Mark Mefed
Mark Mefed received a grant from CAF for “The Human-Animal Studies Course.”
Human–Animal Studies (HAS) and Critical Animal Studies (CAS) as disciplines are significantly underdeveloped in Russia. Currently, there are no dedicated courses, few prominent public speakers, and limited academic engagement with HAS and CAS. Discussions are often limited to the ideas of Peter Singer, Tom Regan, and Gary Francione, overlooking the broader and richer debates within the field. This project aims to bridge this gap by engaging vegan and eco-activist communities, as well as academics, to demonstrate that HAS/CAS encompasses diverse perspectives and complex issues. By raising awareness of various thinkers, Mark hopes to inspire deeper, more nuanced debates and foster the growth of this vital discipline within Russia’s academic and activist spheres. It should be noted that this work is controversial in Russia.
The Human–Animal Studies Course is an educational project exploring key theories in HAS. It consists of fourteen lectures, each approximately two hours long, presented with PowerPoint slides, and will be recorded in audio format.
Mark’s creation of educational material that expands and deepens human-animal conversations in countries where animal studies is very much still an emerging field is shared with Marcia Govinda Gladys Truyenque, who was awarded a CAF grant for the online course, “Paving Way for Animal Law in Peru.”