Hussein Keshani’s research aims to reimagine the nature of the botanical garden.
Research partnership focuses on U of A’s Devonian Botanic Garden
Hussein Keshani, associate professor in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC’s Okanagan campus, has received a $198,259 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) that will examine the use of mobile technologies for botanical and cultural interpretation at the University of Alberta’s Devonian Botanic Garden near Edmonton.
The Evolving the Botanical Garden research partnership is centred on the University of Alberta’s Devonian Botanic Garden and a contemporary interpretation of Islamic garden traditions that will be built there by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The partnership aims to reimagine the nature of the botanical garden, says Keshani.
“The project explores whether these museums for nature also become places that further explore and enhance social cohesion, intercultural perspectives and knowledge of the natural world through the thoughtful and appropriate use of digital media and mobile technology,” says Keshani.
The partnership includes UBC’s Okanagan campus, the University of Alberta, Washington State University of Vancouver and the non-governmental organization, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Bringing together the disciplines of art history, digital humanities and media studies, architecture, and plant sciences, the team members include UBC faculty members Keshani, Constance Crompton, Lee Foote, Michael Frishkopf, and Dene Grigar. Collaborators include Regula Qureshi, Robert Daum, Franciso Peña and Scott Smallwood.
Keshani’s grant is among more than $3.5 million that University of British Columbia researchers have received for new projects related to language revitalization, community development oceans, and more from SSHRC.
The University of Alberta Devonian Botanic Garden is a stunning 240-acre property located 15 minutes southwest of Edmonton, with cultivated gardens and plant collections, indoor showhouses, and an extensive nature trail system.
More information:
http://news.ubc.ca/2014/08/27/ubc-receives-3-5m-for-research-into-canadas-oceans-new-projects
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