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: 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?
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
Researching Central Asia. Navigating Positionality in the Field
Virtual Roundtable December 12, 2023 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am EST Researching Central Asia can be interesting, entertaining, life-changing, traumatizing and, at the very least, thought provoking. The way… Continue reading Researching Central Asia. Navigating Positionality in the Field
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?
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?
A Year in American School: A View of an Alien, Parent, and Educator
Bolashak Reflections: A Series of Essays by Bolashak Fellows on What They Have Learned from Their Studies Author: Aigul Sarenova Aigul Sarenova serves as the Dean of General Education at… Continue reading A Year in American School: A View of an Alien, Parent, and Educator
Internationalization of the Educational Activities of the University
Internationalization of the Educational Activities of the University A. T. Zhunissov, E. A. Assan, and A. M. Mukhambetzhan Abstract At present, one of the tasks of modern higher education is… Continue reading Internationalization of the Educational Activities of the University
10 Apps for Accessing and Navigating This Odd Digital World from the Point of View of an Educator
Bolashak Reflections: A Series of Essays from Bolashak Fellows on What They Have Learned from Their Studies by Madina Yussubaliyeva Digital tools and programs are being improved for users with… Continue reading 10 Apps for Accessing and Navigating This Odd Digital World from the Point of View of an Educator
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?
Why Should People Form Professional Groups and Associations?
Bolashak Reflections: A Series of Essays by Bolashak Fellows on What They Have Learned from Their Studies Author: Gaini Seitenova If the power of bad people is achieved by the… Continue reading Why Should People Form Professional Groups and Associations?
What Can We Teach Our Students about Democracy?
Bolashak Reflections: A Series of Essays from Bolashak Fellows on What They Have Learned from their Studies. Author: Mirey Kabasheva A few days ago, I and my fellow friend from… Continue reading What Can We Teach Our Students about Democracy?
Book talk with the author of Social Innovations in Post-Soviet Countries
Book talk with the author of Social Innovations in Post-Soviet Countries Author Bakhrom Radjabov posits that analyses of developments in Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Eastern Europe often overlook… Continue reading Book talk with the author of Social Innovations in Post-Soviet Countries
Tricky Summitry as Rising Powers Meet at Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand
Tricky Summitry as Rising Powers Meet at Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand Rising Powers Initiative – Sigur Center for Asian StudiesPolicy Alert #250- September 21, 2022 The 2022 Shanghai Cooperation… Continue reading Tricky Summitry as Rising Powers Meet at Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand
