Thomas Kent – Media and Trends in Central Asia
Please join us for a breakfast discussion with Thomas Kent, president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on the latest trends in the media sector in Central Asia. Topics to be discussed include the current status of media, increasing restrictions on press freedom, the influence of Russia's negative propaganda to the region, and the challenges and opportunities for independent… Continue reading Thomas Kent – Media and Trends in Central Asia
Douglas Blum – Cosmopolitan Kazakhs: A Case Study in How Globalization Works
On the basis of extensive fieldwork in Kazakhstan, Douglas Blum considers the experiences of young people who spent time in the US, asking what cultural "baggage" they brought home with them, and whether they were able to incorporate new values and practices into their lives. In answering these questions Blum combines insights from sociological and… Continue reading Douglas Blum – Cosmopolitan Kazakhs: A Case Study in How Globalization Works
Cinema Club Film Screening: Little Angel, Make Me Happy (Turkmenistan, 1993)
Directed by Usman SaparovThis film "tells an intimate story within the larger historical context of the deportation of ethnic Germans from Turkmenistan to Siberia during the Second World War. Saparov's historical narrative touches on one of the most complex questions for the modern 'little person,' the question of 'motherland'. The film received Grand Prizes at six… Continue reading Cinema Club Film Screening: Little Angel, Make Me Happy (Turkmenistan, 1993)
Sergey Abashin – Central Asian Migrants in Russia: Will there be a Religious Radicalization?
Religious radicalization among Central Asian migrants to Russia have raised particular attention in connection with the active recruitment by the "Islamic State" of many people from the region, as well as their participation in a series of terrorist attacks in Turkey. Many experts have wondered whether Central Asian migration to Russia creates fertile ground for… Continue reading Sergey Abashin – Central Asian Migrants in Russia: Will there be a Religious Radicalization?
Islamic Education and Knowledge Transmission in Central Asia
Islamic Education and Knowledge Transmission in Central Asia April 10, 2017, 9:30am-3:00pm Central Asia Program, IERES George Washington University 1957 E Street, NW, Lindner Commons, Suite 602 9:30am. Session 1. State Institutions, Muftiates and the Teaching of Islam Sebastien Peyrouse (George Washington University) At The Crossroads of the Religious and Regime Security: The Teaching Of… Continue reading Islamic Education and Knowledge Transmission in Central Asia
Cinema Club Film Screening: “The Gift to Stalin” (Kazakhstan, 2008)
Directed by Rustem Abdrashev "Set in 1949, just before Stalin’s 70th-birthday jubilee, the film centers on Sasha (Dalen Shintemirov), a 9-year-old boy who escapes from a train transporting Jewish refugees from Moscow to Kazakhstan. "Hidden among the shrouded corpses callously dumped on the tracks, Sasha is rescued by an aging railway worker (Nurzhuman Ikhtimbaev) and taken… Continue reading Cinema Club Film Screening: “The Gift to Stalin” (Kazakhstan, 2008)
Mining Firms and Local Communities in Central Asia
Chair: Sean Roberts (George Washington University) Zhanyl Moldalieva (United Nations University—Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology) (Re)thinking Transparency and Accountability in Natural Resource Governance: The Case of Kyrgyzstan’s Mining Communities Nazik Imanbekova (CAP Fellow) Capacity-Building Programs in the Mining Sector of the Kyrgyz Republic Dinara Nurusheva (CAP Fellow) Development Challenges of Post-Mining Towns: The… Continue reading Mining Firms and Local Communities in Central Asia
Julie McBrien – The Tricky Matter of Defining Religion
What is religion? The answer to this question is either so obvious that it needs no asking, or so abstract and theoretical that we end up declaring it insoluble. The question therefore often gets sidelined and we operate with un-reflected upon notions of religion. These ideas about religion, nonetheless, guide the research and analyses of… Continue reading Julie McBrien – The Tricky Matter of Defining Religion
