Preface

Summary

Academic activity is quite often imagined as the picture of a man sitting at a desk, absorbed in thought and sporadically writing. It is uncommon to insert other people– and especially women– into this picture and transform it into something completely different. Applying the concept of ‘scapes’, which is at the heart of this book, we may imagine such pictures as pointing to various ‘academic landscapes’ that frame and define the work of scholars in different parts of the world.

In most places, academic landscapes have not been looking particularly sunny recently. In some universities, they are quite sombre and overcast; in others, the picture may be a bit brighter. Yet, the neoliberal discourse of ‘economic effectiveness’ affects scholarship everywhere. Academics at universities are extremely dependent on their formal status, which is usually measured in terms of their individually authored publications (even if some texts are published under several names). Under these circumstances, we often forget that an ‘academiascape’ could also be regarded as a group portrait of researchers engrossed in fruitful communication rather than a landscape featuring the lonely figure of a scientist surrounded by the formidable shapes of looming deadlines and reports. In any case, when we think about academia today, much of the fun and excitement of doing research seems to be seeping out of the picture that comes to mind.

Research in and on Central Asia is no exception here. Most of the countries in the region cannot afford large and wealthy universities, nor do they have a tradition of independent academic work. Some of the papers and edited volumes on Central Asia reflect the neo-colonial and neoliberal hierarchy of the contemporary world. Tables of content often contain only two types of text: conceptual introductions (and conclusions) written by Western scholars; and more empirical papers written by local researchers under their guidance.

Fortunately, this book is an example of a different approach; it is the result of a team effort– a partnership between German and Central Asian scholars who have created an academiascape that has brought back the joy of collective reflection and discovery.