Author: imkava

Poster presentations at the Circassian conference

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Circassian organisations and research materials were showcased in the poster presentations at the conference Circassians in the 21st century: Identity and Survival – in the homeland and diaspora, hosted by the research platform Russia and the Caucasus Regional Research (RUCARR) & the Section for Caucasus Studies, Malmö University, November 23-24.

Circassian Women Solidarity Association in Turkey – Gunsel Avci & Didem  Baş Bilge
Circassian Culture Association of Nuremberg Germany – Faidi Mahmoud Barsbai
Book presentation: Circassia Born to be Free – Adel Bashqawi (not present)
Federation of Caucasian Associations (Kaffed) – Ufuk Çevik
Circassian Cultural Centre, Tbilisi, Georgia – Merab Chukhua
The Association for the Study of EthnoGeoPolitics – Caspar ten Dam
Circassian Charity Association in Jordan – Zuhdi Janbej Janbek
Circassian Repatriation Organization – Basel Katt & Tina Abzakh
Caucasus Studies at Center for East European Studies, Warsaw – Hamed Kazemzadeh
Archive materials – Walter Richmond
Circassian Congress and Circassian Union – Avraham Shmulevich

(Photos: Elnur Aliyev & Karina Vamling)

Presentation of Diplomat Magazine and Panel discussion

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In connection with the Second Annual RUCARR Conference, the bilingual Diplomat Magazine of Georgia organized a presentation of its October issue, which has a special focus on Georgian-Swedish relations. 

Katrine Gotfredsen, Caucasus Studies, participated in the following panel discussion Human Rights in Peace-building: Exploring the conflicts in the South Caucasuswith George Mchedlishvili (Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Black Sea University), Malkhaz Kakabadze (Ambassador of Georgia to Sweden and Finland), Gigi Gigiadze (Ambassador of Georgia to Denmark) and Alexandre Kukhianidze (Professor, Tbilisi State University). The panel was moderated by Natia Gamkrelidze, Executive director of the Diplomat Magazine.

When: 2017-11-22 10:00 — 2017-11-22 11:30
Where: GÄDDAN8, Citadellsvägen 7, room – Storm

Tbilisi online & campus seminar Nov 1-3

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On November 1-3 students from Malmö University, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and Flinders University (Adelaide, Australia) conducted an online and campus seminar, broadcasted from Tbilisi State University. This was a collaborative event for students from Caucasus Studies and Communication for development (Malmö University), Development studies (Flinders University) together with MA students from the Faculty of Social and Political Studies at Tbilisi State University. Ten Malmö students participated in the seminar in Tbilisi together with Georgian students and other students participated online, including all Australian students. From the Swedish side several members of staff came to Tbilisi for the seminar: Oscar Hemer, Karina Vamling, Hugo Boothby, Tobias Denskus, Katrine Gotfredsen, Mikael Rundberg, Anders Høg Hansen. The group was accompanied by Dean of the Faculty of Culture and Society, Rebecka Lettevall (Malmö University), and visual storyteller Conor Ashleigh.

The thematic focus of the three day seminar was Georgia’s separatist conflicts, and in particular the South Ossetian/Tskhinvali conflict, and the challenges the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are facing. The seminar included academic lectures and presentations from representatives of NGOs and other organisations, such as European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and Civil Forum. In addition to the seminar students and staff visited an IDP settlement outside Gori close to the conflict zone.

 

Visit to Batumi University

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On October 26 Malmö University researchers Karina Vamling, Jean Hudson and Revaz Tchantouria visited Batumi Shota Rustaveli University (https://bsu.edu.ge/). During the contact visit they met with colleagues Lali Tavadze at the Dept. of European Studies,  Rector’s advisor Revaz Diasamidze at the Dept. of Public Affairs and Political Studies and Nino Dolidze, Head of Press Service of Batumi University.

 

 

Lecture by visiting professor Kazim Azimzade

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Professor Kazim Azimzade (Azimov) is visiting professor at the Section for Caucasus Studies (Malmö University). On Tuesday October 17, 15.00-16.00, he will give a presentation on multiculturalism in Azerbaijan. All are welcome to the lecture in room 0826, Niagara building. The title of the presentation is The Azerbaijani multiculturalism model. 

Professor Azimzade’s home institution is Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Psychology, Baku State University, Azerbaijan. He will visit Malmö University for three months.

 

Creating a documentary film about the last speaker of Ubykh

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Tevfik Esenç, the last fluent speaker of Ubykh, and prof. Hans Vogt of Oslo University, could hardly have imagined during their fieldwork in Norway in 1959 that their grandson and son would meet in Oslo almost 60 years later to talk about their fieldwork on Ubykh….

 

Burcu and Burak Esenç, Tevfik Esenç’s granddaughter and grandson, are following in their grandfather’s footsteps, gathering materials and memories related to Ubykh and its last speaker. This is part of creating a documentary film. The Turkish film team has already visited Paris, focusing on Georges Dumezil’s work on Ubykh.

The team recently visited Oslo, which included a meeting and interview with Karina Vamling, professor of Caucasus Studies at Malmö University (photo below: Burak and Burcu to the left, Karina to the right).

The North-West Caucasian language Ubykh, well-known to linguists for its uniquely high number of consonants, became extinct in Turkey in 1992 with the death of its last speaker, Tevfik Esenç. He had learned the language from his grandparents, who were among the Ubykhs who were forced into exile in the mid 1860s when their lands on the Caucasian Black Sea coast had been conquered by the Russian Empire after fierce resistance.

Project presentations

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A group of students following the course “Caucasus Field and Case Studies” this spring have presented their project reports.
The title of Shane’s project was “Tbilisi Flood Disaster 2015. How social media is influencing disaster response and recovery in Georgia“, based on his field work. Jeanne was interested in the development of relations between Georgians and Abkhazians after the 2008 war. Jacques’s research project work centered around gender studies and the position of women in the South Caucasus. Björn conducted fieldwork in Batumi and presented his interview study “Muslims in Ajara. Identity, belonging and marginalization”. Clayton went to Ingushetia in North Caucasus for his field study: “Promotion of Tourism in Ingushetia Rebranding the Branded”.

Many thanks to Mikale Rundberg who helped us with the technical side of the semianr and presenations.

The Budukhs – photo exhibition and documentary film

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Welcome to the opening of a photo exhibition and the screening of a short documentary film about the homeland of the Budukhs, a North Caucasian minority group in the mountains of northern Azerbaijan.
When: May 23, 1 pm
Where: Niagara building 8th floor (0826)

The film project “Homeland” about the Budukhs was created by Orkhan Hajiyev.
The photo exhibition is based on photos by three photographers: Zaur Mirzayev, Taleh Valehov, Elnur Aliyev

Organiser of the event: Exchange PhD Candidate Elnur Aliyev (contact: elnur.vugarli@gmail.com).