ECA Alumni Small Grants Program

Program Successes - February 2001

View success Alumni Small Grants Program success stories by country:

About the Program
The ECA Alumni Small Grants Program was piloted by IREX in February 1999. The program is designed to enable alumni of ECA programs to increase their impact on their home countries by providing funding for individual projects that further the goals of their original programs in the United States. Grants have been awarded to alumni to: extend professional memberships; organize and/or regional seminars and conferences; make research trips within the NIS; publish self-authored books and materials; and invite US colleagues to the NIS for collaborative projects. IREX has administered four rounds of the program to date.

Armenia

Nerses Hayrapetyan, Yerevan, Armenia, RSEP 1995
Project Description: Extended membership in the American Library Association and attended the 8th International Conference "Crimea 2001," devoted to "Libraries and Associations in the Transient World: New Technologies and New Forms of Cooperation." At the conference, which was held in Ukraine, Hayrapetyan presented his paper "Library Education in Armenia: Trends and Prospects for Development." He also took the opportunity to collaborate with Ukrainian librarians, and together they have organized a librarian exchange program between the two countries.

Armen Jugurian, Yerevan, Armenia, RSEP 1995
Project Description: Published 500 copies of the teaching manual Basis for Accounting in Armenian. Jugurian's research for the manual also led to the development of new curricula based on international standards for the management accounting and cost accounting courses offered through

Azerbaijan

Islam Mustafayev, Baku, Azerbaijan, CI 1997
Project Description: Conducted research along the western route of the Caspian oil pipeline, from Sangachal to Akstafa, in order to investigate the ecological condition of fauna and flora along the route. Mustafayev's research showed that oil spills have not disturbed the local fauna and flora, and radio-ecological monitoring of the area showed that the radiation level is well within normal boundaries. The results of his research were published in brochure form and presented at two international conferences: "Humans and Catastrophe: Emissions into the Atmosphere During the Transportation of Oil" in Baku, Azerbaijan and "Ecology and Environmental Management in the Caucasus" in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Belarus

Petr Lapo, Minsk, Belarus, Muskie 1996
Project Description: Conducted a series of seminars on how to use digital libraries, modern librarianship issues for Belarusian librarians, and the creation of a Belarusian Library Consortium. Representatives from 30 Belarusian libraries attended the seminars and discussed the Electronic Information for Libraries Project (EIFL), designed to provide online access in Belarus to thousands of electronic journals in the social sciences and humanities. Thanks to his work with Belarusian libraries, Lapo was elected president of the Belarusian Library Association (BLA) for the 2001-2002 year.

Aleksei Skrebniow, Vitebsk, Belarus, Muskie 1994, CI 2000
Project Description: Organized a series of seminars on the gender aspects of human communication, both verbal and nonverbal, and prepared several articles for publication in the year 2002. A variety of gender specialists, including Belarusians and Americans, presented at the seminars, which were held in Vitebsk. Topics of discussion included gender representation in outward appearance, gender and cross-cultural difficulties in a multinational environment, the development of feminist thought in the United States, and gender reflections in verbal behavior. Materials from the seminars have already been incorporated into curricula at universities in Vitebsk, Polatsk and Minsk.

Yuri Stulov, Minsk, Belarus, RSEP 1996
Project Description: Published 100 copies of "The American Studies Yearbook, 2001," a collection of papers delivered at the 9th, 10th, and 11th International American Studies Conferences, held in Minsk in 1999, 2000, and 2001. The collection includes over 60 papers from different scholars, both European and American, who teach in both high schools and universities. The book was disseminated to scholars and researchers who study American Studies in Belarus, Armenia and Ukraine.

Siarhei Vetokhin, Minsk, Belarus, CI 2000
Project Description: Published 300 copies of the book Higher Education in Belarus. The book details the present state of and new developments in Belarusian higher education. It was disseminated to a variety of Belarusian universities, embassies and government ministries, as well as several American institutions, and was cited in the National Report of the Republic of Belarus, which was highlighted at the Autumn 2001 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) meeting in Geneva.

Georgia

George Nozadze, Tbilisi, Georgia, RSEP 1995
Project Description: Conducted training seminars for 25 community leaders from Temka, Georgia on such topics as child and family health, children's rights, student-centered teaching, and conflict management. Through the seminar, the attendees learned new teaching techniques, including how to create a positive emotional environment in the classroom and the difference between "active" and "non-active" teaching approaches.

