Researchers from the DSR International Research Centre conducted research activities in Berlin as part of the project “East Kazakhstan: Trajectories of the Socio-Demographic and Socio-Cultural Transformation of the Urban Space of Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk” (AP26198933), funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
A key event of the visit was a meeting with Professor Hans-Liudger Dienel of Technische Universität Berlin, whose academic work focuses on work studies, technology and public participation.
The participants discussed opportunities to develop and implement joint research projects between the two universities, as well as potential formats for long-term academic cooperation. Particular attention was given to the socio-demographic transformation of cities, the impact of technology on society, and public participation in urban development.
EKTU researchers Z. Aubakirova, E. Stolyarova and N. Krasnobaeva also conducted research at two of Berlin’s leading academic libraries: Humboldt University’s Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum and the TU & UdK Berlin University Library.
The researchers examined classical and contemporary publications on urban demography and sociology, the transformation of urban environments, and the role of migration in shaping modern urban space.
The resources identified during the visit significantly expanded the academic and bibliographic base of the projects implemented by the DSR Centre. An annotated list of the selected publications was one of the key outcomes of the research visit.
The programme also included a visit to Urban Nation, a museum dedicated to urban and street art. Alongside works by internationally recognised artists, the museum demonstrates how household waste can be transformed into materials for art objects. Its exhibitions present environmentally responsible approaches to reshaping and enhancing urban spaces.
The research visit strengthened EKTU’s cooperation with German universities, broadened the project’s research base, and introduced new perspectives for studying the socio-demographic transformation of the urban environments of Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk.
