In stark contrast to the importance of the region to policy-makers, Central Asian studies are a very fragmented field in Europe, with specialists focusing mostly on narrow topics within their respective discipline. Teachers and lecturers mostly work in small and low-funded departments, using their own approaches and personal experience (often acquired through self-study) in their teaching on Central Asia. As a result, future generations of area specialists acquire their expertise within this fragmented field and do so from various different educational backgrounds (Russian studies, Turkish studies, … ). The EISCAS project will interconnect this fragmented group of experts and students through the Central Asian Studies European Network (CASEN) and will offer state-of-the-art teaching materials to teachers of CAS, so they can expand their course offer, as well as provide their students with a top-of-the-line, innovative, new handbook with complementary online study materials. 

Consortium members: Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (coordinating institution);  Ghent University (core group member and ESICAQS handbook coordination);  Université Paris-Sud (core group member); Charles University in Prague; Dublin City University; University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu; Institut français d’études sur l’Asie centrale (IFÉAC); George Washington University; School of Oriental and African Studies-University of London; University of Coimbra; University of Glasgow.

• Funded by: European Commission, 2018-1-PL01-KA203-050674 (2018-2021)
• CRG staff involved: Bruno De Cordier