Внутренняя и внешняя политика стран Центральной Азии

Магистратура 2025/2026

Статус: Курс по выбору (Современное востоковедение)

Кто читает: Школа востоковедения

Где читается: Факультет мировой экономики и мировой политики

Когда читается: 1-й курс, 4 модуль

Охват аудитории: для всех кампусов НИУ ВШЭ

Язык: английский

Контактные часы: 36

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Abstract

The domestic and foreign policies of the Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan) are shaped by their unique historical, geopolitical, and economic contexts. Since gaining independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, these nations have navigated complex challenges in state-building, economic development, and regional integration. Central Asian governments emphasize national identity and cultural heritage, often promoting traditional values alongside modernization. Social issues such as youth unemployment, rural-urban disparities, and migration (both internal and external) are significant concerns. Religious and ethnic diversity is managed cautiously, with governments seeking to balance secularism and cultural pluralism while countering extremism. Resource-rich countries like Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have leveraged their oil, gas, and mineral wealth to drive economic growth. However, their reliance on extractive industries has made them vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices. Economic diversification, investment in infrastructure, and the development of sectors such as agriculture, technology, and tourism are key domestic priorities for these nations. The foreign policies of Central Asian states reflect a complex interplay of regional cooperation, great power relations, and national interests in the post-Soviet space. These countries have developed distinct diplomatic approaches while sharing common regional challenges and opportunities.

Learning Objectives

To provide an understanding of the fundamental principles of the domestic and foreign policies of the Central Asian states
• To obtain basic knowledge of the current political, economic, and social situation in Central Asia
• To equip students for both theoretical and applied research in the field of domestic and foreign policy of the Central Asian states
• To practice professional oral presentation of research
• To provide an understanding of the challenges in the relations between Russia and the Central Asian states

Expected Learning Outcomes

Identify and examine the principal directions of Kazakhstan’s domestic and foreign policy
Identify and evaluate Central Asia as a dynamic subsystem within the broader framework of international relations.
Identify and examine the principal directions of Uzbekistan’s domestic and foreign policy
Identify and examine the principal directions of Kyrgyzstan’s domestic and foreign policy
Identify and examine the principal directions of Tadjikistan’s domestic and foreign policy
Identify and examine the principal directions of Turkmenistan’s domestic and foreign policy
To examine and evaluate the role of external actors in Central Asia and their influence on the region’s political, economic, social, and security landscape

Course Contents

Central Asia as a Subsystem of International Relations
Kazakhstan: Key Directions of Domestic and Foreign Policy
Uzbekistan: Key Directions of Domestic and Foreign Policy
Kyrgyzstan: Key Directions of Domestic and Foreign Policy
Tajikistan: Key Directions of Domestic and Foreign Policy
Turkmenistan: Key Directions of Domestic and Foreign Policy
The Influence of External Actors in Central Asia

Assessment Elements

Active participation in seminar discussions
The student is required to participate in discussions during seminar sessions. Discussion includes responding to the lecturer’s questions as well as posing questions on the seminar topic to other students.
Project
Students work in small groups to prepare presentations lasting 15–20 minutes. The presentation topic is assigned by the lecturer. The score is assigned to the whole group.
Midterm Test
The test consists of 1-2 open-ended questions. Students are given 40 minutes to respond. This format is effective for assessing a deep understanding of the material.
Final exam in a form of discussion
During the exam, students answer orally the questions from their exam ticket. They have 10 minutes to prepare, and no reference materials are allowed.

Interim Assessment

2025/2026 4th module
0.3 * Active participation in seminar discussions + 0.3 * Final exam in a form of discussion + 0.2 * Midterm Test + 0.2 * Project

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

34968 - Alpina - Центральная Азия: От века империй до наших дней - А.Халид - Альпина нон-фикшн - 9785002233298 - 2024 - https://hse.alpinadigital.ru/book/34968
9781793651266 - Göktürk Tüysüzoğlu, Arda Özkan - Conflict Areas in the Caucasus and Central Asia - 2022 - Lexington Books - https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=3128644 - nlebk - 3128644
Aaltola, M., & Käpylä, J. (2016). U.S. and Chinese Silk Road initiatives: towards a geopolitics of flows in Central Asia and beyond. Germany, Europe: B. Budrich. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.849A1B4A
Central Asia and the Caucasus : at the crossroads of Eurasia in the 21st century, , 2011
Dadabaev, T. (2014). Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Regional Identity Formation from the Perspective of the Central Asia States. Journal of Contemporary China, 23(85), 102–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2013.809982
Ethnicity, authority, and power in Central Asia : new games great and small, , 2014
Identity and politics in Central Asia and the Caucasus, , 2015
Markets and politics in Central Asia : structural reform and political change, Gleason, G., 2014
Nationalism and identity construction in Central Asia : dimensions, dynamics, and directions, , 2015
Olga Alinda Spaiser. (2018). The European Union’s Influence in Central Asia : Geopolitical Challenges and Responses. Lexington Books.
The European Union, China and Central Asia : global and regional cooperation in a new era, , 2022
The politics of transition in Central Asia and the Caucasus : enduring legacies and emerging challenges, , 2012
Ulugbek Azizov. (2017). Regional integration in Central Asia: From knowing-that to knowing-how. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.2F465BE3
Ziegler, C. E. (2014). Russia in Central Asia: The Dynamics of Great-Power Politics in a Volatile Region. Asian Perspective, 38(4), 589–617. https://doi.org/10.1353/apr.2014.0026
Ziegler, C. E. (2016). Great powers, civil society and authoritarian diffusion in Central Asia. Central Asian Survey, 35(4), 549–569. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2016.1228608
Гарбузарова, Е. Г. Центральная Азия в современных мирополитических процессах : монография / Е. Г. Гарбузарова. — Москва : Аспект Пресс, 2020. — 192 с. — ISBN 978–5–7567–1056–4. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/144102 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.
Звягельская, И. Д. Ближний Восток и Центральная Азия: Глобальные тренды в региональном исполнении : монография / И. Д. Звягельская. — Москва : Аспект Пресс, 2018. — 224 с. — ISBN 978–5–7567–0990–2. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/115621 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.
Центральная Азия как формирующаяся подсистема международных отношений, , 2024
Цыряпкина, Ю. Н. Центральная Азия в 1990–2010-е годы: основные тенденции внутренней и внешней политики : учебное пособие / Ю. Н. Цыряпкина. — Барнаул : АлтГПУ, 2015. — 267 с. — ISBN 978-5-88210-796-2. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/112234 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Being Muslim in Central Asia : practices, politics, and identities, , 2018
Environmental crises in Central Asia : from steppes to seas, from deserts to glaciers, , 2016
G. Voloshin. (2014). The European Union’s Normative Power in Central Asia : Promoting Values and Defending Interests. Palgrave Pivot.
Matteo Fumagalli. (2016). Growing inter-Asian connections: Links, rivalries, and challenges in South Korean–Central Asian relations. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.CBF60F04
Migration and social upheaval as the face of globalization in Central Asia, , 2013
Mirzokhid Rakhimov. (2014). Central Asia and Japan: Bilateral and multilateral relations. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.A0A69941
Water and food security in Central Asia, , 2011
Гарбузарова, Е. Г. Центральная Азия во внешней политике Турции и Ирана : монография / Е. Г. Гарбузарова. — Москва : Аспект Пресс, 2022. — 160 с. — ISBN 978-5-7567-1211-7. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/266249 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.

Authors

Islamov Damir Rimovich

Course Syllabus