Study Abroad Course:

Politics and Cultures Along the Silk Road
June 1-19, 2009

Learn about the history, politics, and cultures of the Silk Road this Summer

in Almaty, Kazakhstan in jointly taught courses at the

Kazakhstan Institute for Management, Economics and Strategic Research (KIMEP)

CSULB Political Science 395i: Politics Through Culture (Dr. Larry Martinez, CSULB)

KIMEP Political Science 3535: Political Culture (Ms. Dina Sharipova, Ph.D. cand. Indiana University)

Both courses will incorporate a Model United Nations simulation of UNESCO Meetings focusing on cultural issues in the Central Asian Region.

What are we planning?

Approximately 4-12 CSU Long Beach student will travel to KIMEP in June 2009 as students enrolled in a Study Abroad course to be taught by Dr. Larry Martinez, POSC 395i, “Politics Through Culture.” This course will focus in the politics and cultures in the Central Asian countries, often referred to as the “Silk Road” countries.

The CSULB course will be jointly conducted with PS 3535, “Political Culture” to be taught by Ms. Dina Sharipova. KIMEP and CSULB students will each receive academic credit from their respective institutions while attending the same lectures, participating in the joint academic activities, and fulfilling the same academic assignments.

The partnered KIMEP-CSULB courses will promote student-student interactions through group preparations for the simulated Model UN meeting of UNESCO’s Central Asian Working Group, which is directly integrated into the courses’ curricula. Students will research and discuss several agenda items dealing with cultural issues stemming from implementation of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted by the 33rd General Conference of UNESCO in October 2005, and which entered into force on 18 March 2007. The Convention seeks to strengthen the five inseparable links of the same chain: creation, production, distribution/dissemination, access and enjoyment of cultural expressions, as conveyed by cultural activities, goods and services.

Course assignments will focus on preparing the joint KIMEP-CSULB country delegations for effective representation of their assigned country’s views with regard to deliberations on resolutions being proposed at the simulated UNESCO Central Asian Working Group meeting.

Dates: June 1-19, 2009: The class will meet four hours a day, four days a week (Monday-Thursday). Fridays are travel days for trips planned to Samarkand-Bukhara, Uzbekistan, and to Kashgar, China. Other excursions within the Almaty region are also planned.

Anticipated Cost: $5000.  A limited number of scholarships may be available for qualified participants.

Click Here for a Link to the Brochure

For applications, send an email to: Dr. Larry Martinez at martinez@csulb.edu

Recommended: 2009 Spring Semester History Courses on Central Asia (Prof. Ali Igmen)

History 432/532 and History 418