Equipment for Media Lab

SHUTDOWN OF JOURNALISM DEPARTMENT IN KIMEP

The global economic crisis set a stamp upon one of the most popular Kazakhstan Institute – KIMEP. This year people started talking about closing of one of four departments – the department of journalism. Moreover, there was an official announce about closing of it in newspapers.
“You know, few days ago my father came home and said that he had read about closing of journalism department in a newspaper. I was so surprised because I visit KIMEP every day and i haven’t heard about it. As I know they can not do it because we signed a contract.” – KIMEP BAIJ student, Veranika Komarova noted.
Current journalism students will finish the program and get their diplomas and then journalism department will be closed. It was explained by the insufficient number of students on this program. In adition, the master degree is going to be closed too. However, the dean of CSS department, Mustafa Golham, denied all these rumors. “No, I mean, my answer is no. No program is going to be cancelled. What is happened? The new programs, some of the programs are suspended.” – he told.

KIMEP loses students

Kazakhstani Mass Media

What do you think about this one? In my point of view media in Russia and Kazakhstan are rather weak in comparison with western media. Why? First of all it is so because post-soviet media doesn’t protect free speech. It had strict censorship for almost 300 years due to totalitarian regime. In 1991, censorship was legally abolished for the first time, but it seems to be acting partially hitherto. Mass media is under control of the Government or local authorities, often journalists are corrupt by those who have money and influence. And if some number of Russian journalists strives to tell the truth or make an objective coverage risking their lives, Kazakh journalists even don’t want to try it. They are passive as a population in general. Censorship in Kazakhstan is a widespread and normal event. Journalists know in advance what subjects they should not cover, what they should not say about authorities and even in what light they should show the region’s eminent people.

Also Kazakhstan mass media has problems with quality of news broadcast, especially in the regional mass media. This is the next fault of post-soviet mentality: the majority of population doesn’t need qualitative news broadcasts, preferring entertainment shows and serials. Usually most of those entertainment shows are just the prototypes of high-rated western shows in case of Russia, and high-rated Russian shows in case of Kazakhstan accordingly. Some small regional channels broadcast pirate and unlicensed copies of films, music clips and TV programs and it is normal for them.

Thus I want to conclude: LOCAL MASS MEDIA SUX, though our blog is a small part of it 🙂 but I hope it is not the weakest one! Do ya agree or don’t?

Our Students VS Crisis

since january 2009, many students in kazakhstan were not allowed to exams or deducted from universities because of insolvency. the global financial crisis became one of the main factors of mass deduction of students.

according to the exceeding committee of parents and students, 83% out of 717.000 of students are paying for study in universities. crisis made many parents unable to pay for education of their children. in addition to crisis a number of universities increased tuition fees. students have to solve these problems in their own way.

“my parents have shortened my pocket expenses because of financial crisis. now i have to go home on foot from my university to spare the money”, – KIMEP student Yerlan says.

“i’m from karaganda. i’m studying in almaty, living in dormitory. prices are very high here, i have to spare on everything. moreover, i’m looking for a job now for covering my expenses. conditions of life are very harsh here” – KIMEP student Zhuldyz says.

as we see, KIMEP students are the same students as others.  some think that if  you are studing at KIMEP, you have a lot of money, your own car, your rich daddy working in the government, and more, and more…

meanwhile, the government of kazakhstan came to conclusion about the allocation of three milliard tenge on educational grants from the first of march, 2009. it will be given to the third and the following year students studing excellently on the paying base. also the government will allocate 15 milliard tenge on granting favorable educational credits to students of medical and technical professions. grants will be given to students-orphans, disable students, students with disable parents, students from having many children or incomplete families and students with parents of pension age.

and what do ya think about?

2 days ago i saw a dramatic event… a shameful inappropriate event. some kazakh guys threatened to a russian guy in the way  “you will have problems [some explicit content here], we promise. get outta here [and here], you [and here] have forgotten where you live in?” . Well, i don know why those polite and hospitable gentlemen said that, but, for me personally, their speech reflected negatively, though i wasn’t involved (fortunately) in that case.

My attitude to discrimination is obvious: I am against it. Though, discrimination is too framed term, and it can be used in various situations, it first of all limits the freedom and rights of people, which is not appropriate in the modern society. Discrimination has a close link with such serious social phenomenon as xenophobia, marginalization and genocide. I, personally, faced once with the problem of discrimination because of my ethnic identity (that’s why a case happened 2 days ago had an impact on me). It is rather unpleasant to realize that people don’t consider you as the person with the same equal rights just because your ethnic roots don’t coincide with ethnic roots of others, or your skin color or name differs. All my life I lived in Kazakhstan and I was quite resented to hear such remarks as “Kazakhstan for the Kazakhs!” and so on.

But, meanwhile, in Kazakhstan you can be subjected to discrimination even by people with the same ethnic origin, that is to say by Kazakhs, as we can see on the example of hordeism. Hordeism is such a complex stuff… (ammmm… sorry for my bad history knowledge). Well, Kazakh people is separated by territory origin – zhuz.  And their attribute to one or another zhuz will impact on their further life, for example, some families prefer single-zhuz marriages and so on… I think it is too outdated and it does not associate with democracy and independence in any way!

so… those were my feelings and impressions. thank you for your attention.

