Dr. Saulesh Yessenova

Associate Professor

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Biography

Saulesh Yessenova received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from McGill University in 2003. Her doctoral dissertation, 'Politics Poetics Nation: Urban Narratives Kazakh Identity,' was published as a monograph in 2009. Following her graduation, she was awarded the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Canada (SSHRC) postdoctoral fellowship, which she held at the University of British Columbia from 2003 to 2005. Yessenova continued her research at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany until 2008, before joining the University of Calgary as an Associate Professor. Her research primarily focuses on the intersections of nation-state building and natural resource development, particularly in relation to crude oil in Kazakhstan, where she conducts extensive ethnographic fieldwork. Yessenova critically engages with the dynamics of independence-era projects and oil extraction, considering their impact on local and global contexts. She has shifted her focus to Cold War history, examining the Soviet military installations and the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Her current research encompasses the implications of the space age and post-nuclear politics. Yessenova's work investigates the legacy of Soviet exploration and its tension with terrene existence, challenging utopian visions of space travel and their contemporary ontological implications.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor

2008-01-01 — Present

University of Calgary • Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Teaching and research in Anthropology, focusing on political environmental anthropology and historical contexts.

Awards

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Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council Canada (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant

2016-01-01
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Fellowship

2014-01-01
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Outstanding Author Contribution Award

2011-01-01
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Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council Canada (SSHRC) Standard Research Grant

2010-01-01
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Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

2005-01-01
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Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Post-doctoral Fellowship

2003-01-01

Courses

Political Anthropology Disaster Studies Anthropological Methods Research Advanced Seminar in Social Cultural Anthropology Honors Seminar in Development Studies

Requirements for University of Calgary

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:97
GRE General
Verbal
Required:150
Quantitative
Required:159
Analytical Writing
Required:5.5
Overall
Required:5.5
Prerequisites
4-year Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent 3rd or 4th year course in Theory of Computation 3rd or 4th year course in Software Engineering 3rd or 4th year course in Systems (OS, Compilers, Networking) 3rd or 4th year course in Application (AI, Graphics, Databases)
Application Checklist
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Two Letters of Reference
Specialization Notes

Department of Computer Science Master's program. GRE scores are expected for international students.