![Choksy headshot](../../images/news/choksy.jpg)
A Word from the Director, Spring 2024
Director Jamsheed Choksy, Distinguished Professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, gives his thoughts on this semester's activities.
A Word from the Director, Spring 2024
Director Jamsheed Choksy, Distinguished Professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, gives his thoughts on this semester's activities.
Interview with Aiturgan Nurdinova, Kyrgyz FLTA
Aiturgan Nurdinova is the Kyrgyz FLTA (Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant) at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University Bloomington. Here, she introduces herself and speaks about the Kyrgyz language and adapting to life at IU.
Outreach to K-12 Students, Educators, and General Public, Spring 2024
The Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center regularly engages with the community as part of our commitment to fulfilling our responsibilities as a federally funded Title VI National Resource Center. This outreach includes sharing cultural and language knowledge with K-12 students, educators, their families, and beyond.
On March 22, the IAUNRC partnered with the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, the East Asian Studies Center, and the Center for the Study of Global Change to welcome Andrew Quintman, Associate Professor of Religion at Wesleyan University, for a lecture titled "Buddhism on the Border: The Formation of Religious Tradition on the Himalayan Frontier."
Muborak Kattaboyeva from Termez State University, Uzbekistan and Gerald Maki from Ivy Tech Community College, US - were selected to participate in a UniCEN international virtual exchange development program, an effort established in partnership with the American Councils on International Education. As part of this multi-year collaboration, Profs. Kattaboyeva and Maki presented their lecture "From Uzbekistan to the United States: International Virtual Exchanges and Critical Peace Education" in February, 2024 at the Eurasian Higher Education Summit in Istanbul, Turkey. The IAURNC is proud to sponsor this collaboration.
Estonian Independence Day Celebration 2024
On Thursday, February 22nd, the IU and Bloomington Community came together to celebrate Estonian Independence Day. This event featured an address by Estonian Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Kristjan Prikk, as well as a celebration in honor of the retirement of Professor Emeritus Toivo Raun. The event also included trivia about Estonia and a performance of Estonian songs by the IU Slavic Choir.
Every year, the Bloomington Mongolian community comes together to celebrate the Mongolian New Year, Tsagaan Sar. This February, Mongolian language students, faculty, staff, friends, and many more gathered together to celebrate the beginning of the new year.
A Word from the Director, Spring 2023
Director Jamsheed Choksy, Interim Chair and Distinguished Professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, gives his thoughts on this year's activities.
Book Talk: Atomic Steppe with Togzhan Kassenova
On Thursday, April 6, Dr. Togzhan Kassenova visited Bloomington to give a talk on her book, Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave up the Bomb, recently published by Stanford University Press. During this talk, she discussed her research methodologies and inspirations for writing this book and discussed developments in Kazakhstan since its publication.
Sinor Lecture: "Future of Estonian-Medium University Education" with Birute Klaas-Lang
On March 27, Dr. Birute Klaas-Lang, professor of Estonian as a Foreign Language and head of the Department for Applied Linguistics at the University of Tartu, delivered a Jean and Denis Sinor Faculty Fellowship Lecture titled “Future of Estonian-Medium University Education.” Dr. Klaas-Lang’s research analyzes the historical relationship between Estonian state language legislation, language-of-instruction (LOI) policy in Estonian institutions of higher education, and the status of Estonian language relative to English and Russian.
Mongol Studies Lectures with Agata Bareja-Starzyńska
In March, the Center sponsored two talks by Agata Bareja-Starzyńska, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Oriental Studies and head of the Department of Turkish Studies and Inner Asian Peoples at the University of Warsaw. Dr. Bareja-Starzyńska is a long-time friend of Indiana University and the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, having spent a semester in Bloomington as an exchange scholar in 2000.
CEUS Alumni Provide Critical Cultural and Language Instruction to US Armed Forces
Department of Central Eurasian Studies Alumni Jessica Storey-Nagy and Emily Stranger were interviewed by Hamilton Lugar School News about their jobs teaching critical language and cultural skills to United States armed forces.
