Register now for CESS 2023 pre-conference workshops.
Success in academia in Central Asia and beyond: Developing Career Perspectives for PhD Graduates in Social Sciences
The workshop is designed to promote young researchers working on Central Asia who live in Europe, the US, and Central Eurasia. The workshop addresses important issues in the academic community of Central Eurasia, such as closed networks, lack of cross-border cooperation, and different sense of networking strategies. The workshop will give junior scholars a forum to network and facilitate the exchange of ideas, highlight possibilities of international cooperation, identify cross-cutting themes, research gaps, and help them to develop research projects and write grants jointly. We will also examine the development of academia in different countries and suggest practical steps for young academics to be aware of employment opportunities outside and inside academia. This workshop is a unique opportunity for young scholars of Central Eurasia to come together and discuss their specific concerns, exchange experiences, and engage in a dialogue across disciplinary and national boundaries, which are usually subsumed in the framework of global academic practice. Additionally, it offers young scholars living in Western countries and Central Asia strengthening a sense of scientific community. Limited capacity, only 20 seats available.
Convener: Aksana Ismailbekova (Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO))
Navigating Researcher Safety in Central Eurasia
Conducting research in Central Eurasia can present unique challenges and risks for researchers and their research subjects, ranging from limited freedom of movement to potential surveillance and persecution. Graduate students and new researchers engaged in field projects in these contexts may be particularly vulnerable due to their relative lack of experience and knowledge about navigating such challenges. It is, therefore, critical to provide new researchers with the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure the safety and well-being of themselves and their interlocutors. This workshop aims to equip graduate students and researchers with practical strategies for identifying and mitigating risks, navigating ethical challenges, and accessing resources and support. By promoting researcher safety in Central Eurasia, we hope to enable graduate students and other researchers to conduct their research with greater confidence, security, and effectiveness, ultimately advancing our understanding of important social and political phenomena in these contexts. Through case studies and examples from our own times in the ‘the field,’ in this workshop, we will use the insider/outsider approach to examine researcher safety to include digital safety, personal security, and the safety of our interlocutors. We will also use a systems thinking approach to find solutions and mitigate risks to both researchers and their interlocutors. Please see our attached workshop outline for a more detailed approach. This workshop will be followed by a conference roundtable, which will examine the topic and lessons learned which come from the workshop. Please see our attached workshop outline for a more detailed approach. Limited capacity, only 20 seats available.
Convener: Marintha Miles (George Mason University). Discussants: Jennifer Murtazashvili (University of Pittsburgh), Jasmin Dall’Agnola (OSCE Academy in Bishkek).
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