Central Asian Countries in Regional and International Organizations

2026/2027

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

6

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Political Science and International Affairs

Course type:

Elective course

When:

1 year, 1, 2 module

Instructors

Пушкина Дарья Булатовна

Sevastianov, Sergei

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course locates countries of contemporary post-Soviet Central Asia in regional and wider international frameworks and analyzes relevant interactions and integration dynamics. More specifically, it focuses on two broadly defined formats of regional/international cooperation drawing attention to issues of membership, commitments, (inter)dependencies, internal and external conditionality. The first format encompasses regional integration projects and regional organizations such as the CIS, the CSTO, the SCO, the EAEU and its predecessors, or more issue-specific and often informal settings, such as Regional Consultative Forums. The second format includes Central Asia countries’ interactions with intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): universal, region-focused or issue-specific from the UN system and beyond, including such key actors as the OSCE and the EU. In its first part, the course’s main aim is to understand how these states reconcile seemingly incompatible pressures for sovereignty and regional cooperation/integration. The second part of the course focuses on (dis)engagements of these countries emerging in their relations with IOs in the fields of development aid, security, migration, health and other governance areas.

Learning Objectives

• - to understand how Central Asian states reconcile seemingly incompatible pressures for sovereignty and regional cooperation/integration.
• - to explore (dis)engagements of Central Asian countries emerging in their relations with IOs in the fields of development aid, security, human rights, migration, health and other governance areas.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• analyses interactions of Central Asian countries with universal international organizations in various governance areas
• compares regional integration projects / regional organizations and more informal regional or trans-regional settings
• identifies the place and role of Central Asian countries in regional and wider international frameworks
• knows the concepts of membership, commitments, (inter)dependencies, internal and external conditionality as related to international organizations
• understands how Central Asian states deal with multi-vectored pressures for sovereignty and regional cooperation/integration

Course Contents

• 1. Course Overview. Introduction: History of Central Asia’s Formation. Regionalism (Old and New). Key External Actors in Central Asia. “The New Great Game” in Central Asia. CA as an International Region.
• 2. Theories of IR on IGOs. Regional IGOs and Forums in Security and Economics within CA and beyond. Key Features of CA Countries’ Participation in them. Central Asian Union. Regional Absence, International Presence and Multiple Overlaps in Central Asia.
• 3. Economic Integration and Security Cooperation IGOs under the Auspices of Russia: CIS, CSTO and EAEU. Greater Eurasia Concept.
• 4. Multilateral Cooperation IGOs and Forums with China’s Leading Role: SCO, SICA and C5+1.
• 5. Other old and new actors in the context of New Great Game in Central Asia: USA, Turkey, India, UK, etc.
• 6. Problematic (Trans)Regional Membership: OSCE
• 7. The European Union in Central Asia: Ambiguous Involvement (I)
• 8. The European Union in Central Asia: Ambiguous Involvement (II)
• 9. The UN System and the IFIs: Contested Development Efforts
• 10. Hybrid Actors: Fields, Roles, Perceptions

Assessment Elements

• Participation in class discussion
  Assessment will be based on preparation of the readings assigned to each tutorial, participation in class discussion with the focus on qualitative contribution to the discussion, ability to answer questions based on the readings, come up with own interpretations and react to comments made by other students. Students are expected to be actively involved in tutorial discussions and in-class group assignments, read the mandatory literature assigned to each of the seminars and be ready to apply the information to their own research.
• Presentation 2:
  Each student will deliver a short (5-10 min) presentation of their essay 2 during the last session of the second part of the course.
• Presentation 1:
  Each student will deliver a short (8-10 min) PPT presentation of their essay 1 during the last session of the first part of the course. Specific requirements for preparing this PPT presentation of the essay 1 will be provided by the instructor.
• Essay 2:
  The essay 2 (1800-2000 words, including references) should relate to any aspect of the second part of the course. It can be a critical review of the existing literature on a specific topic, or an original piece of research (students should propose the topic and format of the paper for approval by the instructor no later than at the session 8). The essay 2 should focus on one or several aspects of the second part of the course and analyze this as applied to a case study of interactions of a Central Asian country (or several countries) with a particular international organization. The essay 2 is due by December 15. Specific requirements for the essay 2: - It should clearly state a research question relevant to theoretical, conceptual and empirical debates within the course and related academic literature; - It should present coherent analysis with a clear argument embedded in relevant theoretical discussions and supported by empirical evidence; - It should include at least 7 items in the list of references (both academic literature and primary sources).
• Essay 1:
  The essay 1 (1800-2000 words, including references) should relate to any aspect of the first part of the course. It should be an original piece of research on a specific topic related to the first part of the course. The list of some possible presentations’ topics would be sent to students by the instructor, while students should propose the topic and format of the paper for approval by the instructor no later than at the session 3. The essay 1 should focus on one or several aspects of the first part of the course and analyze this as applied to a case study of interactions of a Central Asian country (or several countries) with a particular regional organization. The essay 1 is due by October 15. Specific requirements for the essay 1: - It should clearly state a research question relevant to theoretical, conceptual and empirical debates within the course and related academic literature; - It should present coherent analysis with a clear argument embedded in relevant theoretical discussions and supported by empirical evidence; - It should include at least 7 items in the list of references (both academic literature and primary sources).

Interim Assessment

• 2026/2027 2nd module
  0.2 * Essay 2: + 0.2 * Participation in class discussion + 0.2 * Presentation 2: + 0.2 * Essay 1: + 0.2 * Presentation 1:

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Lukin, A., Novikov, D., Puzanova, O., & Yenikeyeff, S. (2025). The Shanghai Cooperation Organization amidst the Rising International Tensions. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 16(2), 173-183. https://doi.org/10.1177/18793665251357320
• Parubochaya, E. (2025). The EU and UK “Soft Power” and Public Diplomacy in the Central Asia’s Countries. Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Serija 4. Istorija. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye otnoshenija, 30(3), 175-188. https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2025.3.16
• Yuan, J. (2022). Forging a New Security Order in Eurasia: China, the SCO, and the Impacts on Regional Governance. Chinese Political Science Review, 8(3), 422-439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41111-022-00223-7

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Bayramov, A., & Indeo, F. (2025). Navigating Geopolitical Realities: The EU’s Strategy in Central Asia and its Implications for Energy, Renewables, and Critical Raw Materials. A Geopolitical Europe in the Making? https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-666-6_4
• Beloglazov, A.V. (2024). Activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Central Asia (2002–2022). Russia & World: Sc. Dialogue, 190-203. https://doi.org/10.53658/RW2023-3-4(10)-190-203

Authors

• Sevastianov Sergei Vitalevich