Podcasts about Central Asian studies

We pride ourselves on being a platform where diverse perspectives on urgent issues in Bali, the region, and around the globe can be shared with clarity, nuance, and respect.With the latest ceasefire and hostage deal between Hamas and Israel, we invite you to revisit our panel discussion with award-winning author and human rights lawyer Sara M. Saleh, prominent author and Palestine's former Minister of Culture Atef Abu Saif, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies at the Australian National University Amin Saikal, and lecturer at Reichman University Dr. Ori Goldberg. Together, they seek to understand the dire impact by exploring the historical roots, critical events, and pivotal moments shaping this enduring conflict.Recorded live from #UWRF24 and moderated by journalist Hannah Lucinda Smith, this extraordinary talk is now available on YouTube, Spotify, and Simplecast.Join us to shape Indonesia's literary future!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ubudwritersfest/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UbudWritersFestX (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/ubudwritersfestTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ubudwritersfestVisit our website: https://www.ubudwritersfestival.comJoin our newsletter: https://www.ubudwritersfestival.com/subscribe/

If there is one thing on our collective minds these days, it is the issue of politics. But for all the interest it piques, much of it remains a mystery to the American public. Bestselling author and journalist Casey Michel, who tackled the problem of financial corruption in his first book American Kleptocracy, sheds light on an issue that may be unknown to those outside the Capitol. In Michel's new book Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World, he details how one group has worked as foot soldiers for authoritarian, repressive regimes. In the process, they've not only established dictatorships and spread kleptocratic networks, but they've successfully guided U.S. policy without the rest of America being aware. And now, Michel asserts, some of them have begun turning their sights on American democracy itself. These Americans are known as foreign lobbyists, and many of them spent years laundering reputations and getting cozy in Washington with dictatorships. Michel writes of foreign lobbyists throughout history–including those who built alliances with Mussolini and the Nazis, but also contemporary Americans: in law firms and consultancies, among PR specialists and former lawmakers, and even within think tanks and universities. Foreign Agents illuminates these figures past and present and determines that they pose a threat to the future of American democracy. Casey Michel is an author, journalist, and director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program with the Human Rights Foundation. He is the author of American Kleptocracy, named by The Economist as one of the “best books to read to understand financial crime.” His writing on offshoring, foreign lobbying, authoritarianism, and illicit wealth has appeared in Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and The Washington Post, among other outlets, and he has appeared on NPR, BBC, CNN, and MSNBC, among other stations. He has also testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the links between illicit financial networks and national security. He received his Master's degree in Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies from Columbia University's Harriman Institute, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in northern Kazakhstan. Foreign Agents is his second book. Dr. Katy E. Pearce is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington and holds affiliations with the University of Washington's Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies and the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public. She is the chair of the Communication and Technology Division of the International Communication Association and is an associate editor at the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Her research focuses on social and political uses of technologies and digital content in the transitioning democracies and semi-authoritarian states of the South Caucasus and Central Asia, but primarily Armenia and Azerbaijan. Buy the Book Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World The Elliott Bay Book Company

