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Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University

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Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University

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The Department of Central Eurasian Studies offers unique area studies programs, emphasizing language proficiency and area studies courses.

Central Eurasia, the home of some of the world's greatest art, epic literature, and empires, is the vast heartland of Europe and Asia extending from Central Europe to East Asia and from Siberia to the Himalayas. The Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University took its present name in 1993. It was founded as an Army Specialized Training Program for Central Eurasian languages in 1943, then formally organized as the Program in Uralic and Altaic Studies (from 1956 to 1965) and later the Department of Uralic and Altaic Studies (from 1965 to 1993). The Department has long been one of the world's leading centers of academic expertise on Central Eurasia as well as the sole independent degree-granting academic unit staffed with its own faculty of specialists. The Eurasian heartland, which has played a seminal role in the development of both Europe and Asia, is still insufficiently explored by modern scholars. The Department of Central Eurasian Studies offers a unique area studies program, emphasizing language proficiency and a thorough grounding in indigenous cultures. Our program provides students with the means to study in depth a region of specialization in the Central Eurasian area through mastery of one or more languages as well as the history and culture of a given region by means of a multidisciplinary approach. The graduate degree program combines two key features: (1) a Language of Specialization (LOS), which gives students access to the chosen culture through the voices of its people; and (2) a Region of Specialization (ROS), which includes courses on various aspects of the chosen culture. In addition, while becoming familiar with various disciplinary approaches to the study of Central Eurasia, students are strongly encouraged to provide depth to their studies by thoroughly assimilating the methodology of a single discipline. The undergraduate degree program allows students to pursue one of two tracks: (1) Language and Civilization Track; and (2) Central Eurasian Track. The Department's programs offer exciting possibilities for study and research as well as wide-ranging opportunities for careers in academia, government, and international business.

10/08/2026

As part of the Jean and Denis Sinor CEUS Faculty Fellowship Lecture Series, on October 19th at 4:30 PM in GA 1122 (Global and International Studies Building - GISB) Professor Matthew Gordon will speak on how prosodic properties shape the auditory impression of speech sounds. Dr. Gordon's talk will present examples from various Central Eurasian languages, especially Uralic and Altaic ones, and how these inform linguistic theory.

Dr. Matthew Gordon is Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on phonetics, the study of speech sounds, and phonology or the study of how sounds are organized in linguistic systems. Much of his work examines prosodic features of language, such as stress and intonation, an area in which he is recognized as a world-leading scholar.

This event will take place both in-person and on Zoom.

Refreshments will be provided.

This event is sponsored by:
• Department of Central Eurasian Studies (CEUS)
• Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center (IAUNRC)

Click here for more information and the abstract of this lecture: https://events.iu.edu/iaunrc/event/2432998-from-auditory-impressions-to-linguistic-analysis

We look forward to seeing you there!

09/21/2026

Don't miss out on this lecture by Former Foreign Minister Geza Jeszenszky, Tuesday Sept 22 at 6pm in the Shreve Auditorium.

09/21/2026

Congratulations to Bessie Stolder and Aleksei Rumiantsev for receiving the Armstrong essay prize at the Byrnes Institute awards ceremony. The papers were written for Professor Marianne Kamp's and Gardner Bovingdon's classes.

Bessie Stolder, "Kyrgyz Daughter, Soviet Artist: An Examination of Bubusara Beishenalieva"

Aleksei Rumiantsev, "Intersectionality in Pro-War Propaganda through the Official Mass Media of the Chuvash Republic"

08/27/2026

HLS Language Fest last week was a huge success! Special thanks to our new Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants in Kazakh and Hungarian for representing and promoting their languages.

08/20/2026

Check out this job opening in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies. Applications are due September 30, 2026.

04/21/2026

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies provides immersive language study, global research, and real-world engagement with Central Eurasia. From the Baltic Sea to Central Europe and Anatolia, and from the Persian Gulf to Central Asia and Mongolia, IU students and scholars are preserving languages, cultures, and histories that rarely make headlines but matter deeply for global understanding.

This IU Day, your gift can sustain this work and expand opportunities in Central Eurasian studies.

Support the Department of Central Eurasian Studies here!
https://give.myiu.org/crowdfunding/I380008748-CF.html...

Your contributions provide vital resources across our programs and can help support student research and preserve the diverse cultures of Central Eurasia.

