Seminar: Language names and terminology

Professor Zaal Kikvidze, Chikobava Institute of Linguistics, Tbilisi Javakhishvili State University, Georgia (http://www.tsu.edu.ge/en/). Title of the seminar – “Language Names: Terminology and Ideology”.

Professor Kikvide is currently on a three month staff exchange at the department (funded by the Erasmus Mundus Ember project, http://www.mah.se/english/Education/Exchange-student/Erasmus-Mundus-EMBER/).

 

Visiting Dmanisi – cradle of first Eurasians

We often think about the Caucasus as the crossroads of Asia and Europe. Add another ancient road to this: Africa! At archealogical excavations in Dmanisi 1.75 million years old Hominid remains have been discovered. (reconstructions below).

dmanisi2 dmanisi3As noted in the UNESCO World Heritage description (http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5225/), this is the earliest Hominid remains beyond Africa.

 

Visit Dmanisi: http://dmanisi.ge/?lang=en

dmanisi1Dmanisi is located 85 kilometers south-west of Tbilisi. The site includes remains from the most ancient period of settlement as well as later stone, bronze and historical Middle ages.

(Photo K.Vamling)

Project presentation at Sokhumi University: Abkhaz electronic library

1654198_868075383225601_4400330469273951624_nA unique project in Abkhazalogy was presented at Sokhumi State University, Tbilisi, on November 6. The aim of the project is to create an electronic library of Abkhaz literature published mainly after 1991 on the Abkhaz language, grammars and dictionaries, as well as works on Abkhaz archeology, history, ethnography, folklore, literature and other areas of the Humanities. The project is funded jointly by UNDP  and EU (COBERM).


1513690_868086256557847_8538579649693276041_nProject leader is professor Teimuraz Gvanceladze (photo above, to the right), a prominent specialist on the Abkhaz language and Director of the Institute of Abkhaz Language and Culture at Sokhumi University. Co-workers in the project are both Abkhaz and Georgien scholars: Dr. Rezo Kacia, Dr. Gvanca Gvanceladze, Dr. Tamar Gitolendia and Sofiko Chaava. The research team has already started their work and at the project site around 60 pubications are already available: www.abkhazovedenie.com

The project presentation was covered by the Abkhaz  team of the news program Moabe, 2TV (Meore Arkhi), November 7. In the clip below professor Teimuraz Gvanceladze  tells about the project and, as one of the foreign guests at the presentation, professor Karina Vamling, Malmö University (Sweden), gives her views and comments on the importance of the project.  The program is broadcasted in the Abkhaz language.

Contacts and international exchange – Sokhumi University and Malmö University

Sokhumi State University, Tbilisi, is a partner university in the Erasmus Mundus EMINENCE project where Malmö University also participates. The exchange is open at all levels – staff, post-docs, PhD candidates, students at MA and BA levels (read more: http://www.mah.se/english/Education/Exchange-student/MundusEminence/).

Rally in Tbilisi

“No to annexation”

Today, on November 15, the central Rose Square and Rustaveli Avenue i Tbilsi, were  closed for traffic. From the morning police vehicles and hundreds, or most probably several thousand, policemen lined up along the avenue, blocking off side-streets. 15nov1By 3 o’clock the square was packed with demonstrators, gathering with flags and banners. Among the Georgian flags were many EU flags, US and UK  flags, Ukrainian flags. The banners carried slogans such as  “Stop Russia”, “Russian troops – get out of Georgia”.

15nov2

The rally is a protest against “Russia’s occupation” of Georgia’s breakaway regions. It is organized by the opposition party United National Movement, which criticises the current Georgian government for  not being sufficiently active in countering this development.

Some news links on the event

Civil.ge: PM on UNM’s Planned Rally
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=27820

Georgian Journal: Tbilisi prepares for the protests: blocked off streets and police patrols
http://www.georgianjournal.ge/society/28753-tbilisi-prepares-for-the-protest-blocked-off-streets-and-police-patrols.html

BBC: Georgians protest against Russia-Abkhazia agreement
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30071915

Civil.geAt ‘No to Annexation’ Protest Rally UNM Slams ‘Collaborationist’ Govt
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=27824

Photos & video  by Karina Vamling