Recent News

Environments in 21st Century Central Eurasia 2024 Lecture Series

Monday, December 16, 2024

In 2024 – 25, the IAUNRC organized a multi-part lecture series titled “Environments in 21st Century Central Eurasia.” This series began this Fall 2024 semester and will conclude at the end of the Spring 2025 semester. This Fall environmental topics in Uzbekistan, Finland, Tibet, and the Uyghur region were addressed by our guest speakers. Presentations included subjects as diverse as over-irrigation and the Aral Sea environmental disaster, the challenges of sustainability in Finnish cities, contested narratives of land degradation on the Tibetan plateau, and the impacts of unsustainable development in the Uyghur region. This Spring our series will continue with presentations on environmental issues in Mongolia, Turkey, Hungary, Iran and Estonia.

Outreach to K-12 Students, Educators, and General Public, Fall 2024

Monday, December 16, 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.

Uyghur Week 2024

Monday, December 09, 2024

The IAUNRC was happy to co-sponsor Uyghur Week at Indiana University with CELCAR, CEUS, CSME, Marco and Polo Eurasian Cuisine, and the Uyghur Academy from December 9th to 12th, 2024. Uyghur Week featured two informative lectures by Uyghur scholars, a photography exhibit, a watercolor exhibit, and a documentary screening at IU Cinema.

The Singing Revolution Approaches 35: Cinematic and Historical Perspectives on a Historic Event

Thursday, December 05, 2024

On Thursday, December 5th the IAUNRC co-sponsored an event and documentary screening with REEI, CEUS, the Institute for European Studies, and the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Culture, titled "The Singing Revolution Approaches 35: Cinematic and Historical Perspectives on a Historic Event." The documentary discussed the Singing Revolution which occurred in the Baltic states during the late 1980s which led to the restoration of their independence from the Soviet Union.

Yalda Celebration 2024

Thursday, December 05, 2024

On December 5th, 2024, the Persian program in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, the Center for the Study of the Middle East, and the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center hosted a celebration for the Iranian holiday of Yalda.

A Word from the Director

Thursday, December 05, 2024

Director Jamsheed Choksy, Distinguished Professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, gives his thoughts on this semester's IAUNRC activities.

The Iran-Israel Faceoff: The Roots of the Conflict and What May Lie Ahead

Thursday, November 14, 2024

On Thursday, November 14th the IAUNRC, the Islamic Studies program, and Hillel co-sponsored an event hosted by the Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Program. The guest speaker, Roya Hakakian, presented "The Iran-Israel Facefoff: The Roots of the Conflict and What May Lie Ahead."

Her Womb, Our Home: Shâmaran, the Mother, the Goddess, and a Nation by Dr. Dilsa Deniz

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

On November 13th, 2024, Dr. Dilşa Deniz came to present on the Kurdish mythological figure, Shamaran. She underscored the important role Shamaran has as the Mother goddess in both Alevism and in the wider Kurdish community.

The Dilemma of Religious Leadership: Authority, Succession, And Protest in Iraq

Monday, November 11, 2024

The Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center was happy to co-sponsor an event organized by the Center for the Study of the Middle East in which Professor Marsin Alshamary from Boston College gave a guest lecture, “The Dilemma of Religious Leadership: Authority, Protest, and Succession in Iraq.”

Politicizing Islam in Central Asia: From the Russian Revolution to the Afghan and Syrian Jihads (a book talk)

Thursday, November 07, 2024

The Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center, the Islamic Studies Program, the Center for the Study of Global Change, the Robert F Byrnes Russian and East European Institute and the Center for the Study of the Middle East sponsored a lecture by Dr. Kathleen Collins from the University of Minnesota on her recently published monograph, Politicizing Islam in Central Asia: From the Russian Revolution to the Afghan and Syrian Jihads.

101st Anniversary of the Republic of Turkiye

Friday, November 01, 2024

The Turkist Students Association at IUB held a celebration of the 101st Anniversary of the Republic of Turkiye on November 1st, 2024. The event was co-sponsored by the IAUNRC, CEUS, CSME, CELCAR, and the IU Funding Board.

Recent Publication in Foreign Affairs from IAUNRC Director Dr. Jamsheed Choksy and Dr. Carole Choksy

Monday, October 14, 2024

Recent publication from IAUNRC Director Dr. Jamsheed Choksy and Dr. Carole Choksy in Foreign Affairs examining currents events and how they relate to Iran's Nuclear Program.

