I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts. open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...

Marianne Kamp was awarded a CESS Book Award for "Collectivization Generation: Oral Histories of a Social Revolution in Uzbekistan." Dr. Kamp spoke about the recent book in an interview with Nicholas Seay, graduate student board member of CESS. Read the piece here: tinyurl.com/42u9zdf5

We've just rolled out the CfP for our 4th Graduate Student Conference on Central Asia. The central theme is "Environment, Society, and Power in Central Asia" in honor of late Maya K. Peterson. daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/cal...

Kazakhstan joins the ranks of countries that ban so-called LGBT "propaganda." The gov claims this law doesn't violate international treaties ratified by #Kazakhstan, but - make no mistake - it does. vlast.kz/novosti/6765...

We're excited to announce our Conference Plenary for REECAS NW 2026! The Plenary session, 'Ukraine, REECAS and the European Union' will feature speakers Nargis Kassenova (Harvard University) @nargiskassenova.bsky.social, Justyna Zając (Indiana University) & Olena Lennon (University of New Haven.)

Join us tomorrow (11 December, 9:30am-10:30am EST) for a presentation and discussion on the armed forces of Central Asia: daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/armed...

In this piece I argue that the dramatic events of 2022 upended the status quo in Kazakhstan-Russia relations. Astana must now address both long-standing vulnerabilities and new pressures in areas such as inter-elite relations, nuclear energy, and history writing. cacianalyst.org/resources/25...

In about an hour (9:30am EST), Bradley Jardine and Edward Lemon will present their new book "Backlash: China's Struggle for Influence in Central Asia." Join us! daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/backl...

ICYMI: Their deaths seem to have been conveniently overlooked by the authorities of today. Bne IntelliNews

We had an excellent discussion on Gazprom in Central Asia with Nicholas Pomeroy and Michael Hilliard. If you want to check it out, here's the link: www.youtube.com/live/iM_eJFP...

📣 Today (9:30am-10:30am EST) we will talk about Gazprom in Central Asia - join us!

Join us (Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies) next Friday (3 Oct) for an online event on Gazprom in Central Asia. Our speakers are Nicholas Pomeroy and Michael Hilliard. daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/gazpr...

Earlier this summer, former U.S. Ambassador Richard Boucher, passed away. He'll be remembered as an astute observer of Central Asia. Back in 2021, Ambassador Boucher contributed a personal essay to the Davis Center/Eurasianet series. Pls give it a read: daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/whe...

A new entry in the Ambassadors' Series on Central Asia, published by @eurasianet.bsky.social, spearheaded by @nargiskassenova.bsky.social of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. Allan Mustard on the use of shoe leather diplomacy in Turkmenistan. eurasianet.org/memoir-recol...

So thrilled to share the new essay in our "American Diplomats in Central Asia" series developed in cooperation with @eurasianet.bsky.social - Amb. Allan Mustard's wonderful account of gathering firsthand information and mapping in Turkmenistan: eurasianet.org/memoir-recol...

Join our conversation with Azerbaijan's Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim on the evolving security landscape of the Caspian region, focusing on the transport and energy corridors (in 40 min): daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/evolv...

We will be online in about two hours (9am EDT) - tune in! daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/inter...

Don't miss this exciting event tomorrow! Masha Salazkina will talk about her new book "Alliances, Affinities and Solidarities in the Global Cold War," focusing on the history of the Festival of Cinemas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America which took place in Tashkent, Soviet Union, in the 1960s-80s.

A fascinating webinar on China's role in Central Asia is just wrapping up. carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/... Asked about whether Chinese $ fuels corruption, @nargiskassenova.bsky.social states that Russians are bigger (but more hidden) driver. (And now Trump is removing limits on bribes, etc.)

If you missed our conversation today about China's hard and soft power in Central Asia with @nargiskassenova.bsky.social, Berikbol Dukeyev & Odil Gafarov, you can watch the recording on @carnegieendowment.org YouTube: www.youtube.com/live/WJPe2xu...

The first of our #IndulgingKleptocracy book talks @harvard.edu Davis Center with @nargiskassenova.bsky.social is recorded and online. Thanks Nargis and Harvard colleagues for your great questions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Ph...

March 13, in person, Cambridge, MA. Thank you for this important contribution, @hellogera.bsky.social!: daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/film-...

If you couldn't tune in yesterday, here's the recording. We had an excellent panel (Samuel Dover Vesterbye, @tumarov.bsky.social and Yunis Sharifli) to discuss the Middle Corridor initiative in the rapidly changing geopolitical context. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJuB...

We are going online in a couple of minutes, join us!

Join us (Davis Center) tomorrow for a timely discussion on the prospects of the Middle Corridor in the Trump Era. We will discuss the drivers and constraints of the EU's and China's engagement in implementing the initiative. daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/makin...

Please join this important event at MIT on lessons from Ukraine for grid and energy security in wartime, with the former CEO of Ukrenerho Volodymyr Kudrytskyi. Tuesday, March 11, 5pm. Register below: calendar.mit.edu/event/vulner...

Thank you @nargiskassenova.bsky.social for hosting us at the Davis Center today.

A tribute to Dr. Kristopher White by @donnachadcu.bsky.social, a beloved scholar, geographer mentor and educator at KIMEP that shaped a generation of Central Asian academics timesca.com/obituary-kri... #KIMEP #CentralAsianStudies #AcademicLegacy #KristopherWhite #Obituary

And If you are in Boston area next Friday (28 Feb), join Davis Center, Kazushige Kobayashi, Kiyomi Osborn and me for a timely discussion on Russia's relations with the countries of the "Global South" juxtaposed with its relations with Central Asia. daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/russi...

If you in Boston area next Tuesday (25 Feb), join us (Davis Center) for this exciting event with @jheathershaw.bsky.social and Tom Mayne! We will discuss their new book “Indulging Kleptocracy” - one of the best books of 2024, according to Foreign Affairs. daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/indul...

In two weeks, @tenaprelec.bsky.social @cais-exeter.bsky.social Tom Mayne and I are hitting the USA for the Indulging Kleptocracy (Oxford, 2025) book tour. We start in Boston at Harvard on 26 Feb hosted by @nargiskassenova.bsky.social. 1/5 daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/indul...

The trilogy is complete. Green Mountains: Walking the Caucasus with Recipes (April, 2025) is available to pre-order right now, here! geni.us/GreenMountains

Fresh off-the-press: I had the honor of contributing a chapter on Kazakhstan for the 2025 Atlas Freedom and Prosperity Around the World, the @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social's flagship publication: www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...