In March, the Center sponsored two talks by Agata Bareja-Starzyńska, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Oriental Studies and head of the Department of Turkish Studies and Inner Asian Peoples at the University of Warsaw. Dr. Bareja-Starzyńska is a long-time friend of Indiana University and the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, having spent a semester in Bloomington as an exchange scholar in 2000.
Bridges program exposes kids to less commonly taught languages, cultures
Barbara Brosher of News at IU discusses the Bridges program at local elementary schools. IAUNRC provides funding for Persian and Turkish language instruction in Bridges.
Selected Higher Education and Community Outreach, Fall 2022
The Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center reviews selections from a semester of outreach activities with higher education and community organizations.
A Word from the Director, Fall 2022
Director Jamsheed Choksy, Interim Chair and Distinguished Professor of Central Eurasian Studies, and director of the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center, reflects on the past semester.
Interview with Aigerim Kazymbek, Kazakh FLTA
Aigerim Kazymbek is the Kazakh FLTA (Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant) at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University Bloomington. Here, she introduces herself and speaks about the Kazakh language and adapting to life at IU.
Interview with Hale Ozcan, Turkish FLTA
Hale Ozcan is the Turkish FLTA (Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant) at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University Bloomington. Here, she introduces herself and speaks about the Turkish language and adapting to life at IU.
Interview with Laura Niemeläinen, Finnish FLTA
Laura Niemeläinen is the Finnish FLTA (Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant) at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University Bloomington. Here, she introduces herself and speaks about the Finnish language and adapting to life at IU.
Elisa Repo on Supporting Linguistic Diversity in Finnish Schools
Elisa Repo, a doctoral researcher at the University of Turku and a visiting lecturer at the University of California Berkeley and Beijing Foreign Studies University, delivered a presentation titled: "Towards Language-Aware School: Perspectives on Supporting Linguistic Diversity in Finnish Schools"
Selected K-12 Outreach Activities, Fall 2022
The Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center reviews selections from a semester of outreach activities with K-12 students and educators.
"Lenin's Godfather: Creator of the Chuvash Alphabet" with Aleksei Rumiantsev
Aleksei Rumiantsev, a PhD student in the Central Eurasian Studies Department, gave an ACES Brown Bag talk entitled “Lenin’s Godfather: Creator of the Chuvash Alphabet.”
2022 CESS Annual Conference at Indiana University
The Central Eurasian Studies Society Annual Conference was hosted at Indiana University in October 2022.
CEUS Student Spotlight Summer 2022
The Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center highlights the summer activities of a student from the Department of Central Eurasian Studies. This year, the spotlight is on rising third-year undergraduate Jack Szczuka, who recounts his travels and studies in Central Asia.
A Word from the Director, Summer 2022
Director Jamsheed Choksy, Interim Chair and Distinguished Professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, is the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center's new Director.
Memorial Concert for Aida Huseynova
On September 11, 2022, the Jacobs School of Music hosted a concert in honor of the late Dr. Aida Huseynova.
Faculty from Partner Institutions Attend Cybersecurity Conference in Estonia
From May 31 to June 3, 2022, faculty members from IAUNRC partner institutions traveled to Tallinn, Estonia to attend the 14th International Conference on Cyber Conflict (CYCON), organized by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.
IAUNRC mourns the loss of Professor György Kara who sadly passed away on April 16, 2022.
Alash Ensemble Performs in Bloomington
On Monday, March 21, 2022, the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation hosted the Alash Ensemble, a group of three musicians and Tuvan throat singers, who performed a concert of traditional and original songs incorporating styles from the Russian accordion and the acoustic guitar to traditional Tuvan strings and wind flutes.
The Association of Central Eurasian Students (ACES) at Indiana University hosted the 28th annual ACES conference virtually on Saturday, February 12, 2022.