Zaza Skhirtladze, Tbilisi, Georgia, RSEP 1995
Project Description: Published 300 copies of "Desert Monasticism: Gareja and the Christian East," results from the conference of the same name, held September 19-23, 2000, and funded through an ECA Alumni Small Grant. Skhirtladze published 15 papers from the conference, written by leading scholars from Georgia and abroad. The publication will allow the results of the conference to be broadcast to individuals who were not able to attend the event.

Kazakhstan

Gulnara Abikeyeva, Almaty, Kazakhstan, CI 1997
Project Description: Published 500 copies of Central Asian Cinema in a Transition Period: 1991 - 2001, which details the history of cinema in Central Asia over the last 10 years and includes film summaries and interviews with the most influential filmmakers in the region. Abikeyeva also presented her research at two international conferences including "Post Soviet Cinema: Reality and Perspectives," held in Moscow and hosted by the Unit of Filmmakers, as well as "Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue as Part of the Dialogue Among Civilizations", hosted by UNESCO in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Abikeyeva also held a press conference when the book was released, which was covered by several Kazakh news agencies.

Saule Tazhibaeva, Taraz, Kazakhstan, RSEP 1993
Project Description: Conducted a research trip to Novosibirsk, Russia and published 500 copies of the book Semantic Types of Conditionals in Languages of Different Systems. While in Novosibirsk, Tazhibaeva collaborated with several linguists from Novosibirsk State University and the Institute of Philology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science. She also organized a roundtable for ECA alumni and students interested in linguistics and Turkic languages and lectured at the Novosibirsk Classical University and the Institute of Philology. Her book, which examines linguistic data from the Kazakh, Altai, and Tuvinian languages, has been made available to Russian and American scholars who study language typology and has also been distributed to a variety of libraries throughout Kazakhstan and Russia.

Gulnora Yakubova, Almaty, Kazakhstan, FSA/Grad 1997
Project Description: Published 1,500 copies of A Glossary of Psychological and Pedagogical Terms of the Step by Step Program in both Russian and Kazakh. The glossary was written in order to alleviate the incorrect translation, misunderstandings, and self-interpretation of terms that are used widely by Step by Step teachers and students. The glossary will be disseminated not only to teachers in the program throughout Kazakhstan, but also to Kyrgyz, Azeri, Armenian, Georgian, and Mongolian teachers and trainers through a series of seminars.

Kyrgystan

Ainura Cholponkulova, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, CI 1997
Project Description: Organized the training seminar "Nongovernmental Organizations and the Decision Making Process" and published the seminar materials and results. The seminar, which concerned how NGOs can lobby effectively for various causes, was attended by NGO leaders, members of Parliament, scholars, and analysts. During the event, the participants discussed the draft of the Kyrgyz law entitled "On Lobbying of Legislative Acts," and prepared an alternate draft of the law "On Lobby", which they plan to discuss in a parliamentary hearing with the public. The seminar was so successful that the American Bar Association and the Urban Institute have asked Cholponkulova and her associates to conduct the same seminar for their partners throughout Kyrgyzstan. She and her associates also plan on coauthoring a book entitled How to Successfully Lobby State Bodies.

Kubat Moldobaev, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, CI 1997
Project Description: Organized the seminar "Democratic Governance in the Multiethnic Society of Kyrgyzstan" and published the seminar results. The 35 seminar participants, including NGO representatives, Embassy staff, and educators and administrators from a variety of Kyrgyz educational institutes, discussed the legislative base of polyethnic politics, local government development, and multicultural education. The workshop results were distributed to local government authorities, universities throughout Kyrgyzstan, and ECA alumni.

Moldova

Oleg Galuschenco, Chisinau, Moldova, RSEP 2000
Project Description: Published 1,500 copies of the brochure "The Population of the Moldovan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1924 -1940)" in both Russian and Romanian. The work, which details the early history of the Moldovan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (MASSR) and how it relates to the current struggle in modern day Transdniestria, includes newly recovered statistical and demographic information regarding the population and ethnic makeup of the MASSR in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Galushenco presented copies of the brochure to libraries, universities, research centers, NGOs, and embassies throughout Moldova, as well as to the US Embassy Alumni Resource Center in Chisinau.