Mihaly Szegedy-Maszak Memorial Lecture: Veronika Darida on Gyorgy Lukacs

Tuesday, October 01, 2024

The Hungarian Studies Program at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies innaugurated the first Mihaly Szegedy-Maszak Memorial Lecture. The IAUNRC, REEI, and the Department of Comparative Literature were co-sponsers. Professor Veronika Darida of Eotvos Lorand University presented on the early essays of Gyorgy Lukacs (1885-1971), a famous yet controversial philosopher from Hungary.

Tibetan Muslims in Exile Lecture

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

The IAUNRC welcomed Ms. Pema Tso to present her talk on "Tibetan Muslims in Exile", on September 24th, 2024. This lecture was co-sponsored by the East Asian Studies Center, the Islamic Studies Program, the Center for the Study of Global Change, and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures.

Interview with Luca Csak, Hungarian FLTA

Friday, September 13, 2024

We interview Luca Csak on her life in the US and Hungary, and her experience teaching at IU.

Interview with Gabrielle Okun, New President of the Hungarian Cultural Association at IUB

Thursday, September 12, 2024

We interviewed Gabrielle Okun, the new president of the Hungarian Cultural Association, here at IUB. She talks about her background, and her plans for the organization this year.

Interview with Dallin Day, Former President of the Hungarian Cultural Association at IUB

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Here, Dallin tells us a bit about himself, as well as his experiences as the president of the Hungarian Cultural Association for the past several years.

Interview with Gaini Tynyshtykova, Kazakh FLTA

Thursday, September 05, 2024

During our interview, Gaini discussed her life in Kazakhstan, her experiences in the US, and her teaching at IU.

Interview with Ularbek Raimbekov, Kyrgyz FLTA

Thursday, September 05, 2024

Ularbek is a FLTA (Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant) this year, teaching Kyrgyz language in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University Bloomington. In this interview, he introduces himself and some of his experiences while teaching and living in the US.

Professional Development for K-12 Educators—Summer 2024

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

The IAUNRC gave several professional development presentations for K-12 educators during Summer 2024.

A Word from the Director, Spring 2024

Monday, April 29, 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

Friday, April 26, 2024

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 Minority Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges, and Community Colleges

Friday, April 26, 2024

The IAUNRC is working diligently on our responses to the current Title VI grant’s competitive priority by collaborating with Community Colleges, Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges.

Consul Battsetseg Tuvshintugs visits Indiana University

Friday, April 19, 2024

On April 12, the IAUNRC and the Mongolia Society were pleased to host Consul Battsetseg Tuvshintugs and Vice Consul Ganzorig Tseden-Ish from the Consulate of Mongolia in Chicago.

Minorities in Central Eurasian Societies Lecture Series

Friday, April 12, 2024

In 2023-24, the IAUNRC organized a 7-part lecture series titled "Minorities in Central Eurasian Societies." This series concluded in the spring semester talks on subjects as diverse as Zoroastrian communities in contemporary Iran, the culture and literature of Transylvanian Hungarians, Sami-language education in Finland and its Scandinavian neighbors, and the long and distinguished tradition of Jewish literature written in Persian.

Outreach to K-12 Students, Educators, and General Public, Spring 2024

Friday, April 12, 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.

Navruz Festival at IU

Friday, March 29, 2024

On Friday, March 22, members of the IU community shared in their annual celebration of Novruz, an Iranian and Eurasian holiday deriving influence from various cultural traditions to mark the New Year based on the spring equinox.

"Buddhism on the Border: The Formation of Religious Tradition on the Himalayan Frontier" with Andrew Quintman

Friday, March 29, 2024

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."

From Uzbekistan to the United States: Collaboration between Ivy Tech Community College and Termez State University

Friday, March 15, 2024

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

Friday, March 01, 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.

Tsagaan Sar 2024

Monday, February 26, 2024

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.

State Department Public Diplomacy Initiatives with Craig Dicker

Friday, February 02, 2024

In January, 2024, the IAUNRC supported the IU Muslim Voices Public Scholarship Project in hosting Dr. Craig Dicker for a talk titled "State Department Public Diplomacy Initiatives Aimed at Muslim Populations." Dicker, a former US Public Diplomacy Officer with experience working in cross-cultural relations in Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Turkey, India, and South Africa, focused his talk on the challenges of ensuring longevity for bilateral development initiatives in business, technology, and human rights.

