Lockdown (dis)connect
Editorial
Narrowing down the digital divide in Central Asian education and civil activism
2020 will go down in history as the ‘lockdown year’ amid the global covid-19 pandemic. Coincidentally, 2020 was also...
Central Asian views on Eurasia’s turbulent 2020 events
Editorial
Covid-19 takes a backseat to war, protests, and power struggles
While the world continued to struggle with Covid-19 and had their eyes set on the outcome of the US elections,...
What does a ‘good life’ mean for Central Asia?
Editorial
Can life in Europe serve as a guide for development policies towards Central Asia?
Amid concerns and uncertainty about one’s own health and that of our loved ones, the COVID-19...
How the EU links Central Asia to Afghanistan’s development
In 2019, the European Union (EU) released a new strategy for Central Asia. Whereas the strategy is focused on the five Central Asian ‘stans’, it does seek to include...
New EU Strategy for Central Asia: First reactions
Editorial
Enough to do for the EU in Central Asia
I always have a ‘to-do list’ at work. And, like most people, before I complete one task, I already have a...
Reconsidering EU Education Assistance to Central Asia
Central Asia’s educational systems have been deteriorating for almost three decades. Education is a key EU-driven area of EU-Central Asia cooperation. However, the EU’s focus on promoting large-scale systemic...
A new EU-Central Asia Strategy: Deepening relationships and generating long-lasting impact
Introduction
Over the past decade, the European Union (EU) has become an active actor in Central Asia. It has expanded its diplomatic presence, established co-operation mechanisms and increased its development...
How ‘central’ is Central Asia in the EU-Asia connectivity strategy?
Editorial
A confusing strategy
At the end of 2018, the European Union (EU) presented its Europe-Asia connectivity strategy (CS). The CS applies to transport, energy, and digital networks, and includes a...
Towards a new EU Strategy for Central Asia
Tactics or Strategy?
Ten years after the inception of the European Union’s (EU) Strategy for Central Asia, in June 2017 the European Council initiated a process to develop a new...
Civil Society Cornered in Central Asia
Introduction
Civil society and independent voices in Central Asia are increasingly under pressure from the authorities. Repression has intensified over the past five years, against a backdrop of a decline...