“Ethnography of the Kazakh steppe of the colonial period”: Online lecture by Alima Bisenova
The Tselinniy Center for Contemporary Culture conducts a series of online lectures from leading experts in Kazakhstan and other countries created under quarantine. The first invited guest was Alima Bisenova, an assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at the School of Sciences and Humanities. In a short lecture course “Ethnography of the Kazakh steppe of [...]
Bioarchaeology and Bronze Age Kazakhstan: Visiting scholar hosts NU undergraduate workshop
During October 2019, the Sociology and Anthropology Department hosted Bioarchaeology Professor Elissa Bullion (University of Pittsburgh) who provided a hands-on learning opportunity in human remains analysis to the School of Sciences and Humanities students at Nazarbayev University. The workshop was held in the Anthropology Laboratory where volunteers learned skills for deciphering the age, sex, anatomy, [...]
Summer archaeology: Nazarbayev University’s faculty and students excavate east Kazakhstan’s Semey region
Summer archaeology: NU faculty and students excavate east Kazakhstan’s Semey region This summer Professor Paula Dupuy and history faculty Aidyn Zhunishkhanov led archaeological excavations in the Semey region to uncover new information on its ancient societies. The team included undergraduate and graduate students from Nazarbayev University, Shakarim State University of Semey, and the United States (Washington University [...]
Graduate student from Mexico is studying koumiss
Great steppe culture and Kazakh national cuisine are attracting great interest among foreigners. For example, Sandra Real from Mexico is currently exploring the koumiss nutritious drink. Sandra’s interest in the national drink grew stronger as she learned that in addition to taste, this drink helps to cure many diseases. Therefore, her first thesis in undergraduate [...]
Undergraduate Student Conference by Sociology and Anthropology Department
On Saturday, April 7th, 2018, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology held its first annual undergraduate capstone conference. The capstone conference was a culmination of a year-long capstone course that has allowed our ten graduating fourth-year students majoring in either Anthropology or Sociology to conduct original research and present their findings to members of the [...]
UK and Kazakhstan worked together to assess the implications of the transition to the mandatory social health insurance in Kazakhstan
Academics from the UK and Kazakhstan had worked together to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the transition to the mandatory social health insurance in Kazakhstan at the workshop in March 26-27, 2018 in Astana at Nazarbayev University. In 2015, a group of researchers from the London School of Economics and Nazarbayev University received [...]
Professors go on an archaeological survey to the Altay region
Professors Reed Coil and Gabriel McGuire joined with former SHSS professor Zachary Cofran to carry out a joint ethnographic and archaeological survey of the Altay region of eastern Kazakhstan this summer. The team spent two weeks in the mountains and valleys around the Zaisan basin, where they spoke with local villagers and searched for possible [...]
Anthropology lab opening
We are glad to inform you that the long-awaited Anthropology lab in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences is ready to start working now. In the space of 2 years, a lot of hard work, attention and dedication were put into the lab, in order to have it presentable and great to work in. [...]
About the Department
- The Department of Sociology and Anthropology of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences offers groundbreaking undergraduate programs building on the faculty’s excellence in academic research, teaching, and public service. In our research, we examine the processes of social and cultural life in various human societies and time spans and ask the following questions:
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- What does it mean to be human?
- What does it mean to live in a society?
- Why do we behave the way we do?
- How can we live together in this world?
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- We offer courses and undergraduate programs in Sociology and Anthropology. We also contribute to interdisciplinary graduate programs at Nazarbayev University: MA in Eurasian Studies and PhD in Eurasian Studies by teaching courses and supervising students’ research.
- The faculty of the department consists over 15 internationally recognized scholars with expertise in various areas that comprise sociology and anthropology.
- The courses offered by the department range from introductory courses to sociology, subfields of anthropology and social science research methods to advanced courses that teach various research methods to courses that focus on specialized subjects of Sociology and Anthropology, such as gender analysis, social linguistics, social policy analysis, criminology, biological and medical anthropology, archaeology, etc .
- The department offers students research opportunities by engaging them as research assistants to faculty research or by supervising students’ independent studies (including credit-bearing courses). In the final year of the program, sociology and anthropology majors design and conduct independent capstone research projects, which culminate in undergraduate BA theses or a community engagement research reports.
- The department highly values students’ engagement. With encouragement and support of the department, sociology and anthropology majors have created and run the Sociology and Anthropology Students’ Association (SASA), an active and student-driven organization , with the aim of promoting sociology and anthropology among the NU community and general public, creating a sense of shared identity and camaraderie among sociology and anthropology majors, connecting them to alumni, and helping them navigate the world of employment opportunities and graduate studies.
- The department maintains close relationships with various organizations in Nur-Sultan, including research, nonprofit, governmental, international organizations and for-profit companies to offer students networking and internship opportunities.
- The department runs and hosts a Society and Culture lecture series that serve as a forum of scholars from and outside NU who share their research and discuss relevant policy and social issues.
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Department of Sociology and Anthropology,
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Gavin Slade, Associate Professor in sociology gavin.slade@nu.edu.kz Christina Pugh, MA in Anthropology - Instructor of Anthropology and Sociology christina.pugh@nu.edu.kz Alex Miltsov, PhD - Assistant Professor of Sociology Reed Coil, PhD - Assistant Professor of Biological Anthropology Karina Matkarimova, MA in Eurasian Studies, Teaching Assistant
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