Kazakhstan’s Bloody January: Protest Motivations, Public Perceptions and Human Rights
Online discussion co-organized by the PaperLab Research Center (Astana, Kazakhstan) In the first days of 2022, Kazakhstan witnessed a series of protests that sent shockwaves through the country. The response…
Central Asia’s Aral Sea: Lessons for Today’s Climate Crisis
Lindner Family Commons, 6th floor GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs 1957 E St NW, WashingtonHybrid Event, Image by NASA Earth Observatory Once one of the world’s largest inland bodies of water, the Aral Sea began to shrink dramatically in the 1960s, when Soviet officials directed an…
Researching Central Asia. Navigating Positionality in the Field
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…
The 80th Anniversary of the Chechen and Ingush Deportation: What is its legacy today?
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…
Central Asian Regionalism: Insights from Inside and Out
Voesar Conference Room (Suite 412) at the Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University, 1957 E Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20052Hybrid 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,…
Central Asia: Multi-Vector Policy for the 21st Century—Strategy and Development
Elliott School of International Affairs The George Washington University 1957 E Street, NW | Washington, DC | 20052Hybrid 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.…
Exploring the Dynamics of Open Government in Kazakhstan: A Critical Assessment of Tokayev’s “Listening State” Reform
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…
Navigating the New Energy Geopolitics: Assessing Russia’s Power Play in Central Asia’s Post-2022 Gas Crisis
Elliott School of International Affairs The George Washington University 1957 E Street, NW | Washington, DC | 20052Hybrid 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…
Navigating Turmoil: The Dynamics of Armenian-Azerbaijani Relations in 2024
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…
Annual Security Workshop: Navigating Global Turbulence: Building Resilience in Central Asia
In-Person Event Thursday, March 28, 2024 from 8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EDT) Central Asia is at a pivotal point, facing significant geopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges that could have…
A Slow Reckoning: The USSR, the Afghan Communists, and Islam
Online Event Tuesday, April 9, 2024 from 10:00-11:00am EDT Vassily Klimentov will be discussing his book, A Slow Reckoning: The USSR, the Afghan Communists, and Islam, published by Northern Illinois University Press…
Between Allies and Adversaries: Assessing Iran’s Stand on Armenia and Azerbaijan
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…
COP29, Azerbaijan, and Environmental and Human Rights
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…
“Awaken, Kazakh!” Kazakhstan’s History on Television: Reconstruction, Interpretation, Controversy
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…
Re-evaluating Russia’s Influence in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Dispute
The significant outflow of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh following the events of September 19–20, 2023, and the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Azerbaijan on April 17, 2024, signals a potential shift…
Re-Evaluating Georgia’s Position in the South Caucasus Conflict
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…
The Central Asia Program and the Embassy of Uzbekistan invite you to a movie night!
On September 11, 2001, Flight 101 was a routine flight from Tashkent to Birmingham to New York. The passengers, a diverse mix of Jews, African Americans, Pakistanis, Uzbeks, Russians, and…
Uzbekistan’s Independence Day Concert
In celebration of Independence Day of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Central Asia Program and the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the United States are delighted to invite…
Book presentation: “Mystical Forest: Collected Poems and Short Stories of Dungan Ethnographer Ali Dzhon”
Born in Shor-Tyube, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR, in 1951, Dungan ethnographer and creative writer Ali Dzhon is widely regarded as the pre-eminent writer on the material and spiritual culture…
New Books in Asian Studies: Uyghur Identity and Culture: A Global Diaspora in a Time of Crisis
Elliott School of International Affairs The George Washington University 1957 E Street, NW | Washington, DC | 20052Room 602, 6th floor1957 E St NWWashington, DC 20052 Join the Sigur Center for Asian Studies and Central Asia Program for a talk with the editors of the new volume Uyghur…
Kazakh and Uzbek Biweekly Language Lunches
If you’re looking to learn or improve your Kazakh or Uzbek language skills, or simply want to learn more about Central Asian countries, join us for casual biweekly lunches. These…
From Tradition to Digital: Exploring Media and Communication Dynamicsin Central Asia
Location: Voesar Conference Room, 1957 E St NW Washington DC, 4th floor Suite 412 Event type: Hybrid This seminar will explore insights from the edited volume Mapping the Media and Communication…
Armenia and France: Strengthening Ties Amid Regional Tensions?
Virtual Event After losing two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia is seeking new allies in Western Europe. Disillusionment with Moscow’s inaction during the 2023 blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and recent conflicts has…
Addressing Central Asia’s Water Crisis: Challenges and Pathways to Regional Cooperation
Central Asia faces a critical challenge in managing its shared water resources, with major rivers like the Amu Darya and Syr Darya crossing multiple national borders. As population growth, urbanization,…
