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Online event co-sponsored by The Kennan Institute The border areas between the Central Asian states and Afghanistan have often been portrayed as regions prone to lawlessness, violence, and instability since the commencement of the “war on terror” initiated by US President George W. Bush’s administration in October 2001. The ascent to power of the Taliban… Continue reading Cross-Border Relations between Central Asia and Afghanistan in the Taliban Era

Social and Political Processes in Central Asia amid Internal and External Shocks (hybrid event) Social and political developments in Central Asia received greater attention following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in particular the immediate impacts of new migrant flows, sanctions, and Russia’s greater isolation from the West. However, much of this analysis, particularly in the… Continue reading Works in Progress on Central Asia: 

Virtual Seminar, image by Arzu Geybulla The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict reached a dramatic end on September 19, 2023, when the Azerbaijani military ended the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, and almost its entire Armenian population fled to Armenia. Meanwhile, Armenia now faces a humanitarian crisis of refugees from Karabakh, while Azerbaijan demands the opening of the Zangezur corridor… Continue reading Armenia-Azerbaijan Relations after the Third Karabakh War

Researching Central Asia can be interesting, entertaining, life-changing, traumatizing and, at the very least, thought provoking. The way we, Central Asians and Central Asianists, experience the region differs, but it certainly impacts our lives in a multitude of small and not-so-small ways. Based on first-hand personal and professional experiences of Central Asia experts coming from… Continue reading Researching Central Asia. Navigating Positionality in the Field

Virtual Event Tuesday, February 27, 2024 from 10:00-11:00am Join us for a discussion organized by the Central Asia Program at The George Washington University to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the deportation of the Chechen and Ingush nations to Central Asia. The speakers will discuss the historical and political significance that deportation still holds for the people… Continue reading The 80th Anniversary of the Chechen and Ingush Deportation: What is its legacy today?

Hybrid Event Since the dawn of independence, the five post-Soviet Central Asian republics have identified themselves as a single political region. However, their separate efforts to shape national identities, institutions, and policies have not always been compatible with the promotion of regional cooperation. Today we see a resurgence of regionalism in Central Asia. There is… Continue reading Central Asian Regionalism: Insights from Inside and Out

Hybrid Event Wednesday, March 6th, 2024 from 10:00am-2:00pm Central Asia’s multi-vector approach to diplomacy has long been a cornerstone of its foreign policy, playing a prominent role in regional discussions. This strategic framework enables states to nurture relations with influential actors like Russia and China, while safeguarding their own sovereignty. Central Asian nations have effectively… Continue reading Central Asia: Multi-Vector Policy for the 21st Century—Strategy and Development

Image from Kazakhstan's Presidential Press Service Online Event In March 2019, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev assumed the presidency through a meticulously orchestrated succession, pledging to advance political liberalization and foster greater responsiveness among Kazakh state officials to the concerns of ordinary citizens. Against the backdrop of election protests in June 2019, the nation’s second President introduced the… Continue reading Exploring the Dynamics of Open Government in Kazakhstan: A Critical Assessment of Tokayev’s “Listening State” Reform

Hybrid Event Friday, March 8, 2024 from 10:00 - 11:30am The disruption of Russian gas supplies in 2022 sparked a profound reappraisal of supply and infrastructure dependencies beyond the EU-Russia energy relationship. In this new geopolitical reality, it is necessary to critically assess Russia’s use of energy supply and infrastructure investments as a tool of… Continue reading Navigating the New Energy Geopolitics: Assessing Russia’s Power Play in Central Asia’s Post-2022 Gas Crisis

Online Event Thursday, March 14, 2024 from 11:00am - 12:15pm Nearly six months since the end of the Third Karabakh War, tensions persist along the Armenia-Azerbaijan borders as both nations trade accusations. Discontent with Russia’s failure to protect Karabakh’s residents has prompted Armenia to reconsider its Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) membership, raising the question… Continue reading Navigating Turmoil: The Dynamics of Armenian-Azerbaijani Relations in 2024

Online Event Monday, April 22, 2024 from 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT In the South Caucasus, Iran grapples with its relationships with Armenia and Azerbaijan amid regional power dynamics. Concerns about the pan-Turkic movement prompt Iran to consider alliances, potentially including with Christian Armenia, particularly as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also seeks leadership in the… Continue reading Between Allies and Adversaries: Assessing Iran’s Stand on Armenia and Azerbaijan

Online Event Tuesday, April 30, 2024 from 10:00-11:00 am EDT In November 2024, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, marking the third year in a row that the meeting has convened in a country with significant fossil fuel reserves and a dismal human rights record. As Azerbaijan prepares for… Continue reading COP29, Azerbaijan, and Environmental and Human Rights

Online Event Monday, May 6, 2024 10:00-11:30am EDT “Kazakhstan’s History on Television: Reconstruction, Interpretation, Controversy” is dedicated to the narrative representation of Kazakhstani history on television. Recent fictionalized biographies about leading Kazakh intellectuals such as Abai Qunanbayev (Qunanbaiuly), Ahmet Baitursynov (Baitursynuly), and Mirzhaqyp Dulatov (Dulatuly) evoked strong reactions among native audiences, especially from young viewers.… Continue reading “Awaken, Kazakh!” Kazakhstan’s History on Television: Reconstruction, Interpretation, Controversy

In the 1990s, Pres. Eduard Shevardnadze declared that “Transcaucasia is our mutual home,” implying that Azeris, Armenians, and Georgians could live together peacefully in the region, just as they do inside Georgia, provided their governments’ propaganda did not interfere. However, after 2008, when Russia intervened and recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, some… Continue reading Re-Evaluating Georgia’s Position in the South Caucasus Conflict