Program on Central Asia

Scholar-Entrepreneur Initiative

The Program on Central Asia promotes research and teaching at Harvard on the history and current affairs of five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

We support the study of the Central Asian region using tools and insights from various fields of social sciences and humanities. Our activities include research projects, seminar series, curriculum development and course offerings, creation of digital resources for the study of the region, facilitation of research by students and visiting scholars, and cultural events. 

While the program aims at generating and disseminating knowledge and resources on Central Asia spanning different periods of its history, our main focus is on the independence period and current developments. We approach Central Asia as a region that opened up as a result of the dissolution of the USSR. The states, economies, and people of Central Asia are now an integral part of the globalized world, and developments in the region cannot be properly understood without tracing and analyzing different forms of connectivity, influence, and interdependence.

Projects, Events, and Publications

Related Insights

At the Davis Center’s inaugural Graduate Student Conference on Central Asia, emerging scholars shared their research about the region’s history, culture, and socio-political transformations.

The moment is ripe for the Central Asian governments to develop a strategic vision and reach formal agreements on energy, water, and climate at a regional level. What will that take?

Central Asian countries should capitalize on accessible Chinese resources in their pursuit of a clean energy transition, while continuing to diversify their renewable energy markets.

Related Events

Past Event

The panel will discuss the benefits and implications of China's growing clean engagement in Central Asia.

Past Event

This presentation examines the mutually constitutive relationship between colonialism and public health in the context of indirect rule.

Past Event

Please join the Graduate Student Conference on Central Asia at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.