Victor Orindas, Chisinau, Moldova, RSEP 1997
Project Description: Published 600 copies of the manual "Criminal Procedure Law," which analyzes Moldova's current criminal procedure law, adopted in 1990. The project also resulted in the publication of several articles, including "Judiciary Control and Preventative Measures in the Criminal Procedure Law of the Republic of Moldova" published in the National Law Journal, and "Release on Bail as an Alternative to the Preventative Arrest in Criminal Procedure Law," and "The Efficiency of Bail Releases as a Preventative Alternative Measure," both of which were published in The Scientific Annals of Moldova State University. Orindas also conducted a presentation and discussion on "The Violation of the Presumption of Innocence and the Right to Be Free from Self-Incrimination in Moldovan Criminal Pretrial Investigation." The seminar, which was attended by 21 ECA alumni, was held at the US Embassy Alumni Resource Center in Chisinau.

Oleg Stiopca, Chisinau, Moldova, CI 1998
Project Description: Extended professional membership in the Agricultural Communicators and Educators (ACE) society and attended the annual ACE summit in Moscow. Upon returning from Moscow, Stiopca presented his paper "Information Resources and Technologies in Agricultural Research and Extension," at the ECA sponsored alumni conference, "The Impact of New Technologies on Science and Practice in Moldova." Stiopca also hopes to establish an ACE branch in Moldova.

Russia

Victor Avksentiev, Stavropol, Russia, RSEP 1995
Project Description: Published 500 copies of the book Ethnic Conflict Studies: Searching for a Theoretical Paradigm, which includes a critical analysis of modern concepts of ethnic conflict studies and their applicability to the analysis and regulation of present-day ethnic conflicts in Russia and the northern Caucasus. The book was presented at several conferences, including "Tolerance and Multicultural Society" in Nalchik, "The Peace in the Northern Caucasus by Means of Language, Education, and Culture" in Pyatigorsk, and "Universities and Civil Society: The Experience of Russian-American Cooperation" in Volgograd. The book was been disseminated to major libraries and institutes that research ethnic conflict in Russia as well as all universities in the northern Caucasus.

Lyudmila Erokhina, Vladivostok, Russia, RSEP 1997
Project Description: Organized the public relations and education campaign "Stop the Women's Slave Trade." The project targeted at risk groups-high school and university students and girls and women who wish to go abroad for work or marriage. The campaign included a variety of education outreach tools, including a poster contest for local youth, lectures at high schools and universities, the production and distribution of 1,500 brochures, and a poster exhibit. More than 40 young people throughout the Russian Far East submitted posters to the contest, and all were exhibited during a touring exhibition that visited universities, museums, and conferences in Vladivostok, Ussurisk, and Artem. The brochure, which was entitled "If You Want to Work Abroad," was distributed to young women at universities, schools, discos, dormitories, and restaurants. Erokhina also presented her paper "The Scope of Trafficking of Women in Southeast Asia and Programs that Can Stop This Phenomenon" at the "Social and Legal Aspects of Struggling Against the Women Slave Trade" event in Vladivostok. Finally, all the information gathered and distributed as a result of this project will be incorporated in Erokhina's lectures for the courses "Introduction to Gender Studies" and "The Philosophy of Feminism" offered at Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service.

Natalia Khisamutdinova, Vladivostok, Russia, CI 1998
Project Description: Organized and broadcast a series of six radio seminars entitled "The School of Surviving" for the elderly population of the Primorye region. After the economic downturn following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the elderly suffered heavily, losing long-earned pensions and being thrust into a new world they did not and still may not understand. These seminars provided them with information on how to lead active and healthy lives and how to adjust to life in a transitioning society and economy. One 35-40 minute seminar was aired every month for six months, reaching a possible audience of over two million people. Each seminar featured guest speakers discussing a particular theme, including health care, gardening, and veterans' rights and benefits according to the Federal Law about Veterans.

Alexander Kravchenko, Irkutsk, Russia, RSEP 1993
Project Description: Published 2000 copies of Sign, Meaning, Knowledge: An Essay in the Cognitive Philosophy of Language, which details a new methodology for natural language study whereby language is viewed as an empirical phenomenon, contrary to the theoretical concepts adhered to by most traditional linguists. The book was distributed to linguists both in Russia and abroad. As a result of his research, Kravcehnko also published three articles, including "Toward a Bi-Cognitive Philosophy of Language," "Cognitive Linguistics as a Methodological Paradigm," "Cognitive Linguistics in the Year 2001," and "Methodological Foundations for Cognitive Analysis of Meaning."

Vyacheslav Kui-Beda, Samara, Russia, CI 2000
Project Description: Extended professional membership to the American Music Therapy Association and attended the 10th European Association for Psychotherapy Conference, "Psychotherapy of the West - Psychotherapy of the West." His paper, "The Possibility of Creating an Integrative Model of Music Psychotherapy," was presented at the conference but was also published in The All-Russian Psychotherapeutic League Journal.

