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Nargis Kassenova

@nargiskassenova

A Central Asian/Central Asianist currently living in Cambridge, MA.

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07.02.2025
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Latest posts by Nargis Kassenova @nargiskassenova

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Fragmenting the Digital Silk Road: Agency and Modularity in Kazakhstan’s Telecom Sector A study of Kazakhstan’s telecom sector shows how China's seemingly unified strategy of building an alternative to U.S.-dominated internet infrastructure is appropriated by local actors and shaped by l...

We are going live in 30 min. Join us! daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/fragm...

11.03.2026 12:27 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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The Age of Academic Slop is Upon Us what happens when AI automates "normal science"?

I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...

13.01.2026 15:38 👍 661 🔁 283 💬 25 📌 60
Book cover for Marianne Kamp's "Collectivization Generation: Oral Histories of a Social Revolution in Uzbekistan." The cover features the title in white text, Kamp's name in yellow text, and a purple-to-red gradient from the upper right to the lower left. A block-printed design in the middle of the cover depicts a man wearing a do'ppi and chopon. He is kneeling in a field, next to an upright hoe, and planting a seedling.

Book cover for Marianne Kamp's "Collectivization Generation: Oral Histories of a Social Revolution in Uzbekistan." The cover features the title in white text, Kamp's name in yellow text, and a purple-to-red gradient from the upper right to the lower left. A block-printed design in the middle of the cover depicts a man wearing a do'ppi and chopon. He is kneeling in a field, next to an upright hoe, and planting a seedling.

Marianne Kamp was awarded a CESS Book Award for "Collectivization Generation: Oral Histories of a Social Revolution in Uzbekistan."

Dr. Kamp spoke about the recent book in an interview with Nicholas Seay, graduate student board member of CESS.

Read the piece here:
tinyurl.com/42u9zdf5

08.01.2026 17:00 👍 12 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 1
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Call for Papers: 2026 Grad Student Conference on Сentral Asia The main theme will be environment, society, and power in the region. Submissions are welcome from any discipline and any level of graduate study. Deadline to apply is Feb. 9.

We've just rolled out the CfP for our 4th Graduate Student Conference on Central Asia. The central theme is "Environment, Society, and Power in Central Asia" in honor of late Maya K. Peterson.
daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/cal...

24.12.2025 15:33 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Парламент Казахстана принял поправки о запрете «пропаганды ЛГБТ» - Аналитический интернет-журнал Власть Тамара Вааль, Астана, Власть В четверг в ходе пленарного заседания сенат в двух чтениях одобрил закон «О внесении изменений и дополнений в некоторые законодательные акты Республики Казахстан по вопр...

Kazakhstan joins the ranks of countries that ban so-called LGBT "propaganda." The gov claims this law doesn't violate international treaties ratified by #Kazakhstan, but - make no mistake - it does.

vlast.kz/novosti/6765...

18.12.2025 08:56 👍 8 🔁 7 💬 0 📌 0

We're excited to announce our Conference Plenary for REECAS NW 2026! The Plenary session, 'Ukraine, REECAS and the European Union' will feature speakers Nargis Kassenova (Harvard University) @nargiskassenova.bsky.social, Justyna Zając (Indiana University) & Olena Lennon (University of New Haven.)

16.12.2025 18:13 👍 1 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

Self-advocacy skills are not lacking :) I notice that in my kids going to the American schools as well.

10.12.2025 19:34 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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The Armed Forces of Central Asia Join us for a panel that examines the military force structures, budgets, and doctrines of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Join us tomorrow (11 December, 9:30am-10:30am EST) for a presentation and discussion on the armed forces of Central Asia: daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/armed...

10.12.2025 19:31 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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In this piece I argue that the dramatic events of 2022 upended the status quo in Kazakhstan-Russia relations. Astana must now address both long-standing vulnerabilities and new pressures in areas such as inter-elite relations, nuclear energy, and history writing. cacianalyst.org/resources/25...

19.11.2025 15:33 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Backlash: China’s Struggle for Influence in Central Asia In their new book Backlash: China's Struggle for Influence in Central Asia, Edward Lemon and Bradley Jardine show that China’s power projection is far from a one-way street—it is negotiated, resisted,...

In about an hour (9:30am EST), Bradley Jardine and Edward Lemon will present their new book "Backlash: China's Struggle for Influence in Central Asia." Join us! daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/backl...

17.11.2025 13:16 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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PANNIER: Few will mourn passing of Turkmen Iron Lady Atajanova and Uzbek Grey Cardinal Jurabekov Their deaths seem to have been conveniently overlooked by the authorities of today.

ICYMI: Their deaths seem to have been conveniently overlooked by the authorities of today. Bne IntelliNews

12.10.2025 20:24 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Gazprom in Central Asia: Between Geopolitical Influence and Energy Transition YouTube video by Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies

We had an excellent discussion on Gazprom in Central Asia with Nicholas Pomeroy and Michael Hilliard. If you want to check it out, here's the link: www.youtube.com/live/iM_eJFP...

05.10.2025 22:53 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

📣 Today (9:30am-10:30am EST) we will talk about Gazprom in Central Asia - join us!

03.10.2025 11:13 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Gazprom in Central Asia: Between Geopolitical Influence and Energy Transition Join us for a panel on Gazprom’s shifting role in Central Asia, regional energy security, and the future of energy transition.

Join us (Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies) next Friday (3 Oct) for an online event on Gazprom in Central Asia. Our speakers are Nicholas Pomeroy and Michael Hilliard. daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/gazpr...

26.09.2025 15:32 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1
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Where Is Central Asia, Anyway? A former top U.S. diplomat reflects on the many ways ex-Soviet Central Asia can be viewed from Washington — Russian dependency, Chinese sphere of influence, new global hub with links in all directions...

