Emma Harden-Wolfson

Higher Education in Central Asia Blog (est. 2011)

  • Human Rights Watch on Khorog military clashes

    A slightly delayed reposting of this press release from international organisation Human Rights Watch. The content is very measured but clear and has had good coverage (though still, the whole situation last week in Khorog has had no coverage in any of the main UK newspapers. I can understand why with the Olympics on our… Read more

  • Corruption in Uzbekistan university entrance exams

    Reposted from Eurasia.net rferl.org/content/uzbekistan-university-students-cheating/24662540.html Every July, Jamshid resigned himself to a month of study and buried his nose in his books. Like many bright young Uzbeks, he was determined to spend the month cramming — poring through history books and brushing up on his language skills, all in a bid to ace his August 1… Read more

  • Military conflict, potential humanitarian crisis in Tajikistan: PLEASE HELP RAISE AWARENESS

    This is the text of a press release I have put together based on other excellent notes written by Tajik colleagues around the world. Please, please help us raise awareness in the international community about events taking place RIGHT NOW in Khorog, south-east Tajikistan. We are all absolutely clear that we want PEACE and we… Read more

  • Modern day Kazakhs: young, uncertain and ‘lazy’?

    Tengri News today reports on a study in which a group of experts have tried to come up with an illustration of the modern day Kazakh. The group make some interesting assertions, focussing on young people in their depictions. Here’s the article reposted in full: Psychologists, economists and financial experts have attempted to create a… Read more

  • Promoting research in Kazakhstan

    I made my interest in Nazarbayev University clear in an earlier post, asking (only semi-jokingly) if it could become the Oxford of Kazakhstan. Largely at the eponymous President’s initiative, Nazarbayev University is being pumped with millions of petro-dollars to become, at great speed, a world-leading centre of academic excellence. Following on from this, a recent article… Read more

  • International students, international communities

    I recently started a new job as Registrar at St Antony’s College, which is part of the University of Oxford. Each student at the University is a member of a College, and the College provides residential, pastoral and social facilities as well as providing teaching (for undergraduate students) and a base for researchers, seminars, conferences… Read more