Emma Harden-Wolfson

Higher education in Central Asia blog

  • Academic freedom restricted in Tajikistan

    It’s all rather Soviet.. criticism, freedom of speech and free movement are all being restricted in Tajikistan. The article below from the reliably good Konstantin Parshin outlines yet another example of academic freedom being curtailed in the country. When will the government realise that this will only create more opposition? (c) K. Parshin, http://www.eurasianet.org/node/67986 Tajikistan: Intellectuals… Read more

  • East is east: university partnerships work all ways

    The Korea Times this week reported on an initiative by the country’s new Uzbek Ambassador to encourage Korean universities to open branch campuses in Uzbekistan. This is an interesting initiative, both in that it’s being initiated by Uzbekistan – not known for its openness to the world – and as a demonstration that university partnerships… Read more

  • Poor prospects for Uzbeks studying in Kyrgyzstan

    I’m reporting today on a EurasiaNet story about missed opportunities for Uzbeks studying and wishing to make a living in Kyrgyzstan. The full story is below, (c) EurasiaNet with the original available at http://www.eurasianet.org/node/67908. This is a problem created in the Soviet era when boundaries between republics were less relevant and the overarching ‘unity of the… Read more

  • Holiday viewing: early Soviet Central Asia posters

    This isn’t a news story but a visual offering from me to you for the holiday season. My MA thesis was on the relationship between art and the state in the early Soviet period in Russia. Continuing my interest in this theme, it’s a delight to share these wonderful and often rather radical designs with… Read more

  • Times are changing for university governance in Kazakhstan

    The Kazakh government has decided to take a big step towards greater independence for Kazakh universities by reforming the top layer of institutional governance. ‘Oversight councils’, also commonly known as Councils or Senates, will be responsible for hiring and firing Rectors (Vice Chancellors/CEOs) and have monitoring oversight for university finance  and strategy. (How those councils… Read more

  • Kazakhstan distances itself from Soviet past

    Here’s a beautiful photo reportage on the gradual disappearance of large-scale Soviet-era frescos and mosaics that used to be commonplace on the walls of buildings all over the Soviet Union. Entitled ‘The walls are crying’, the article recognises that the façades of public buildings were very consciously used in Soviet times as a way of… Read more