Earlier this summer, former U.S. Ambassador Richard Boucher, passed away. He'll be remembered as an astute observer of Central Asia.
Back in 2021, Ambassador Boucher contributed a personal essay to the Davis Center/Eurasianet series. Pls give it a read: daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/whe...

13.09.2025 12:43 👍 9 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 0
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Memoir: Recollecting the benefits of shoe leather diplomacy in Turkmenistan Getting out, getting a feel for the place, and putting pins on a map.

A new entry in the Ambassadors' Series on Central Asia, published by @eurasianet.bsky.social, spearheaded by @nargiskassenova.bsky.social of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Allan Mustard on the use of shoe leather diplomacy in Turkmenistan.

eurasianet.org/memoir-recol...

14.05.2025 13:31 👍 8 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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Memoir: Recollecting the benefits of shoe leather diplomacy in Turkmenistan Getting out, getting a feel for the place, and putting pins on a map.

So thrilled to share the new essay in our "American Diplomats in Central Asia" series developed in cooperation with @eurasianet.bsky.social - Amb. Allan Mustard's wonderful account of gathering firsthand information and mapping in Turkmenistan: eurasianet.org/memoir-recol...

10.05.2025 14:58 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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The Evolving Security Landscape of the Caspian Sea Region Join us to discuss the role of regional powers and the impact of energy resources on Caspian security with H.E. Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim.

Join our conversation with Azerbaijan's Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim on the evolving security landscape of the Caspian region, focusing on the transport and energy corridors (in 40 min): daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/evolv...

06.05.2025 15:50 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Intercommunal Warfare and Ethnic Peacemaking in Central Asia Join us in discussing the core arguments of Intercommunal Warfare and Ethnic Peacemaking by Joldon Kutmanaliev.

We will be online in about two hours (9am EDT) - tune in! daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/inter...

03.04.2025 10:50 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Global Socialist Cinema: Alliances, Affinities and Solidarities in the Global Cold War This talk focuses on the history of the 1960s-1980s Festival of Cinemas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, held in Soviet Tashkent — a unique historic cinematic formation irreducible to binaries of N...

daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/globa...

12.03.2025 20:06 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Don't miss this exciting event tomorrow! Masha Salazkina will talk about her new book "Alliances, Affinities and Solidarities in the Global Cold War," focusing on the history of the Festival of Cinemas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America which took place in Tashkent, Soviet Union, in the 1960s-80s.

12.03.2025 20:06 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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Hard Power vs. Soft: China’s Evolving Role in Central Asia Is China imposing its will on the world, or is the reality more nuanced?  Many in the West, particularly in Washington, argue that China exerts global influence by disregarding local differences and i...

A fascinating webinar on China's role in Central Asia is just wrapping up. carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/... Asked about whether Chinese $ fuels corruption, @nargiskassenova.bsky.social states that Russians are bigger (but more hidden) driver. (And now Trump is removing limits on bribes, etc.)

11.03.2025 14:57 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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If you missed our conversation today about China's hard and soft power in Central Asia with @nargiskassenova.bsky.social, Berikbol Dukeyev & Odil Gafarov, you can watch the recording on @carnegieendowment.org YouTube: www.youtube.com/live/WJPe2xu...

11.03.2025 17:18 👍 6 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Indulging Kleptocracy: Postcommunist Elites and Corruption
Indulging Kleptocracy: Postcommunist Elites and Corruption YouTube video by Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies

The first of our #IndulgingKleptocracy book talks @harvard.edu Davis Center with @nargiskassenova.bsky.social is recorded and online. Thanks Nargis and Harvard colleagues for your great questions.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Ph...

11.03.2025 09:44 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 1
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Film Screening: 'JARA — Radioactive Patriarchy: Women of Qazaqstan' This film sheds light on the stories of six women from a nuclear-affected community in Kazakhstan. It explores topics such as technology-driven and state-sponsored gender-based violence, as well as th...

March 13, in person, Cambridge, MA. Thank you for this important contribution, @hellogera.bsky.social!:
daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/film-...

07.03.2025 22:03 👍 14 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 2
Making the Two Ends of Eurasia Meet: Prospects of the Middle Corridor in the Trump Era
Making the Two Ends of Eurasia Meet: Prospects of the Middle Corridor in the Trump Era YouTube video by Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies

If you couldn't tune in yesterday, here's the recording. We had an excellent panel (Samuel Dover Vesterbye, @tumarov.bsky.social and Yunis Sharifli) to discuss the Middle Corridor initiative in the rapidly changing geopolitical context. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJuB...

05.03.2025 20:13 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

We are going online in a couple of minutes, join us!

04.03.2025 14:58 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Featuring Samuel Dovery Vesterbye, Yunis Sharifli and @tumarov.bsky.social. I will moderate.

03.03.2025 22:53 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Making the Two Ends of Eurasia Meet: Prospects of the Middle Corridor in the Trump Era This panel will consider how Washington's changing relations with Brussels and Moscow are affecting the EU’s and China’s engagement in an international transport initiative offering routes that bypass...

Join us (Davis Center) tomorrow for a timely discussion on the prospects of the Middle Corridor in the Trump Era. We will discuss the drivers and constraints of the EU's and China's engagement in implementing the initiative. daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/makin...

03.03.2025 22:53 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 1
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Please join this important event at MIT on lessons from Ukraine for grid and energy security in wartime, with the former CEO of Ukrenerho Volodymyr Kudrytskyi. Tuesday, March 11, 5pm. Register below: calendar.mit.edu/event/vulner...

25.02.2025 20:44 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0