Today, Abai University hosted an open lecture by Amber Ward, a professor at Florida State University in the United States and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), who visited the university especially for the occasion. During the meeting, the scholar shared her research findings and presented her teaching experience.

Before the lecture, Karim Alimkhanuly, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, introduced the guest’s main research areas. He noted that her work highlights the importance of viewing craft as an essential approach to art education and creative practice, while also addressing issues of environmental responsibility.

As part of the lecture, Professor Ward presented her book, Relational Encounters With Folk School Pedagogies: Craft as Creative Inquiry. She also spoke about projects carried out in collaboration with her students and research assistants. Particular attention was given to her research into craft-based educational practices at The Clearing School. According to the scholar, she and her colleagues examined more than 800 craft lessons as part of the study, identifying changes in the learning process. In her presentation, she addressed the question, “Can making something be a way of generating knowledge?” by drawing on the findings of her research.

Amber Ward also explained environmental responsibility as an ethical and philosophical approach that encompasses waste recycling, the development of responsible consumption habits, and harmonious relationships between humans and the natural world, including plants and animals. She illustrated this perspective through her own creative practice.

“When creating works of art, I try, whenever possible, to avoid purchasing new materials and instead use materials that I already have and that can be reused. Excessive consumption has become one of today’s pressing environmental issues, particularly in the United States,” Amber Ward noted.

Art can play an important role in fostering environmental awareness and drawing public attention to the impact of consumer culture on the environment. Thus, the scholar’s experience demonstrates the close connection between creative practice and environmental responsibility.

The participants, faculty members and students had an opportunity to learn about international research experience and gain new insights into the role of craft pedagogy in the education system. This is precisely what made the lecture particularly valuable.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Media Center «Abai University»