Help us reach 75% of our goal by April 22 to unlock an additional $250 of funding. Plus, if this is your first gift to IU, it will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500 – doubling your impact! Also, 10 first-time donors will be chosen at random to earn an additional $1,000 for the fund of their choice.

04/16/2026

This IU Day, your gift can sustain this work and expand opportunities in Central Eurasian studies.

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies provides immersive language study, global research, and real-world engagement with Central Eurasia. From the Baltic Sea to Central Europe and Anatolia, and from the Persian Gulf to Central Asia and Mongolia, IU students and scholars are preserving languages, cultures, and histories that rarely make headlines but matter deeply for global understanding.

Support the Department of Central Eurasian Studies here!
https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgive.myiu.org%2Fcrowdfunding%2FI380008748-CF.html%3F%26src%3DIUB_HLS_IUDay2026_CEUS_SocialMedia&data=05%7C02%7Cjsmith23%40iu.edu%7C596e0f74023a4353cc3c08de93936b89%7C1113be34aed14d00ab4bcdd02510be91%7C1%7C0%7C639110458536801695%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=v4xlBgQUchyfvS%2FhlbDC9L7EObh3ncr6v9lF6741dLI%3D&reserved=0

Your contributions provide vital resources across our programs and can help support student research and preserve the diverse cultures of Central Eurasia.

Help us reach 75% of our goal by April 22 to unlock an additional $250 of funding. Plus, if this is your first gift to IU, it will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500 – doubling your impact! Also, 10 first-time donors will be chosen at random to earn an additional $1,000 for the fund of their choice.

04/14/2026

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies recently participated in IU’s First Thursdays event on the Fine Arts Plaza. First Thursdays showcase the diversity of arts and humanities at IU Bloomington and offer a welcoming environment for students, faculty, staff, and community members to explore new creative outlets.

CEUS Languages and the Club of Mongolian Enthusiasts offered fun and educational activities to highlight the areas of Central Eurasia. Kyrgyz Fulbright Teaching Assistant Adina Daniiar Kyzy taught Kyrgyz dance and games, and Hungarian Fulbright Teaching Assistant Henriett Papp had people solve the Rubik’s cube and test their knowledge of Hungary in a Kahoot quiz. Graduate student John Greenbaum introduced his collection of Uyghur coins. Undergraduate student Luke Jackson helped people write their names in Tibetan, and graduate student Joshua Sims did the same with Mongolian script. Persian Professor Narges Nematollahi treated everyone to delicious tea and taught about Nowruz. Uyghur Instructor Gulnisa Nazarova stopped by with some Uyghur guests, as well as Mongolian Instructor Tserenchunt Legden.

04/13/2026

The Department of Central Eurasian Studies provides immersive language study, global research, and real-world engagement with Central Eurasia. From the Baltic Sea to Central Europe and Anatolia, and from the Persian Gulf to Central Asia and Mongolia, IU students and scholars are preserving languages, cultures, and histories that rarely make headlines but matter deeply for global understanding. This IU Day, your gift can sustain this work and expand opportunities in Central Eurasian studies.

Support the Department of Central Eurasian Studies here!
https://give.myiu.org/crowdfunding/I380008748-CF.html?&src=IUB_HLS_IUDay2026_CEUS_SocialMedia

Your contributions provide vital resources across our programs and can help support student research and preserve the diverse cultures of Central Eurasia.

Help us reach 75% of our goal by April 22 to unlock an additional $250 of funding. Plus, if this is your first gift to IU, it will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500 – doubling your impact! Also, 10 first-time donors will be chosen at random to earn an additional $1,000 for the fund of their choice.

04/09/2026

On April 2, we hosted London-based Uyghur poet Aziz Isa Elkun, author of Imprisoned Souls: Poems of Uyghur Prisoners in China (Hertfordshire Press, 2025). Elkun, a member of English PEN and PEN America and President of the Uyghur PEN Centre, engaged with faculty and students throughout the day.

The visit included a lunch sponsored by CEUS, a student session introducing his books, and a lecture on Uyghur literature highlighting poets currently imprisoned. The program also featured a campus tour and concluded with a dinner generously sponsored by Marco & Polo Eurasian Cuisine.

Address

School Of Global & International Studies/GA 3024 (East Building, Third Floor)
Bloomington, IN
47405

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4pm
Tuesday	8am - 4pm
Wednesday	8am - 4pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm
Friday	8am - 4pm

Telephone

+18128552233

Website

http://ceus.indiana.edu/

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