This article examines one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects involving China and Central Asia: the construction of the China–Kyrgyz Republic–Uzbekistan (CKU) railway, a project that has been under discussion… Continue reading Construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway: Interests, Challenges, and Perspectives for the Kyrgyz Republic
Category: Latest Publications
Kazakhstan Constitutional Reform 2026: Autocratic Institutionalisation or Personalization of Dictatorship?
CAP POLICY BRIEF by Sofya Du Boulay and Dinissa Duvanova, March 23, 2026 Sofya Du Boulay is an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow in Politics at the University of Sussex. She is a… Continue reading Kazakhstan Constitutional Reform 2026: Autocratic Institutionalisation or Personalization of Dictatorship?
Reforming the Academy:
Centralising Science Governance in Kazakhstan by Aikerim Bektemirova Aikerim Bektemirova is an early-career researcher from Kazakhstan. She recently served as a Non-Resident Scholar at the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian… Continue reading Reforming the Academy:
Reclaiming Civic Space in Authoritarian Central Asia: Why and How Western Donors Must Rethink Their Engagement
CAP WORKING PAPER by Sebastien Peyrouse, April 2, 2026 Sebastien Peyrouse is the Director of the Central Asia Program and a Research Professor in the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian… Continue reading Reclaiming Civic Space in Authoritarian Central Asia: Why and How Western Donors Must Rethink Their Engagement
Kazakhstan Constitutional Reform 2026: Autocratic Institutionalisation or Personalization of Dictatorship?
CAP POLICY BRIEF by Sofya Du Boulay and Dinissa Duvanova, March 23, 2026 Sofya Du Boulay is an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow in Politics at the University of Sussex. She is a… Continue reading Kazakhstan Constitutional Reform 2026: Autocratic Institutionalisation or Personalization of Dictatorship?
Kazakhstan’s Regional Ecological Summit: A Turning Point for Environmental Protection?
CAP POLICY BRIEF by Wilder Alejandro Sánchez, March 19, 2026 Wilder Alejandro Sánchez is President of Second Floor Strategies, a consulting firm in Washington, D.C. He covers geopolitical, defense, environmental and… Continue reading Kazakhstan’s Regional Ecological Summit: A Turning Point for Environmental Protection?
How Iran did not take the Taliban into the “Axis of Resistance”
Author: Dr. Antonio Giustozzi is a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). He took his PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).… Continue reading How Iran did not take the Taliban into the “Axis of Resistance”
United We Stand. Central Asian Unity: The Way Forward
Authors: Aitolkyn Kurmanova is an expert on economic policy in Central Asia, and authored several studies on regional economic cooperation, trade, commodity and financial markets. She has a bachelor’s degree… Continue reading United We Stand. Central Asian Unity: The Way Forward
Resource Dependency: A Critical Look at Human Development and Inequality in Turkmenistan
Author: This policy brief has been developed by researchers at the Progres Foundation. The extended research on human development has been published on the organization’s website. 1 The Progres Foundation… Continue reading Resource Dependency: A Critical Look at Human Development and Inequality in Turkmenistan
The Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor Is Thriving
Map of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route
Tanvir Anjum Adib, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons /Cropped from original, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Middle_Corridor_Route.svg
Reducing U.S. Dependency on Chinese Critical Minerals
The Caucasus, Central Asia, and Ukraine and Key Alternative Partners Author: Dr. Eric Rudenshiold is the Senior Caspian Affairs Fellow at the Caspian Policy Center. He served as Director on… Continue reading Reducing U.S. Dependency on Chinese Critical Minerals
Local Governance Under Taliban Rule, 2021-2023
Authors: Dr. Antonio Giustozzi is a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). He took his PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).… Continue reading Local Governance Under Taliban Rule, 2021-2023
Formalities of Contemporary Central Asian Militaries
Author: László Kövecses is currently a PhD student in History at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest. Previously he earned his MSc degree at the University of Glasgow in Russian, Central… Continue reading Formalities of Contemporary Central Asian Militaries
How Foreign Funders Should Strengthen Their Support for Civil Society
A CASE STUDY OF USAID IN KAZAKHSTAN By Sebastien Peyrouse, PhD, Director of The Central Asia Program, The George Washington University U.S. and other foreign donors have engaged in Kazakhstan to support the development… Continue reading How Foreign Funders Should Strengthen Their Support for Civil Society
The world, the US, and China–what examples can speed up the application of AI in STEM disciplines in Kazakhstan?
By Bakhadir Rismetov, PhD., Visiting Scholar, The George Washington University Abstract This article explores the benefits and challenges of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into STEM education in Kazakhstani secondary schools based… Continue reading The world, the US, and China–what examples can speed up the application of AI in STEM disciplines in Kazakhstan?
State-Mandated Muslimness in Kazakhstan
Author: Adilet Beisenov Adilet Beisenov is an MA candidate in the Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies program at Georgetown University. He earned his undergraduate degree at Nazarbayev University in… Continue reading State-Mandated Muslimness in Kazakhstan
Turkestan since 2018: A Case of “Eternalstan” or an Economic Endeavor?
Author: Adilet Beisenov Adilet Beisenov is an MA candidate in the Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies program at Georgetown University. He earned his undergraduate degree at Nazarbayev University in… Continue reading Turkestan since 2018: A Case of “Eternalstan” or an Economic Endeavor?
Should Turkmenistan Use the Caspian Sea to Quench its Thirst?
Authors: Originally from Turkmenistan, Jahan Taganova is a water diplomat, One Young World Peace Ambassador, and scholar, working at the intersection of global development and public policy. Jahan graduated with… Continue reading Should Turkmenistan Use the Caspian Sea to Quench its Thirst?
Negotiating Gender in Central Asia
With estimates ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 men and women migrating to Syria and Iraq from the Central Asian states since April 2013, the region ranks third in supplying foreign… Continue reading Negotiating Gender in Central Asia
Book Discussion—Bagila Bukharbayeva, The Vanishing Generation: Faith and Uprising in Modern Uzbekistan
By Michael Hall Bagila Bukharbayeva’s The Vanishing Generation: Faith and Uprising in Modern Uzbekistan follows the trajectory of Islamic dissidence and opposition under the rule of Uzbekistan’s dictatorial leader, Islam Karimov, from… Continue reading Book Discussion—Bagila Bukharbayeva, The Vanishing Generation: Faith and Uprising in Modern Uzbekistan
Uchyot and Foucault: Drug Users and Migrants in Post-Soviet Central Asia and Russia
By Rano Turaeva and Muyassar Turaeva In this paper, we unpack the uchyot (“registration”) system using Foucault’s regime-based approach. Uchyot is a Soviet tool for controlling populations by requiring them to register personal information and… Continue reading Uchyot and Foucault: Drug Users and Migrants in Post-Soviet Central Asia and Russia
Discussing Sinophobia in Kyrgyzstan
By Aizat Shailoobek Kyzy This paper investigates how Chinese migrants are perceived by different groups in Kyrgyzstan—and in what domains local people turn to Sinophobia. To date, Kyrgyzstani political leaders… Continue reading Discussing Sinophobia in Kyrgyzstan
How Perceptions of the English Language Have Changed in Kazakhstan: A Narrative Analysis
By Valerie Sartor This study provides an overview of how perceptions of the English language in Kazakhstan have altered over time due to political, economic, social and technological changes. The… Continue reading How Perceptions of the English Language Have Changed in Kazakhstan: A Narrative Analysis
