CABAR.Asia Brings Together New Generation of Experts
The six-day event gave practitioners further tools to provide reliable analysis and reporting.
CABAR.Asia Brings Together New Generation of Experts
The six-day event gave practitioners further tools to provide reliable analysis and reporting.
IWPR Central Asia wrapped up its fourth annual CABAR.Asia’s School of Analytics to support young analysts and journalists in refining their skills to report on the region.
Artificial intelligence, hate speech and data analysis were among the main topics of the six-day event held in Almaty, Kazakstan last month. A whole day was also dedicated to information wars and China’s influence in the region.
The 30 participants heard from speakers who included academics, analysts, experts and editors from across the region as well as from Ukraine and Russia.
Kanat Nogoibaev, a graduate of the course, said, “What impressed me the most was that many speakers discussed the cases from their practice – not just theories, but real-life situations.”
The event aimed at widening the scope of tools and information of CABAR.Asia’s contributors, in line with the platform’s mission to provide reliable analysis and reporting to better understand the region.
“Together with the new participants, there is a community of almost 100 young experts with knowledge and ready to bring positive changes [in the region],” said IWPR Central Asia regional director Abakhon Sultonnazarov.
Sessions also included the dynamics of propaganda, stereotypes and prejudice, led by Inga Sikorskaya, programme director of the Bishkek-based School of Peacemaking and Media Technology in Central Asia. Maksym Yakovlev, director of the school for policy analysis of Ukraine’s Kyiv-Mohyla Academy detailed how populism spread and the threats it posed to society. Azizjon Azimi, the founding CEO of Tajikitan-based Zypl.ai, the first centre for the study of artificial intelligence in Central Asia, explained how machine learning techniques improved analysis’ quality and efficiency.
IWPR editors Nargiza Muratalieva, Timur Toktonaliev and Marat Mamadshoev focused on the standards of analytical article and technical details, while data journalist Saviya Khasanova detailed the golden rules of visualisation.
“This is a great opportunity to learn how to write about current affairs in the region and start a career in analytics,” Asylgul Kanatbekova, one of the participants, noted.
Course participant Kunduz Adylbekova said that the project had proved very useful in helping build a network of analysts across the region.
“By bringing together the young experts from all over Central Asia, the project creates very important ties at the cultural and personal level, which is very valuable,” she concluded.
The event was organised under the “Amplify. Verify. Engage (AVE) Project” implemented with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway.
This publication was prepared under the "Amplify, Verify, Engage (AVE) Project" implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway.
