Program on Central Asia

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.

Initiatives and Projects

Related Insights

In a new report, Dr. Nargis Kassenova, director of our Program on Central Asia, describes Kazakhstan's emergence as a pragmatic middle power, hedging against both China and Russia while managing China-U.S. rivalry.

Our REECA student Alice Volfson — who investigates how Soviet Central Asian writers used state-run international conferences to critique the regime — interviews one of Kazakhstan’s most prominent poet-intellectuals.

For our Program on Central Asia, former U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan John O'Keefe recalls negotiations with Bishkek for the use of Manas Airport as a base for U.S. operations in Afghanistan after 9/11.

Related Events

Upcoming Event

Come hear more than 20 outstanding young scholars present on topics as diverse as energy, child care, migration, managed successions, and much, much more

Upcoming Event

Join us for a timely conversation exploring how restrictions on education in Afghanistan are shaping the country’s future, bringing together frontline reporting and expert analysis to shed light on an urgent issue that demands global attention.

Past Event

Join us as we discuss the history of U.S.-Central Asia cooperation in non-proliferation, assess the current state, and explore the prospects and obstacles ahead in the nuclear energy sector.