make travel arrangements and inform you of preparations required in advance of the Seminar (readings, and teaching and research project preparation).

Applications

To download the application, click on this link: http://centasia.fas.harvard.edu/ReSET_AnthInEurasia_Appl.dot
If you are unable to download the application from this link, you may request it via email by writing to: aaly mail.auca.kg (Aida Alymbaeva)

All applications and accompanying documents must be sent in electronic format as email attachments.  The application itself is a MS Word file.  Supplementary materials (listed on the application form) should be in MS Word format, or scanned and sent as JPEG (*.jpg) or Acrobat (*.pdf) files.

Contacts

With questions about the project, please contact:

Aida A. Alymbaeva
     email: aaly mail.auca.kg
     tel.: +996-502-62-69-96 (mobile)
     [alternative tel.: +996-312-66-69-69, 66-76-74 NOTE: Use these numbers only
     if you are unable to connect with the mobile number above.]
     fax: +996-312-66-76-73
Backup contact: John Schoeberlein <schoeber fas.harvard.edu>

Program on Central Asia and the Caucasus
Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
1730 Cambridge Street Rm S-320
Cambridge, MA 02138
centasiafas.harvard.edu
617-496-2643 | 617-495-8319 (fax)