The United States’ and Russia’s Relationship in Central Asia and its Neighborhood
Tuesday, May 2 10:30 Opening remarks Alexander Cooley (Harriman Institute, Columbia University) and Marlene Laruelle(George Washington University) 10:45-12:15 Panel 1. Central Asia and the ‘global order’ Chair: Rajan Menon (City College of New York) Paul Stronski (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) Prospects for Central Asia Policy in the Trump Administration Christian Bleuer (ANU) American Allies'… Continue reading The United States’ and Russia’s Relationship in Central Asia and its Neighborhood
Cinema Club Film Screening: “Two Horses of Genghis Khan” (Mongolia, 2009)
Directed by Byambasuren Davaa "Two Horses presents a stiff look at the crushing after-effects on Mongolian heritage in the years following the Chinese cultural revolution, in which priceless artifacts of music and art were destroyed, including the family heirloom of this story’s protagonist – a nineteenth century horse head violin engraved with the words of an… Continue reading Cinema Club Film Screening: “Two Horses of Genghis Khan” (Mongolia, 2009)
Social Cohesion in Kyrgyzstan
Social cohesion has emerged over the last two decades as an important concept in both academic and political discourse, especially in fragile and conflict-affected environments. At the same time, the evidence on how to build social cohesion and peace at the individual level has been quite scarce. This event will review some exciting new evidence… Continue reading Social Cohesion in Kyrgyzstan
Victoria Kim – Re-visiting the 1937 Deportation of Ethnic Koreans to Central Asia + Film Screening of “Koryo Saram The Unreliable People”
Re-visiting the 1937 Deportation of Ethnic Koreans to Central Asia: 80 Years of Survival and Prospering Followed by a screening of Koryo Saram The Unreliable People The year 2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the first deportation of an entire nationality in the Soviet Union. In 1937, approximately 172,000 ethnic Koreans – the entire population… Continue reading Victoria Kim – Re-visiting the 1937 Deportation of Ethnic Koreans to Central Asia + Film Screening of “Koryo Saram The Unreliable People”
Ninth Fellows’ Seminar: Development Challenges and Evolving Identities in Central Asia and Azerbaijan
2:00pm. Introductory remarksMarlene Laruelle, Director, Central Asia Program 2:15-4:00pm. Panel 1. Identities, Ideologies and Religion in Flux Zhar Zardykhan (KIMEP, Almaty) Between Two Worlds: The Ambiguities of Kazakhstan's Search for its New Identity Kamal Gasimov (CAAF, Azerbaijan) The Salafi Multimodal Engagement with Electronic Media in Azerbaijan Alexandra Tsay (CAAF, Kazakhstan) Contemporary Art as a Public… Continue reading Ninth Fellows’ Seminar: Development Challenges and Evolving Identities in Central Asia and Azerbaijan
Russia’s Approaches to Afghanistan and its Implications for Central Asia
Stephen Blank, American Foreign Policy Council Russia’s Policy toward Afghanistan and the Taliban and its Impact on Central Asia Stephen Blank is an internationally known expert on Russia and the former Soviet Union who comes to AFPC from the US Army War College, where he spent the last 24 years (1989-2013) as a Professor of National… Continue reading Russia’s Approaches to Afghanistan and its Implications for Central Asia
ASTANA: “China’s “One Belt, One Road” project and its impact for Central Asia”
Nazarbayev University, Preliminary programme Day 1 8 June 2017 9.00 – 9.30 Registration 9.30 – 10.00 Welcome speech Shigeo Katsu, President, Nazarbayev University (TBC) Marlene Laruelle, Director CAP, George Washington University (by Skype) Session 1: OBOR and Central Asia: Impact on the Region Chair: Dennis de Tray, Advisor to President, Nazarbayev University 10.00 – 10.15 Marek… Continue reading ASTANA: “China’s “One Belt, One Road” project and its impact for Central Asia”
BRUSSELS: Central Asian ‘Jihad’: Home-grown Terror or Marginalised Migrants’
AgendaIntroduction: Jerzy Pomianowski, Executive Director, European Endowment for Democracy (EED) Presentation: Noah Tucker, Associate, Central Asia Program (CAP) and the Central Eurasia – Religion in International Affairs (CERIA) initiative; Senior Editor, RFE/RL Uzbek Service Comments: Toivo Klaar, Head, Central Asia Division, EEAS; Thomas Renard, Senior Research Fellow, Egmont Institute; and Andrew Stroehlein, European Media Director,… Continue reading BRUSSELS: Central Asian ‘Jihad’: Home-grown Terror or Marginalised Migrants’
