Through IREX’s Title VIII Programs, Maria Sonevytsky (IARO [12]) and Jeremy Tasch (EPS [13]) were able to engage in field research in Ukraine and Azerbaijan respectively. Taking full advantage of the resources available to them, both through their IREX fellowships and through the world wide web, Sonevytsky and Tasch were able to share the work they were doing with the rest of the world as it was happening.
Jeremy’s research in Azerbaijan, which was originally requested by the embassy in Baku, relates to education, Islam, and the impact of oil wealth on the culture. His blog [14] creatively uses video, photos, and local anecdotes to document the work he has been doing.
Maria developed her blog [15] as a tool to highlight the struggles of Crimean Tatars, which she studied during her IARO experience. Using a variety of media, which can be fully accessed by signing onto the webpage, Maria and photographer Alison Cartwright have conveyed the experience of this particular minority group in a captivating way.
IREX continues to seek new and innovative ways to share the research that has been done with funding from our Title VIII programs. For more information about upcoming research or about any of the projects that have been highlighted, please contact IREX staff at iaro@irex.org [16].
