The goal of this Initiative is to relink existing knowledge on Central Asian societies with the study of its cultures. ‘Culture’ is often considered as non-relevant for the study of international affairs. When studied, ‘culture’ – in its singular form – is often defined only by classic literature, or by traditional folklore. The Central Asia Program hopes to contribute to the study of ‘cultures’ – in its plural form – of Central Asia as living dynamics, functioning in interaction with politics and the economy, and reflecting current social changes in the region. The ‘Cultures and Societies’ initiative organizes events and sponsors interactions between scholars and the Central Asian cultural actors themselves.
Cinema Club
The Rhythm, October 20, 2016
Kazakh Film Festival with director Zhanna Issabayeva
My Dear Children, November 16, 2016
Nagima, November 17, 2016
Kosh ba Kosh, December 8, 2015
Stepdaughter, January 19, 2017
Angel on the Right, February 23, 2017
Little Angel Makes Me Happy, March 23, 2017
Gift to Stalin, April 20, 2017
Two Horses of Genghis Khan, May 4, 2017
Multimedia Projects
Lost and Found in Uzbekistan: The Korean Story
Old Patterns, New Order
The Flame from Afghanistan. Oral History from the Soviet-Afghan War
Exhibitions
Through the Eyes of Durdy Bayramov, Turkmen Village Life, 1960s-1980s, February 7 – May 26, 2017
Lost and Found in Uzbekistan: The Korean Story, By Victoria Kim
Old Patterns, New Order: Socialist Realism in Central Asia, October 10, 2015 – May 29, 2016
Soviet Bus Stops, an Exhibition by Photographer Christopher Herwig, March 16 – June 12, 2015
Visions of Uzbekistan, January 8 – February 7, 2014
Turkmen Culture Club
Karakum Leadership Forum, August 20-21, 2015.
Second Turkmen Culture Club, March 24, 2015.
First Turkmen Culture Club, November 19, 2014.
Luca Anceschi, Myles Smith, and Sebastien Peyrouse, Turkmenistan: Evolution and Permanence, April 23, 2014.
Kate Watters, Environment, Human Rights, and Oil Development in Turkmenistan, February 11, 2014.
Myles Smith, The Family Business: Turkmenistan’s Economy Starts to Look Like its Neighbors, October 16, 2013.
