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Secularism under siege? The State, Media and Religion in Kyrgyzstan
Ana Ross, a student at the University of St. Andrews, explores how in spite of Kyrgyzstan’s constitutional secularism, religion has, on occasion, impacted policy-making in an environment of increasing hostility towards the freedom of religion.
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The Fall of Otrar and Kazakh Identity
Lewis Ebert, master’s student at Oxford University, analyses how Ardak Amirkulov’s ‘Fall of Otrar’ uses medieval history to explore Kazakh identity at the fall of the USSR
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My Brutalist Bishkek
James Mair from the University of Cambridge discusses all there is to love about the often-overlooked Soviet architecture of Bishkek.
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Jewish Communities in Kyrgyzstan During The Second World War
Claudia Macey-Dare from Charles University, Prague explores the history of Jewish communities in Kyrgyzstan.
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How Investment into Kazakhstan‘s Education System has Impacted the National Economy
Zara Draper from the University of Cambridge explores how foreign university campuses and scholarship programs are accelerating Kazakhstan’s economic growth
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Evaluating Central Asia’s ‘Golden Age of Arbitration’: Prospects for a New Legal Age of Commercial Dispute Resolution
James Hone, University of Cambridge, explores the development of international arbitration institutions across Central Asia.
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The Kazakh Intelligentsia’s Role in Shaping National Identity
Ana Ross from the University of St Andrew’s delves into the history of the Alash Orda in Kazakhstan in the early nineteenth century.
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Central Asia’s Geopolitical Crossroads: The Dynamics of ‘Coopetition’ between Russia and China
Islam Supyaldiyarov, Senior Lecturer at Suleyman Demirel University, explores the changing dynamics and relationship between Russia and China in Central Asia.
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Turksib: Awakening Central Asia
Annabel Hou, a BA student from U.C. Berkeley, analyses the imperial messaging of Viktor Turin’s 1929 film ‘Turksib’.
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How Kyrgyzstan’s new flag design serves as a litmus test for the health of its democracy.
Tom Fort from the University of St Andrews reviews the recent changes to the Kyrgyz Republic’s flag and what this means for its democracy.
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Cross-Border Connections: Nuclear Agency in late Soviet Kazakhstan
Rebecca Hawkins, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, discusses her research on nuclear agency in late Soviet Kazakhstan.
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Unity and Division: Linguistic and Cultural Borders in Bukhara
Sam Colvine, undergraduate at the University of Cambridge, analyses the multilingual environment of Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
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Growing Activity of Russia and the EU in Kazakhstan Could Lead to Economic Conflict by 2030
Eldaniz Gusseinov analyses the growing possibility of economic conflict between Russia and the EU in Kazakhstan.
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What role can Britain play in Central Asia?
Peter Molloy, undergraduate in Modern Languages at the University of Cambridge, discusses Britain’s potential to play a positive role in Central.
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A New Era of Accessibility: How the Internet is Helping Disabled Kyrgyz Citizens Bridge Barriers, and their Ideas Cross Borders
Gunner Bauer, a recent graduate of Lawrence University, explores how the internet has benefitted disabled Kyrgyz citizens.
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Turksib: Awakening Central Asia
In 1928, Joseph Stalin initiated the First Five-Year Plan to collectivize agriculture and rapidly industrialize…
How Kyrgyzstan’s new flag design serves as a litmus test for the health of its democracy.
On December 25th, 1991, Kyrgyzstan gained full independence, only a day before the wider Soviet…
Cross-Border Connections: Nuclear Agency in late Soviet Kazakhstan
The popular campaign to stop nuclear testing is integral to the story of Kazakhstan’s transition…
Unity and Division: Linguistic and Cultural Borders in Bukhara
Last June, I was fortunate enough to spend time in Bukhara, a jewel in the…