2017 Trans-Caspian Forum: East West Trade & Transit Corridor
See tentative program. Background: The Trans-Caspian East-West Trade and Transit Corridor brings together the Central Asia, Caspian and Black Sea strategic regions to form a viable trade and transit corridor between Europe and East & South-East Asia. Connecting trade, people and economies, the modern trans-Caspian corridor has extensive and integrated network of infrastructure, special economic… Continue reading 2017 Trans-Caspian Forum: East West Trade & Transit Corridor
Uzbekistan’s Heritage and New Transformations
in partnership with the Embassy of Uzbekistan Sirojiddin Yakhshilikov (Charge d'affaires at the Embassy of Uzbekistan) Uzbekistan's Social Policy: Ensuring Stability and Development Through Modernization and Heritage Rahimjon Abdugafurov (Ph.D. Candidate (2018), Islamic Civilizations Studies, Emory University ) Cultural and Religious Value in Uzbekistan's Heritage
2017 Trans-Caspian Forum: East West Trade & Transit Corridor
See tentative program. Background: The Trans-Caspian East-West Trade and Transit Corridor brings together the Central Asia, Caspian and Black Sea strategic regions to form a viable trade and transit corridor between Europe and East & South-East Asia. Connecting trade, people and economies, the modern trans-Caspian corridor has extensive and integrated network of infrastructure, special economic… Continue reading 2017 Trans-Caspian Forum: East West Trade & Transit Corridor
“Rooted in Felt” International Textile Exhibit Opening Reception
Believed to be one of the world’s oldest textiles, felt was first made over 2,500 ago by the nomadic peoples of Central Asia. It’s a multifunctional non-woven fabric used for making rugs, felt tents, accessories, painting, and sculptures. Inspired by their traditional roots the artists create modern and relevant artwork connecting the past and the… Continue reading “Rooted in Felt” International Textile Exhibit Opening Reception
One Year of the Mirziyoyev Presidency: What Has Changed in Uzbekistan?
This is a joint Central Asia Program - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty event with Alisher Sidiq, head of RFE/RL Uzbekistan service Sean Roberts, Professor, GWU Navbahor Imamova, International Broadcaster, Uzbek Service, Voice of America Light lunch will be served Register
NAC-NU CAP Conference on External and Internal Migration in Central Asia, ASTANA
Program Day 1, 28 September 2017 9.00 – 9.30 Registration 9.30 – 9.45 Welcome speech Shigeo Katsu, President, Nazarbayev University (TBC) Marlene Laruelle, Director CAP, G. Washington University (by skype) Session 1: External and Internal Migration in Central Asia Moderator: Dennis de Tray, Advisor to the President of Nazarbayev University 9.45 – 10.00 … Continue reading NAC-NU CAP Conference on External and Internal Migration in Central Asia, ASTANA
The Islamic Mediascape in Central Asia
9:00-11:00 AM, Session 1: The Evolution of Religious and Irreligious MediaEren Tasar (University of North Carolina) Casting a Wide Net: Islamic Media in Central Asia under Atheism Shahnoza Nozimova (George Mason University); Tim Epkenhans (University of Freiburg) The Transformation of Tajikistan’s Religious Field: From Religious Moderation to Authoritarian Salafism Maria Louw (Aarhus University) Atheism 2.0: Finding… Continue reading The Islamic Mediascape in Central Asia
What Lies ahead for Kyrgyzstan after the Presidential Elections?
with Kadyr Toktogulov, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States Erica Marat, National Defense University Eric McGlinchey, George Mason University Paul Stronski, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Kyrgyzstan's Presidential Elections on October 15, 2017, have been particularly competitive, with tensions running high between the two main contenders, Omurbek Babanov and Sooronbai Jeenbekov. Several post-election factors will… Continue reading What Lies ahead for Kyrgyzstan after the Presidential Elections?