Here you can watch our video about KELT (KIMEP theatre)

Here you can watch our video about KELT (KIMEP theatre)www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxUw5BUeA8o

KELT presents a new play

The Kazakhstan English language theatre spring production starts with “David and Lisa” play. This April KIMEP students can watch a performance that is considered as twenty century masterpiece.

The Kazakhstan institute of management, economics and strategic research has a unique English-speaking theatre – KELT. And this spring theatre presents a new play “David and Lisa” by Theodor Isaac Rubin. “David and Lisa” is an unusual love story that was very popular in early sixties. This film, based on the novel, was recognized as the best one in American cinematography.

“So, the play is called “David and Lisa”. And it is the spring 2009 production for KELT, which is sensed for Kazakhstan English Language Theatre. And there are about 20 cast members and it is made up of KIMEP students, local community members, some KIMEP alumni and some internationals, as well. We’ve been working on since the beginning of February. We were busy five night a week for three hours a night. So, tonight it’s finally a performance.” – “David and Lisa” play’s Director, Jessica Lewis said.

The play begins with david clemens and his mother preparing to leave to bring david to “school”. We later learn this is a school for children with mental and psychological issues. David’s mother is overprotective and overbearing, and it shows. At the station, a porter touches David’s arm, and we learn that david is afraid to be touched.

“I have a lead role in kelt spring play “David and Lisa”. I’m playing Lisa. This is a story about change, hope, trust. My heroine Lisa has two persons inside of her: Murel, who can not talk at all and communicates only in writing, and Lisa, well, who is always skipping, hopping and driving.” – “David and Lisa” main heroine, Elina Mussakulova said.

Tickets on the play are accesible in the KIMEP’s grill. Every theatre lover can enjoy “David and Lisa” from Friday till Sunday at the greate hall in dostyk building.

Inexact results of general population census

Ten-day population census in Kazakhstan comes to the end. However its results can be inexact. Enumerators had not time to count all people in Almaty and Astana.

On sixth of March general population census in Kazakhstan comes to the end. It has begun on twenty fifth of February and proceeded during 10 days. Because of an incomplete covering of the population of two capitals, results of this scale action will be approximate.

The enumerator of Auezovskii area in Almaty city, Reznik Dmitry shares the opinion on delays of census. “You know … I guess why census goes with delays, especially in Almaty and Astana. A few census-takers have allocated for capitals. Plus more active people, businessmen live here. Many of them do not be at home even in the evening. Therefore on standard census of one apartment house it leaves about three-four days. And each census-taker should serve 2 houses, instead of one put. Therefore such results are. But we will try!” – Reznik said.

Other enumerator Asel Shagambaeva assumes, that the reason of delays is in people who do not understand the purposes of census and behave not always adequately. “Do we have delays? I do not know … it can be because many people speak beside the point, tell histories from the private life, about the families. Old women, for example, complain of their pension. And someone calls to a table in order to have a tea. There are those who does not speak data at all, checks our preparation, relate to us with suspicions.” – Shagambayeva resumed.

At the same time Almaty inhabitants think that enumerators quickly cope with the work. Housewife Oksana Bojko is happy with their work. “Yes, and we had enumerators with a scarf, a bag, the certificate. They asked about each member of family living in our apartment. But they were not long here, quickly have finished all work during half an hour.” – Bojko noted.

Chairman of statistical agency of Kazakhstan Anar Meshimbaeva has informed that low rates of census in Astana and Almaty have disturbed the census commission. In Astana parameters make 86 %, in Almaty – 74 % from the established plan. Meshimbaeva also has noted, her exact words: “Passivity of cities’ inhabitants harms to themselves. The main economic component of census is how many people we shall account, so much will be brought in the register of the state territorial bodies of the republican budget.” In other words, the next 10 years cities will receive the budget and distribute it on construction of hospitals, schools and other necessary institutions.

The second census in Kazakhstan was organized according to rules and the norms registered in the United Nations. The questionnaire includes 45 questions. Results will be known in autumn of 2009. Not only the government of Republic, but also the international organizations wait for them.

Closure of Kazakhstani magazines

Since the beginning of year in Kazakhstan all non-governmental mass media have felt problems with financing. For today such glossy magazines as “no.1 men’s magazine”, “Stuff”, “Uniqum”, “Bobo’s” and many others have closed. In the journalistic environment it has information that popular and worldwide spreading “Time out” magazine also cannot alive on the waves of global (or local!) financing crisis.

The reason is simple: without government support editions have not enough money for whole production circle. Earlier such magazines could work due to advertisement budget. It is not a secret that advertisement’s money is the main source for existence commercial print media. But in difficult economy situation companies, which actively promoted their products last years, now try to decrease all possible charges. So, they refuse the expenditures directly unrelated to products’ creation. A chef-editor of world-known “Stuff” magazine, which wrote on topics about Hi-Tech gadgets, computers and technologies, Julia Ogneva says: “Because of financial crisis aggravation in our country companies cut down the advertisement budget. That is why we decided to delay production of “Stuff” magazine for one year. To tell the truth, we did not expect as the case stands. We could not print even 1 year. People who decided to open “Stuff” nowadays have lost their money and got into debts, because for production this magazine it was necessary to buy a franchise. I think the situation will be better in 2010. But I and other people from our edition team will not wait this renaissance period. We have become unemployed and it is another big problem.”