Reminiscences of Lafcadio Hearn

Setsuko Koizumi (1868–1932) was the daughter of a Japanese samurai family in Matsué. In 1891 she married a foreigner — Lafcadio Hearn (1850–1904) — and their union lasted 13 years and produced three children. Hearn adopted her family name, becoming Koizumi Yakumo 小泉八雲,and spent those years in Japan writing, teaching, and achieving international recognition. Setsuko’s Reminiscences tells something of the couple’s moves and travels, but focuses mostly on the character, habits, and eccentricities of her husband. The book is a heartfelt and intimate portrait of a marriage that brought Lafcadio the home and family he had never before enjoyed. This book shares a charming story of domestic happiness, told by his closest companion, collaborator, and interpreter of life, death, and afterlife in Meiji Japan.

EpidemiXs: Harnessing digital technology in the fight against COVID-19 and the associated infodemic

BACKGROUND: EpidemiXs is an innovative ecosystem of digital tools centralizing official and validated information on COVID-19 for healthcare workers and the general public in a single hub. OBJECTIVE: The vision of EpidemiXs is to foster collaboration between researchers, institutions and individuals to promote “open data” in order to enrich the scientific community and further accelerate science in the fight against COVID-19. METHODS: Through its set of solutions, EpidemiXs Info, EpidemiXs TV and EpidemiXs Studies, this innovative ecosystem contributes to advancing collaborations, data collection and analysis, and helps find funders. RESULTS: EpidemiXs was launched in March 2020 in Spain with 30 healthcare institutions and rapidly reached close to 1 million users and 2 million views. EpidemiXs gained international recognition when it was awarded the Barcelona Health Hub Awards (BHHAwards) 2020 of the category “Best Startup Initiative to help tackle COVID-19”. CONCLUSION: EpidemiXs has proven the efficiency of the rapid deployment of digital tools in times of COVID-19.

Patriotic Education in Post-Soviet De Facto States: Identities and Practices

The article considers specific features of official patriotism and patriotic education in post-Soviet de facto (unrecognized) stated. It discusses the question of how the official patriotic discourse reflects the issues of international recognition deficit and of scarcity of available resources. The author attempts to conceptualize patriotic upbringing in the light of de facto statehood, analyzes specific features of those identities that underlie the patriotic education in the context of de facto statehood as well as some aspects of implementation of patriotic education concepts in post-Soviet de facto states. The author concludes that the deficit of international recognition, scarcity of resources and uncertain prospects for future development make propagation of patriotic values more complicated while strong influence of a patron state and prevalence of double citizenships erode patriotic loyalties to some extent. Among specific features of patriotic education in post-Soviet de facto states are also the enhanced role of militarized practices and commemoration of “wars for independence”.

EL PATRIMONIO EN LA IMAGEN TURÍSTICA INDUCIDA DE ANDALUCÍA

El turismo es un sector eminentemente visual, lo que favorece que los destinos trabajen en la generación de representaciones seductoras con las que atraer a los potenciales visitantes. En este trabajo se analiza el modo en que el patrimonio ha sido incorporado a la construcción de la imagen inducida andaluza en las últimas décadas, desarrollándose un análisis semiótico de las representaciones proyectadas en el material promocional. A través del mismo se constata la idea de que dicha imagen es herencia de la identidad universal de la región construida durante el Romanticismo, en la que imperan los elementos propios de su pasado árabe, determinándose que territorios que cuentan con una imagen universal consolidada, en la que el patrimonio ejerce un papel fundamental, se valen de ésta para la formación de su imagen inducida por su fácil reconocimiento internacional. Tourism is an eminently visual sector, which encourages destinations to work on generating seductive representations to attract potential visitors. This paper analyses how heritage has been incorporated into the construction of the Andalusian induced image in recent decades, developing a semiotic analysis of the representations projected in the promotional material. Through this, it emerges that this image is the inheritance of the universal identity of the region built during Romanticism, in which the elements of its Arab past prevail. Finally, the study provides that territories that have a consolidated universal image, in which heritage plays a fundamental role, they use it to form their induced image due to its easy international recognition.

