The Ukraine War: Reshaping Central Asia?

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has affected Central Asia in multiple ways. Economic sanctions, gray imports and disrupted exports, pro-war propaganda, societal division, the recruitment of Central Asians soldiers by one of the sides, hundreds of thousands of refugees and many relocated businesses are some of the impacts. This roundtable focuses on how the war has influenced or transformed Central Asia since 2022. How do people perceive Russia, Ukraine, and their region after the war, and how do they answer the question "Who’s next?”? How did the widespread media coverage and proximity of the war affect people's lives, leading to techno- and bio-political shifts? Academics do not live in a vacuum, and we also ask ourselves how the war has affected our research. Has it led to any epistemological shifts or new approaches to empirical study and information gathering? How can these be observed or measured? Should we integrate this new knowledge into our existing research, and if so, how? This roundtable brings together scholars from diverse disciplines studying Ukraine, Russia, and the region. It aims not to provide definitive answers, but rather to offer considered reflections amidst the rapidly evolving realities of war, politics, and news coverage.

Sub Unit

• Politics/Law

Chair

• Nari Shelekpayev, Yale U

Roundtable Speakers

• Usmon Boron, Yale U

• Erica Marat, National Defense U

• Polina Vlasenko, U of Akron