The IAUNRC and Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges

Monday, April 24, 2023

The IAUNRC is working diligently on our responses to the current Title VI grant’s competitive priority by collaborating with Community Colleges, Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges.

Understanding Iran 2023 Lecture Series

Friday, April 14, 2023

The IAUNRC organized a 3-part lecture series titled "Understanding Iran 2023" during the Spring 2023 semester. This series of talks brought in experts in various fields to discuss issues surrounding contemporary politics in Iran.

Book Talk: Atomic Steppe with Togzhan Kassenova

Monday, April 10, 2023

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.

ACES Brown Bag: Creatures in the Tatar Mythic Pantheon

Friday, March 24, 2023

On April 20, a scholar at IU gave a detailed presentation about the role of Tatar language, religious values, and mythological creatures in modern Tatar life and identity. The presenter explored several avenues of exchange between culture and everyday language use in the context of the Tatar mythological pantheon.

Tsagaan Sar

Monday, February 20, 2023

For the first time since before the COVID pandemic, the Bloomington Mongolian community came 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.

Faculty Publication: The Scythian Empire by Christopher Beckwith

Monday, December 12, 2022

A new book titled "The Scythian Empire: Central Eurasia and the Birth of the Classical Age from Persia to China" by Christopher Beckwith, Distinguished Professor of Central Eurasian Studies at IU, will be available from Princeton University Press in January, 2023.

Interview with Saadat Alieva, Kyrgyz FLTA

Friday, December 09, 2022

Saadat Alieva 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.

Interview with Nyamgerel Purevjav, Mongolian FLTA

Friday, December 09, 2022

Nyamgerel Purevjav is the Mongolian FLTA (Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant) at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University Bloomington. Here, she introduces herself and speaks about the Mongolian language and adapting to life at IU.

Interview with Laura Niemeläinen, Finnish FLTA

Friday, December 09, 2022

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.

"Uralic Languages in New Large-Scale Databases" with Miina Norvik

Friday, October 21, 2022

On October 17, Dr. Miina Norvik joined the IAUNRC for a lecture on her ongoing research project titled “Uralic Languages in New Large-Scale Databases.”

Hungarian History Lectures from Géza Pálffy

Friday, September 30, 2022

Géza Pálffy of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences visited Indiana University to deliver two lectures in association with the publication of his new book, Hungary between Two Empires: 1526-1711 from IU Press.

Lotus Festival Fall 2022

Friday, September 30, 2022

The IAUNRC co-sponsored a number of groups who performed at the Bloomington Lotus Festival in September, 2022.

In Memory of Aida Huseynova

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

It is with great sadness that we share the news that on June 20, 2022, we lost our friend and colleague Aida Huseynova. Aida was in Istanbul when she passed away following a long illness. 

Spring 2022 Lecture Recap

Wednesday, June 01, 2022

During the Spring 2022 semester, the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center hosted a series of lectures, book talks, student presentations, and career talks which were attended by over 250 people total.

International Symposium “Attested Middle Chinese in Early Foreign Transcriptions and Loanwords”

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

In May 2022, IU Department of Central Eurasian Studies Distinguished Professor Christopher Beckwith organized a symposium on "Attested Middle Chinese in Early Foreign Transcriptions and Loanwords" at the IU Europe Gateway in Berlin. HLS News reports.

Turkic Speakers Uyushma Founded

Sunday, May 15, 2022

In the Spring 2022 semester, a group of students from the CEUS department created an interdisciplinary organization for learners, speakers, and enthusiasts of Turkic languages.

Navruz Festival at IU

Friday, March 25, 2022

On March 25, 2022, the IU Navruz Student Association (NSA) hosted their annual Navruz Festival. Navruz is a traditional holiday celebrating the Spring Equinox and it is observed in many different communities across Central Eurasia, from the Balkans and the Caucasus to Central and Inner Asia. After a year of online events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSA was excited to hold the festival in-person again. The festival featured a live concert from the Bloomington Silk Road Ensemble and catering from Samira restaurant. Dr. Rovshan Alimov, Minister Counselor of Uzbekistan to the UN, graciously joined the IU community for this celebration.

Interview with Moldir Orazbayeva, Kazakh FLTA

Monday, November 29, 2021

Moldir Orazbayeva 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 Kazakhstan and adapting to life at IU.