Strategies for attracting foreign authors to a new journal

A lot of newly established periodicals aiming at international recognition face the problem of finding foreign editors and authors of articles. It is more difficult for periodicals that are not included in respected databases to compete in attracting new authors with more reputable ones. There are quite a few recommendations for promoting a journal in order to involve potential authors who want to submit their articles to the journal. However, practical experience suggests that it is quite a challenge to involve foreign authors. In attracting high-quality materials, it is necessary to employ a multi-faceted approach to the development of a periodical concerning the following issues: the website of the journal; its content; cooperation with authors; use of external resources. It is vital to revise the duties of the editorial board members, who prepare up-to-date reviews in related areas and journal headings that cover a range of issues concerning an international audience or trigger a scientific dialogue among overseas authors.

Putting the Suenjel Sámi on the Map

This article examines the early publications and correspondence of Karl Nickul, a Finnish geodesist and amateur ethnographer/anthropologist. In his publications and correspondence, Nickul studied and discussed the Skolt Sámi of the village of Suenjel in the Finnish province of Petsamo. Nickul was a polyglot and an internationally-minded pacifist who framed the Suenjel Sámi among other “primitive” peoples worldwide, instead of among the neighbouring Finno-Ugric-speaking peoples in Soviet Karelia just across the Finnish-Soviet border. In the Suenjel Sámi, Nickul saw a chance to preserve an instance of the “original” Sámi way of life, which he viewed as being closely conditioned by nature. Nickul wanted to carry out this preservation for the sake of the Sámi themselves as well as for scholarly purposes. As he sought international recognition for the Suenjel Sámi and parallel cases of cultural preservation, Nickul simultaneously developed a scholarly persona as the foremost expert on this population without following the conventional academic route.

The Suitable Symbol for Arabic Phoneme (‘Ayn) in Roman Writing System

Arabic romanization systems consist of written symbols that have been approved by international organizations, to represent Arabic phoneme in Latin alphabet. These systems aim to enable people pronounce Arabic phoneme without depending on Arabic letters. Despite of the international recognition on these systems, there are some clashes on the symbols used to represent phoneme ‘Ayn in Arabic, as there are four different symbols to represent phoneme ‘Ayn which are (ʿ), (‘), (ʕ) and (3). Therefore, this study aims to identify the suitable symbol for Arabic phoneme ‘Ayn in Roman writing system based on Arabic for International Communication’s students’ perception, that might ease the process of teaching students at beginner level. This study applies qualitative research method, by using questionnaire to find out the most suitable symbol for phoneme ‘Ayn among the students. Results of the study shows that there are three aspects that affect students’ perception toward suitable symbol for Arabic phoneme ‘Ayn in Roman writing system. The findings suggest that the symbol used by the student for phoneme ‘Ayn in Roman writing system is (‘) whereas the most suitable symbol for phoneme ‘Ayn is (3). This study is hope to benefit Arabic language learners to overcome difficulties in writing Arabic phoneme in Roman writing system, especially phoneme ‘Ayn.

Research capacity of the most influential Vietnamese authors in 2021

Dr. Út writes in his article that the results are encouraging and reflect a rising trend of scientific research in Vietnam. Top-cited scholars help improve international recognition of Vietnamese research communities.

