TSUULL Public Talks Program in September and October 2023: Striving Further!
TSUULL’s Initiative: Public Lecture Program TSUULL Talks forms part of the University's efforts to contribute knowledge, thought-leadership and innovative ideas to the region. TSUULL Talks, a series of short, informal presentations delivered by the University International Office. We're sharing the best through a series of free online public lectures.
100+ students and non-university participants took part in TSUULL Talks held by the University.
Over two months TSUULL hosted 4 live and 1 online interviews with 5 experts from 5 countries: Uzbekistan, Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, U.S.A. including Antonina Kseinova, Mirsaid Uzakov, Elena Borisova, Lucie Tuma, Sargylana Atlasova on topics ranging from gender equality and water management to indigenous knowledge.
In line with the SDGs and as a part of the commitment of TSUULL to community services, University’s International Office organized a field trip to meet and engage with the Representative Office of the ‘Association of Central Asia in Uzbekistan’ and the Director Gulnoz Mamarasulova to promote awareness about human rights among students and to fulfill the responsibility of TSUULL to the community.
A special workshop for environmental issues was prepared by Kseniia Gorbacheva – an artist at 139 Documentary Center in Tashkent, who delivered a community art workshop for TSUULL students. Students learned about the importance of waste reduction and what they can do to help. The workshop helped participants learn more about the concept of recycling and its global impact as well as provide information about the Sustainability Program at TSUULL.
While there is no SDG for arts, culture, or heritage, the underlying SDG targets are full of cultural innovation, artistic values, and protection and promotion of heritage and values commitments. For instance, SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) includes commitments to vibrant arts and cultural life while SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) reminds us of the importance of the cultural industries to fostering a sustainable social and economic life.
Lectures in September and October’23 covered everything from Contemporary Art, Environmental Issues, Waste-to-Energy Development, Gender Equality, Water Management, Migration Issues, Cultural Diversity to Supporting Indigenous Communities.
In these activities for TSUULL university students we focus on how to encourage student activity and engagement during lectures in order to support students' learning.
Antonina Kseinova, an Intern at UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia, MA in International Security Studies (University of Trento & Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Italy), delivered a guest lecture entitled ‘SDG 5 and SDG 8: Understanding the Cost of VAW: Central Asia’. She talked about the GBV which carries a heavy economic cost for society, resulting in women and girls’ underachievement in education, work and overall productivity. According to some studies, this cost can range from 1% to 3% of a country’s GDP.
In line with the World Water Day 2023 theme ‘Accelerate Change‘, the public lecture on ‘SDG 6: Value of Water in the Era of SDGs’ delivered by Mirsaid Uzakov, an OSCE Academy in Bishkek Graduate, Positive Youth Development Specialist at Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia. Within the public-talk, the speaker provided valuable insights into the on-going challenges related to water management issues in the Central Asia region and analyzed different roles and values that water offers as well as how these values can be synthesized to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
Dr. Elena Borisova, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, University of Sussex (UK), delivered a guest lecture entitled ‘In Search of the Good Life: Understanding Sociocultural Dynamics of Migration in Central Asia’, and provided deep understanding of migration processes in Central Asia on the case of Tajikistan. Based on more than a year of ethnographic research in rural Tajikistan, the expert showed how migration is bound up with people’s attempts to achieve a good life. Migration is also a cross-cutting issue across the 2030 Agenda, relevant to all 17 of the SDGs. This section goes beyond the direct references to migration to acknowledge and address the mutually supporting relationships between migration and each of the Goals and targets.
Lucie Tuma, an Interdisciplinary Artist, Choreographer and Curator (Switzerland), delivered an artist-talk entitled ‘Creating Spaces for Gathering and Connection: An Exploration of Artistic and Curatorial Practices’ diving with students into deep understanding of art practices. The artist's tecto-geological walks, which explore human attention, are practices at the intersection of sciences, aesthetic experience and speculative metaphysics.
Due to the INNO Week, a guest lecture on ‘Indigenous World and SDGs: Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Wellbeing and Dignity’ was held via Zoom by Sargylana Atlasova, a Representative of Sakha, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Advocate, Member of International Indigenous Communities and Organizations. The audience demonstrated great enthusiasm towards the issues arising in the society faced by indigenous community, and the causes and potential resolutions were suggested by both parties - the lecturers and the audience.
TSUULL's Public Talks are always free to attend, they are aimed at the general public, not specialists. They are open to anyone interested in ideas and debate and are completely free of charge.
To be the first to hear about our online public lecture series In November’23, and other events, please sign up to TSUULL Channel in Telegram: https://t.me/tsuullinternational
Contact person: Lucy Aysaeva, Public Talks Programme Coordinator interdep@navoiy-uni.uz or TG @aysaeva
Credit: TSUULL Press Center
