PREF 2019 - 2020

Beyond Plain Visualisation: 3D Modeling of Historic Buildings in Karakol

Aida Abdykanova, Jyldyz Bekbalaeva, Tolgonai Kozhokanova

General overview:

The PREF Project Beyond Plain Visualisation: 3D Modeling of Historic Buildings in Karakol aimed to visualize the existing historical buildings in Karakol, but not the visualization of the reconstruction of this architectural heritage. The research team focused on buildings of the Female Gymnasium and Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral located in Karakol, Issyk Kul region. 

Budget of the project: $2980,00 USD

Action plan:

At the beginning of the research work, theoretical and practical workshops were organized for project leadership and members to test the methodology of taking 3D photographs of bigger objects like buildings, cathedrals, etc. After, the field was conducted in Karakol, Issyk Kul region on March 13-15, 2020. 

Primary outcomes:

1. 3D simple low-resolution models of two historical buildings - former Female Gymnasium and Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral - were prepared. Models were uploaded to Skecthfub - the world's largest platform to publish, share, and discover 3D content on the web, mobile, AR, and VR. 

2. Models will be developed to make them accurate and high-quality to publish on the Omeka platform. 

3. The results of the research were submitted to the 5th International Congress of the Association of Anthropologists and Ethnologists of Kyrgyzstan held on July 2-3, 2020, in Naryn within the Experimental Creative Practices and New Technologies in Heritage Conversation and Management theme of the event. The event was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Read the full report HERE

Data Art

Anastasia Valeeva

General overview: 

The inspiration for the Data Art Kurak of Tolerance {kurak is a national Central Asian type of carpet made in patchwork technique} came during a visit of Nadezhda Andrianova, a Data Art Designer from Moscow, Russia, to the American University of Central Asia in November 2019. The project aimed to create an object of data art about the AUCA community while collecting responses of community members to various questions in regards to nationality, gender, minority groups, violence, tolerance, etc. 

Budget of the project: $2630,00 USD

Action plan:

The project work started in March 2020 and the meetings were held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Project team members arranged online meetings and communication had been led through emails. AUCA students, alumni, faculty, and staff were actively involved in the project implementation, including Zoom calls the project participants arranged successfully. Nadezhda Andrianova was the Data Art Consultant of the project joining calls online from Moscow. 

Primary outcomes:

1. The main topic of the project was defined as TOLERANCE. Questions like "How open-minded and tolerant is the AUCA community? Where do we stand between traditional and new? Where do we dream to live? Who are we friends with? and What is our take on feminism and LGBTQ rights?" were major questions included in the survey. 

2. A survey of 39 questions was created. The total number of received answers reached 305 survey replies.

3. A method of visual encoding gained data was recalculated in the data art ‘kurak’ as a national Central Asian type of carpet made in patchwork technique. And the final outcome of the project Kurak of Tolerance found its home on the 1st floor near the Kitchenette of AUCA. 

Read the full article about the Data Art Kurak of Tolerance HERE

The Voices of Afghan Students at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA)

Tamo Chattopadhay, Zarlasht Sarmast

General overview:

The Voices of Afghan Students (VOAS) at AUCA project is a faculty-guided and student-led endeavor whereby a small team of Afghan student leaders is engaged in conversations with fellow Afghan students. The VOAS aimed at exploring how Afghan students envision possible pathways for balancing their own life aspirations and their desire to contribute to their motherland. And the project brings the unique role of AUCA with regards to creating the next generation of Afghan leaders in the limelight. By voicing Afghan students’ views about their future roles in Afghanistan’s development and prosperity, the project also offers the international development community valuable insights on supporting human capital and nation-building initiatives in post-conflict societies.

Budget of the project: $3000,00 USD

Action plan:

The project started with a Town Hall style Information Session in the AUCA Forum that gathered – in two successive sessions - Afghan students of AUCA, with communication support from the Afghan Student Coordinator. At these Town Halls, the Project Team elaborated the rationale, scope, goals, and expected outcomes of the project to the assembled Afghan students, and responded to audience inquiries. This transparent and accessible Information Session – with everyone visible in AUCA’s central gathering place or Forum - provided the Afghan students with a clear and compelling message about the what and why of the project, and the importance of their active participation in it. Also, the project team distributed a brief survey that the assembled students could fill out and leave with the Team on exit.

Primary outcomes:

1. Informal conversations with Afghan students suggest that they are often torn between the desire to contribute to their country and to pursue their professional and academic journeys in safer and more secure societies. Unraveling this dilemma – of global preparedness of young citizens and limits to their location-bound contribution - was the point of departure in conceiving the VOAS project. It was conceived that a small team of Afghan students at AUCA will engage in conversations with fellow Afghan students.

2. It was a strong faculty-student collaboration. The Faculty Advisor worked closely with the project’s Team Leader. 

3. An anonymous survey was the primary instrument for gathering Afghan students’ voices and opinions about their plans beyond AUCA. In total, 109 students responded to the survey. Additionally, the Project Team reached out to fellow Afghan students and requested their time for brief one-on-one interviews. The idea was to have at least some Afghan students have in-depth conversations with their peers – fellow Afghan students acting as part of the Project Team – about the future.

Read the full report HERE

Visit the VOAS Project page