An Intellectual on a Mission: Abdullah Jalal Fatah, his dissertation on Kurdish culture (1978) and heritage making inspired by Józef Chałasiński and Polish academia

The paper presents a previously unknown doctoral dissertation prepared in the 1970s in Polish by Abdullah Jalal Fatah under the guidance of Polish sociologist Józef Chałasiński. The thesis, entitled ‘Development and Dissemination of the Kurdish Culture in Iraq’, bears the mark of communist ideology but also of Polish heritagisation, in which culture and intellectuals became an important driving force in the process of nation-building and in seeking international recognition. Following David C. Harvey’s definition of heritage, and focusing primarily on its intangible aspects, we suggest that Fatah’s thesis can be read today as an interesting document of Kurdish heritage-making inspired by Polish experience and academic tradition. Abstract in Kurmanji Rewşenbîrekî bi peywir: Evdila Celal Fetah, teza wî ya li ser çanda kurdî (1978) û mîratsazkirina bi îlhama Yuzêf Xalasînskî û akademisyenên polonî Ev nivîsar tezeke doktorayê ya nenas pêşkêşî xwendevanan dike ku di salên 1970î de, ji hêla Evdila Celal Fetah ve û bi çavdêriya civaknasê polonî Yuzêf Xalasînskî, bi polonî hat nivîsandin. Di bin navê ‘Pêşketin û belavbûna çanda kurdî li Iraqê’ de, ev tez nîşanên bandora îdeolojiya komunîst di xwe de vedihewîne, digel mîratsaziya polonî ya ku çand û rewşenbîr tê de rola hêzeke çalakger û bingehîn dileyizin di pêvajoya netewesazkirin û pesenda navneteweyî de. Li gorî pênaseya mîratê ya David C. Harvey, ku bi taybetî li ser aliyên wê yên neguherbar radiweste, em pêşniyazî vê yekê dikin ku teza Fetah wek belgeyeke balkêş a mîratsazkirina kurdî bi îlhama tecrube û adeta akademîk ên polonî bê xwendin. Abstract in Sorani Rewşenbîrêk be peyamêkewe: ‘Ebdullah Celal Fetah, doktoranamekey le ser keltûrî kurdî (1978) û kelepûrsazî le jêr karîgerî Yuzêf Xallasînskî û ekadimyay pollend de Em nûsîne basî le doktoraname nenasrawekey ‘Ebdullah Celal Fetah dekat ke le sallekanî 1970 da be zimanî pollendî û be serpereştî komellnasî pollendî Yuzêf Xalasînskî bû. Nawnîşanî doktoranameke, ‘Geşesendin û bellawbûney keltûrî kurdî le ‘Êraq’, karîgerî aydyolojyay komînîzim û kelepûrî pollendî le ser diyar e. Têda keltûr û roşnbîran bûn be hêzêkî cullêner bo prosey nîştîmansazî û danpyananî nêwdewlletî. Bepişbestin be pênasey kelepûrî Devîd Harvî we be giringîdan be layene bercestenekrawekanî, pişnyardekeyn ke doktoranamekey nawbraw le êsta da babetêkî benirx debêt leser kelepûrsazî le jêr karîgerî ezmûnî ekadîmyay Pollenda de. Abstract in Zazaki Roşnvîrêko bimîsyon: Ebdullah Celal Fatah, bi îlhamê Józef Chałasińskî akademîsyenanê Polonya tezê ey ê doktora derheqê kulturê kurdan (1978) û mîrasviraştoxîye de No nuşte tezê doktora ke verê cû nêamebî zanayene û 1970an de binê rayberîya sosyologê polonî Józef Chałasińskî de hetê Ebdullah Celal Fatahî ra bi ziwanê polonkî ameyo nuştene, ey pêşkêş keno. Tezê bi sernuşteyê “Îraq de Averşîyayîş û Vilabîyayîşê Kulturê Kurdan” hem wayîrê nîşanê îdeolojîya komunîstan o hem kî yê mîrassazîya polonan o ke tede kultur û roşnîvîrî benê hêzê averşîyayîşî yo muhîm seba prosesê neteweviraştişî û girewtişê tesdiqê mîyanneteweyî. Goreyê tarîfê mîrasî yê Davîd C. Harveyî û bi giranîya hetanê ci yê nemadîyan ser o, ma pêşnîyaz kenîme ke tezê Fatahî yo ke hetê tecrube û edetanê akedemîsyananê polonan ra îlham girewto, ewro sey belgeyê mîrasviraştoxîya kurdan o balkêş bêro wendene.