Translating Russian & East European cultures: Exchange and communication within a multidisciplinary and multicultural Area Studies context

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

'Knowledge Transfer' and 'Interdisciplinarity' are at the heart of many research initiatives in the UK drawing attention to the ways in which academic knowledge shapes disciplinary boundaries and connects academia and society more generally. Such agendas are underpinned by state-led initiatives which challenge academic knowledge to acquire greater relevance and saliency for UK society. Within this context, the current proposal aims to explore critically the multiple ways in which Russian and East European cultures are translated, constructed and narrated within the multidisciplinary and multicultural context of Russian, Central and East European Studies.The Research Network initiative has been shaped by the multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural Area Studies context associated with the activities of the Centre for Russian, Central and East European Studies (CRCEES). Area Studies, with its mix of disciplines from the Arts and Humanities as well as the Social Sciences and efforts to translate and construct cultures provides a stimulating context within which to reflect critically on the issues of disciplinary languages, knowledge exchange and creative collaborations.The proposal consists of a series of workshops, training sessions, roundtables, and Summer School participation focussed around the development and staging of a public event which is to take place in Glasgow towards the end of the initiative. The various activities and main event will bring together academics from a range of disciplines and institutions in addition to professional artists, school children and other interested groups in order to explore the central theme of 'Translating Russian & East European cultures.' Specific research objectives include:1.To examine how understandings of Russian and East European cultures are communicated and translated across disciplinary, linguistic and academic-end user boundaries. 2.To consider the potential for Area Studies to facilitate innovative means of knowledge exchange given its multidisciplinary basis, training and practices both between disciplines as well as across academic-end user boundaries and cultural divides.3.To develop and trial a range of dissemination techniques and practices drawing from expertise within both academic and non-academic contexts.4.To encourage the involvement of end user communities (school children, general public, local/national government representatives, non-governmental organisations) at all stages of the initiative (i.e. initial preparation, staging of the main event, and post-event evaluative activities.)The activities and outcomes of the proposal will have relevance for a broad range of end users/beneficiaries (e.g. general public, schools, state/non-state organisations) as well as for disciplines across the Arts/Humanities and Social Sciences.