Rashyd Latypov, Birsk, Russia, RSEP 2000
Project Description: Conducted a research trip to St. Petersburg, participated in the 10th Annual Russian-American International Studies Association Research Seminar, and published a collection of essays, entitled A Revolution for the Historian: Some Musings Over the Last Decade, 1991-2001. Latypov also presented his research at three international conferences and published several articles, including "A Revolution for the Historian: Some Musings About the Epoch, 1991-2001," "Do Cultural Differences Form the Dynamics of International Space?," and "How to Keep the Genie in the Bottle: The Experience of Authoritarian Democracy After WWII."

Yelena Nakaznaya, Chita, Russia, RSEP 1998
Project Description: Renewed membership in the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Studies Association (ASA), purchased a variety of English language books on American culture and literature, participated in the Conference of Americanists at Minsk State Linguistic University, and conducted a research trip to St. Petersburg, during which she studied marginal characters in American Literature of the twentieth century. At the conference, Nakaznaya presented her paper "Genre Peculiarities in the book Remedios by Aurora Levins Morales." In addition, she also published her article "Short Prose by Puerto Rican Authors in the USA" in the journal Actual Problems of Modern Science.

Tatiana Shakleina, Moscow, Russia, CI 2000
Project Description: Organized a seminar for young female professionals interested in security studies entitled "Scientific Exchanges and Academic Research in Russia: Contemporary Issues in Security Studies." The 30 representatives at the seminar, representing a variety of NGOs and research institutes, heard papers from a variety of experts in the field of security studies and engaged in discussion over such issues as NATO enlargement in the Balkans, cultural autonomy in the Russia, management in the mass media and ecological security and its relation to tourism. As a result of the conference, the NGO Women in Global Security (WINGS) was revived and has begun recruiting new members and planning new activities for its members.

Andrei Silantiev, Moscow, Russia, Muskie 1995
Project Description: Purchased a variety of books on public relations, which he then donated to the library of the International Journalism School at Moscow State University for International Relations. Silantiev used the books to develop curriculum for a new course, entitled "Marketing Public Relations." He also plans to develop a website devoted to public relations studies in Russia.

Tatiana Tregoubova, Kazan, Russia, Muskie 1994, RSEP 2000
Project Description: Attended the "All-Russian Conference on Social-Pedagogical Work" and published 1,000 copies of the book Social Work with Students: A Multi-country Comparison, which is a continuation of her earlier work Personnel Management and Personality Socialization. The book compares American and Russian social services and the social support offered to each nation's young people.

Tatyana Yeryomenko, Ryazan, Russia, Muskie 1998
Project Description: Published 250 copies of the book Modern Information Technologies in US Academic Libraries, which details a variety of important issues regarding international librarianship. Yerymenko was invited to present her book along with a lecture on modern library technologies at the Ryazan University of Economics and Law Library, the Ryazan Regional Youth Library, the Ryazan Agricultural Academy Library and the Institute of Culture in Belgorod, Russia.

Tajikistan

Khabibullo Mirzoev, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, RSEP 1995
Project Description: Organized a series of seminars on "Budget and Fiscal Terminology Reform in Tajikistan" and published 200 copies of the English-Tajik-English Glossary of Fiscal Terminology. More than 70 budget specialists from a variety of government ministries attended the seminars, which were held in Leninabad and Khatlon, Tajikistan. The glossary, which was distributed to a variety of NGOs and government institutions, will also be used in an English language class for budget specialists soon to be offered by the Ministry of Finance of Tajikistan.

Munavvara Nuridinova, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, CI 1998
Project Description: Organized the conference "Improving the Delivery of Economics Courses in the Tajik System of Higher Education" and published 300 copies of the conference proceedings. The conference, which brought together 47 individuals, including representatives from the Ministry of Education, USAID, and various institutes of higher education, addressed the need for diversified economics curriculum, especially at native Tajik universities, in order to better address the modern economic hardships of Tajikistan.

Turkmenistan

Gaplan Esenamanov, Ashgabad, Turkmenistan, RSEP 2000
Project Description: Published 400 copies of the book American Higher Education: Past, Present and Future in Turkmen. The book chronicles American higher education from colonial times to the present, discussing the role of financing and philanthropy, the establishment of the first university, women's rights to higher education, as well as current topics such as the role of university administration and the fragility of tenure. The book was distributed to universities and libraries throughout Turkmenistan.

