Foreign Institutions for Central Asia and Kazakhstan studies

Aims:
to examine the activities of Foreign Institutions for Central Asia and Kazakhstan studies,
to analyze it.

Objectives:
- to show the creation and development of
international institutions to study Central Asia and Kazakhstan,
- to identify a typology of foreign institutions: think tanks, research centers and institutes, research groups and programs at the universities, independent unions and associations, and the system of funding,
- to analyze the activities of the institutions, their management,

-to study the highlight features of the political development of the Central Asian states and Kazakhstan in the foreign political science,
- to consider the theoretical and methodological approaches of these centers in the study of post-Soviet Central Asian states and Kazakhstan,
- to determine the range of periodicals and monographs on Central Asian states and Kazakhstan,

to explore the themes of the conferences, seminars, round tables, etc.
- to analyze subjects of research projects carried out by foreign institutions.

Our approach:
geopolitical and institutional approach to study the function and interaction of political institutions and analysis of official structures and decision-making rules.

The main theoretical and methodological approaches of foreign institutions are interdisciplinary approach subdivided into:
- system approach
structural approach
which include:
- the integrity of the policy and the nature of its relationship with the world society and environment,
- the analysis of the nature of internal connections between the components of the policy elements.

The system approaches
1. System-genetic approach: the consideration of political processes in the whole chain of related historical events, as well as identifying prospects for the development of the Central Asian states that have passed a difficult way of development of the Russian colonization to stay in the USSR.
2. Cultural-historical: the national cultural identity of countries going along with their political, national and cultural self-determination.

3. History and Geography:
the influence of the geographical environment on the development of the ethnic group through the mentality of the ethnos.
4. Psychological and Sociological:
- dependence of policy on social factors: economy, social structure, culture, etc.
- subjective mechanisms of political behavior: motivation, desire, passion, etc.
- analysis of individual qualities, traits, unconscious mental processes that affect political behavior.

The structural approaches:
- functional approach as a basis for the study of political processes;
- theoretical modeling of political processes in Central Asia and Kazakhstan;
- factor analysis, providing identification of significant factors influencing the political situation in the world;
- predictive method used to construct hypothesis about the further developments of the political picture of the world.

The mainly missions of each Center or Institute:
- to realize medium and long-term policy issues of strategic importance, particularly those concerning international politics, world economy, national and global security, defense etc.
- to make the comments and policy recommendations on the world's major events and hot-spot issues, with analytical approaches necessary to understand and investigate the important issues facing the Central Asian region.

- to promote and disseminate knowledge about Central Asia and Kazakhstan,
- holding regular meetings with some foreign research institutions,
- to support collaborative research projects with both domestic and foreign scholars on issues of shared interests,
- to organize various seminars, conferences, lecture and summer schools to discuss latest international developments and advance issue-specific studies,

- to organize colloquia, visiting scholars, faculty and graduate student seminars and study groups, exhibits, films, and other social activities concerning Central Asia and Kazakhstan,
- to train undergraduate and graduate students in Russian and Central Asian area studies with an interdisciplinary approach,
- to learn languages and cultures of Central Asia,

to publish monographs and periodicals devoted to Central Asia and Kazakhstan for the dissemination and refinement of knowledge of the Central Asian region and Kazakhstan,
- presenting an annual activity’s report,
- publishing articles resulting from lecture, research projects, conferences and other events,
- assisting through sponsorship scholars and other organizations that are contributing to the study of the region.

Research and Projects:
The Institutions and the Centers supports both individual research and sponsored research programs on Central Asia and Kazakhstan and also the projects:
Planned researches at the frame of institutions
2. Targeted research programs related to a particular topic or area. Targeted research encompasses larger projects that receive outside funding, generally from private or public foundations.

Research and Projects:
3. Individual researches at the frame of institutions that receive outside funding, generally from private or public foundations.
4. Joint research with other institutions and centers – International and Domestic levels.

Examples
USA
- The Center for Russia, East Europe and Central Asia (CREECA) / the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- The Russian, East European and Eurasian Center (REEECE) / the University of Illinois.
- The Hollings Center for International Dialogue (in Washington and Turkey / Istanbul Office).

- The Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies / the University of California at Berkeley.
- Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies / HDCRES
- The Harriman Institute / Columbia University
- Woodrow Wilson Center
- The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program / a joint Transatlantic Research and Policy Center.

China
Shanghai Institute for International Studies – SIIS / under the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
China Institute of International Studies - the think tank of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
India
Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses / ITSA in New Delhi

Одним словом все места аккуратно окружены множеством деревьев так, что Верный может быть по праву назван Городом садов.
Enfin toutes les places sont entourées de plusieurs rangées d’arbres, de sorte que Vernyi peut etre nommée la Cité-Jardin par excellence.
Japan
- Institute of Developing Economics / IDE – Middle East / Central Asia Studies Group.
- The Japan Institute of International Affairs / JIIA / a private, nonpartisan policy think-tank.
- The Special Program for Central Asian Counties / the University of Tsukuba.

Canada
Central and Inner Asia Studies (CIAS) / the University of Toronto.
Denmark
Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), financed primarily by the Danish state.
Australia
Lowy Institute / Australia’s top think tank.

Pakistan
- The Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) – think tank.
- Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).