A Word from the Director, Fall 2021
Dr. Toivo U. Raun, Professor in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, offers his thoughts on the Center's activities in the Fall 2021 semester.
Interview with Aiperi Aitbaeva, Kyrgyz FLTA
Aiperi Aitbaeva is the Kyrgyz FLTA (Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant) at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University Bloomington. Here, she introduces herself and speaks about the Kyrgyz language and adapting to life at IU.
Toivo Raun, IAUNRC Director, shares his thoughts about the Center's activities in Spring 2021
Association of Central Eurasian Students Brown Bag Series
Recap of the annual Association of Central Eurasian Students Brown Bag series
Anton Ermakov reports on the Association of Central Eurasian Students' annual confernce
Alumni Interview: Nora Webb Williams and Kristoffer Rees
The IAUNRC catches up with two of its alumni who have pursued successful academic careers. Nora Webb Williams and Kristoffer Rees share some memories of their time at IU and some insight into their current work.
This year the IAUNRC sponsored a series of events where interested parties could meet to discuss three recent translations of works of Central Asian fiction.
Finland and Estonia: Perspectives on the Environment IAUNRC Spring Symposium
The IAUNRC hosts a symposium of experts every semester in a large, public event to discuss some pertinant aspect of our region. This spring, the symposium focused on Finland and Estonia and their respective relationships with the environment.
IAUNRC Joins School of Education to Educate Teachers about Trade and Commerce
Each year, the School of Education and the regional centers lead professional development workshops for 6-12 grade teachers in Indiana.
On Thursday, February 18, 2021, the Association of Central Eurasian Students at Indiana University (ACES) hosted Fatema Jafari for a brown bag talk titled “Afghan Women and Two Decades of Democracy.”
The COVID-19 pandemic caused both public and private sectors to find innovative ways to continue their services this year, and the IAUNRC was no exception.
A Word from the Director, Fall 2020
The IAUNRC Director, Toivo Raun, shares his thoughts about the Center's activities this semester.
Summary of IAUNRC activity organizing events at Indiana University
Institutional Outreach, Fall 2020
Since the publication of the newsletter in May IAUNRC worked to provide workshops for teachers in a new, virtual format. All workshops were presented in collaboration with other IU NRCs and the IU School of Education specialists.
One of our primary goals at the IAUNRC is to educate others about the Central Eurasian region through a variety of live outreach activities. One thing this involves is IAUNRC graduate students helping us with outreach by teaching their languages to children through the Bridges program. In other years, they would have done this in person, but this semester was online.
Focus on Graduate Research: Iran's Foreign Legions and Social Media Campaign
Emily Stranger is a PhD student in IU’s Department of Central Eurasian Studies. Here she talks about her evolving interest in Iran-sponsored militias and the role of social media in extending Iran’s sphere of influence.
A Word from the Director, Spring 2020
The IAUNRC Director, Toivo Raun, provides his thoughts about the Center's activities this semester.
Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security Workshop at Eastern Kentucky University
On February 21, 2020, the IAUNRC and the Russian and East European Institute presented a nonproliferation and nuclear security workshop to students and faculty at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), one of our partner institutions.
The Association of Central Eurasian Students (ACES) at Indiana University, Bloomington hosted the 26th Annual ACES Conference on Saturday, February 29, 2020, at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. The ACES Conference is an opportunity for graduate students and emerging scholars in Central Eurasian Studies to present their research. This year, 46 panelists from 13 universities representing six countries joined Indiana University students and faculty for a day of engaging scholarship on Central Eurasia.
Sinophobic Sentiments: Uyghur Emigres in the Years of the Sino-Soviet Rift
Gulnisa Nazarova describes her ongoing research into the experiences of Uyghur emigres in Soviet Central Asia, here looking at the ways in which connections to a Uyghur homeland manifested during the later years of the Sino-Soviet rift between the 1960s and 1980s.