Eldar Mamedov, Ashgabad, Turkmenistan, Muskie 1998
Project Description: Organized a series of seminars devoted to "Fundamental Business Topics Offered by US MBA Programs." The seminars, which were attended by more than 80 individuals, including a wide variety of ECA alumni, business students, and local entrepreneurs, were devoted to discussion of the Western free economic system and how that system is taught in US business schools. Mamedov's work came to the attention of representatives at the Business School at the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute, and he has since been offered a position teaching Corporate Financial Management.

Ukraine

Olexander Babanin, Kyiv, Ukraine, Muskie 1992
Project Description: Organized the roundtable "The Lost Decade and the Coming Boom: Problems of Ukraine's Economic Growth" and published the roundtable materials. The 20 individuals present at the roundtable, representing various universities and finance and development related NGOs, discussed economic growth issues faced by transitioning countries and what steps need to be taken to arrange sustainable economic growth in Ukraine. The roundtable materials included five papers by economics experts, including a paper by Babanin entitled "The Driving Forces of Economic Growth."

Pavlo Kutuev, Kyiv, Ukraine, RSEP 1997
Project Description: Published 600 copies of the textbook Key Problems in Political Sociology. The book focuses on the use of theory over experience and experiment in political sociology and addresses several immediate issues regarding Ukraine's transitioning public policy. The book was disseminated to social science teachers at various Ukrainian universities as well as the instructors affiliated with the Civic Education Project in Ukraine. The text will be used in the course "Political Sociology," to be offered at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Sergei Riabov, Kyiv, Ukraine, CI 1998
Project Description: Wrote and published six issues of the newsletter Civis devoted to the development of civic education in Ukraine. Riabov published 500 copies of each newsletter, which were then distributed to civic educators throughout Ukraine. Each issue was also posted to the "Civic Education in Ukraine" website, in both English and Ukrainian.

Victor Shevchuk, Lviv, Ukraine, Muskie 1994, CI 2000
Project Description: Published 700 copies of the monograph The Impact of Balance of Payment Restrictions Upon Macroeconomics Equilibrium: The Experience of Ukraine in both paperback and hardcover format. In addition to the monograph, Shevchuk also published several articles in various Ukrainian periodicals. He also presented his research at the conference "The Lost Decade and the Forthcoming Boom: Problems of Ukrainian Economic Growth," organized by 2001 ECA Alumni Small Grantee Olexander Babanin.

Volodymr Skoblyk, Uzhhorod, Ukraine, RSEP 1998
Svitlana Slava, Uzhhorod, Ukraine, RSEP 1998
Project Description: Organized a conference for local NGO leaders and government officials on community development and prepared and published the book Best Practices of Local Development in Zakarpattia. While preparing the book, Skoblyk and Slava prepared and distributed surveys to local leaders and residents representing nine different communities within Zakarpattia and prepared case studies about the level of local development in each community and what could be done to further such development. The results of their research, along with case studies regarding the local development of several international communities, were presented at the corresponding conference, which gathered 42 participants from throughout Ukraine, including representatives from local NGOs, local government administrations and universities. The materials from the conference are available at: http://www.aipa.Uzhorod.ua and http://asg-alumni.iatp.org.ua.

Tetyana Yakhontova, Lviv, Ukraine, RSEP 1995
Project Description: Published 500 copies of the textbook English Academic Writing: A Writing Course and Handbook for Ukrainian Students and Researchers, designed for use by Ukrainian graduate students and scholars. The text will be used in Yakhontova's academic writing course at Ivan Franko Lviv National University in Lviv, Ukraine.

Uzbekistan

Djamila Babadjanova, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, CI 1997
Project Description: Extended professional memberships in the International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR) and the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) and organized a roundtable discussion devoted to "The Local NGO Classification System." The roundtable, which was held as an alumni event, brought together 13 ECA alumni. The event was so successful that a second roundtable, "The Development of the NGO Sector in Uzbekistan," has been planned. Babadjanova also published the article "Women's NGOs: Sector Development Trends," which was published in the Winrock International Newsletter.

Sayyora Rakhmankulova, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, CI 1998
Project Description: Published 300 copies of the book What is Distance Learning? and organized distance-learning training for teachers at the National University of Uzbekistan. In addition, Rakhmankulova participated in two conferences: "Distance Learning Workshop: Experience and Development," and "Distance Learning Workshop: Joint Projects and International Scholarships." Her participation in these conferences allowed her to present her research to more than 350 people, including representatives from the Ministry of Higher Education, various Uzbek universities and NGOs. Her article "Distance Learning Technologies" was published in Compas, an information technology magazine. Her research is available online at the web page she created, www.dl.uz.