Beijing has reiterated its appeal to speed up efforts in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis and facilitating peace talks, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict has dragged on for more than two years with no immediate resolution in sight.俄乌冲突已持续两年多，和平迹象仍未显现。中方再次呼吁加快努力缓和乌克兰危机、促进和平谈判。The international community should work together to build stronger consensus on a cease-fire and promote a political settlement, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a United Nations Security Council high-level meeting on Tuesday in New York.24日，中共中央政治局委员、外交部长王毅在纽约联合国总部举行的安理会乌克兰问题高级别会议上表示，国际社会应共同努力，就停火达成更有力的共识，并推动政治解决。The prolonged crisis "adds to the suffering of the people, inflicts further damage on the region, and brings greater instability to the world", Wang said.王毅说，危机每延宕一天，都会给人民带来更多苦难，给地区造成更多破坏，给世界带来更多动荡不安。The top priority is to follow the three principles of "no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no provocation by any party", which were put forward by China and Brazil in a consensus document on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in May, the foreign minister said.王毅表示，当务之急是遵守“战场不外溢、战事不升级、各方不拱火”三原则。该原则是在今年5月中国和巴西关于政治解决乌克兰危机的共识文件中提出的。Parties involved should avoid using weapons of mass destruction and refrain from attacking civilians, civilian facilities and peaceful nuclear facilities, such as nuclear power plants, he said.王毅强调，有关各方不应使用大规模杀伤性武器，不应袭击平民和民用设施，不应攻击核电站等和平核设施。"The more weapons are delivered to the battlefield, the harder it will be to achieve a cease-fire—this is a reality we must confront," Wang said, urging all parties to abandon Cold War confrontational thinking and play a constructive role in de-escalating tensions.“向战场输送武器越多，停火目标越难实现，这是需要面对的客观现实。”王毅呼吁，各方应摒弃冷战对抗思维，为局势降温发挥建设性作用。Pointing out that holding dialogue and negotiations is the only way out of the crisis, he warned that if peace talks fail to happen in time, misunderstanding and misjudgment would accumulate, risking a greater crisis.王毅指出，对话谈判是解决乌克兰危机的唯一可行出路。如果和谈迟迟无法开启，误解误判就会累积增加，进而酿成更大危机。More and more countries in the Global South are working together to create favorable conditions for restoring peace, Wang said, adding that the Global South has suffered seriously from the ongoing crisis, which has made the world economy even more sluggish.越来越多的“全球南方”国家也为此联合起来，积极为争取和平营造气氛、积累条件。王毅补充，乌克兰危机持续外溢，令全球经济雪上加霜，广大“全球南方”国家遭受严重负面影响。The spillover effect of the crisis must be managed, Wang said. He repeated China's call for concerted international efforts to maintain a stable and smooth global supply chain and protect the interests of developing countries.王毅强调，要增强管控外溢的紧迫感。他再次呼吁国际社会共同努力维护全球产业链供应链稳定畅通，维护发展中国家正当权益和发展空间。He said the international community should strengthen cooperation on energy, finance, trade, food security and the protection of key infrastructure, such as oil and gas pipelines.王毅表示，国际社会应就能源、金融、贸易、粮食安全以及保护油气管道等关键基础设施等加强合作。"No party should abuse illegal and unilateral sanctions and crack down on normal trade under the pretext of the crisis, let alone divide the world and create exclusive blocs," Wang said.“任何一方都不能以危机为由，滥施非法单边制裁,打压正常经贸往来，更不能借机割裂世界，制造封闭排他的各种集团。”王毅说。China is neither the creator of nor a party involved in the Ukraine crisis, he said, adding that the country has played its due part in addressing the issue by maintaining communications with Russia, Ukraine and other parties and working continuously to advocate peace and bring about dialogue.王毅指出，中国不是乌克兰危机的制造者，也不是当事方。中国同包括俄罗斯、乌克兰在内的各方保持接触，坚持不懈劝和促谈，为凝聚各方共识、推动政治解决乌克兰危机发挥了应有作用。The senior diplomat is in New York, as the special representative of President Xi Jinping, to attend the UN Summit of the Future and the general debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, while taking part in a series of other events.作为习近平主席特别代表，中共中央政治局委员、外交部长王毅在纽约出席联合国未来峰会和第79届联合国大会一般性辩论，并参加一系列其他活动。Wang's participation in Tuesday's high-level meeting came two months after he met with then Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba in China, where both sides voiced their hopes for addressing the crisis through negotiations.在参加24日的高级别会议两个月前，王毅与时任乌克兰外长德米特里·库列巴在中国举行会谈，当时双方都表示希望通过谈判解决危机。Zhao Huirong, a researcher at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the chances of a resolution of the crisis remain "slim" due to a lack of trust between Russia and Ukraine.中国社科院俄罗斯东欧中亚研究所研究员赵会荣认为，由于俄罗斯和乌克兰之间缺乏信任，解决危机的机会仍然“渺茫”。China has persisted in its efforts to promote peace talks, and its position and efforts are gaining recognition from an increasing number of countries, Zhao said.赵会荣表示，中国坚持不懈地推动和谈，其立场和努力正得到越来越多国家的认可。In another development, Wang also attended the eighth Dialogue of Foreign Ministers of China and the Quartet of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States at the UN headquarters on Tuesday.此外，王毅还出席了24日在联合国总部举行的中国－拉共体“四驾马车”外长第八轮对话。reiteratev. 重申；反复地说de-escalatev. 缓和，逐步降级ceasefiren. 停火sluggishadj. 萧条的

Much of the critical writing about authoritarianism warns that contemporary populism threatens democracy. But as Stephen Hanson and Jeffrey Kopstein argue in their interesting new book, The Assault on the State, this global attack on legalistic government by wannabe dictators like Putin, Erdogan and Modi endangers not just democracy but also much of what we take for granted about the convenience of modern life. It's a return to what they call the “patrimonialism” of The Godfather - a chillingly dysfunctional future in which to get a road fixed or a school built, we have to kiss the ring of a Don Corleone or a Donald Trump. Weird, eh?Stephen E. Hanson is the Lettie Pate Evans Professor in the Department of Government at William & Mary.  At William & Mary, he served as the Vice Provost for Academic and International Affairs from 2011 to 2022. Hanson received his B.A. in Social Studies from Harvard University (1985) and his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley (1991). He served from 2011–2021 as the Director of the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies, while also serving as Vice Provost for International Affairs at William & Mary. In 2016, William & Mary received the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Hanson served from 2009–2011 as the Vice Provost for Global Affairs, and from 2000–2008 as the Director of the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies at the Jackson School of International Studies, at the University of Washington, Seattle. Hanson is the author of Post-Imperial Democracies: Ideology and Party Formation in Third Republic France, Weimar Germany, and Post-Soviet Russia (Cambridge University Press, 2010) and Time and Revolution: Marxism and the Design of Soviet Institutions (University of North Carolina Press, 1997), which received the 1998 Wayne S. Vucinich book award from the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies. He is the co-author (with Richard Anderson Jr., M. Steven Fish, and Philip Roeder) of Postcommunism and the Theory of Democracy (Princeton University Press, 2001).Jeffrey Kopstein is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of California, Irvine. In his research, Professor Kopstein focuses on interethnic violence, voting patterns of minority groups, antisemitism, and anti-liberal tendencies in civil society, paying special attention to cases within European and Russian Jewish history. These interests are central topics in his latest books, Intimate Violence: Anti-Jewish Pogroms on the Eve of the Holocaust (Cornell University Press, 2018) and Politics, Memory, Violence: The New Social Science of the Holocaust (Cornell University Press, 2023).Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

President Xi Jinping's attendance at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is part of a major diplomatic move by Beijing toward its neighbors and will give a strong boost to the building of the SCO community with a shared future, analysts said.From Tuesday to Saturday, Xi will attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO and make state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on Sunday.Xi has attended the SCO summit for 11 consecutive years since 2013 and delivered speeches to each gathering in a face-to-face or virtual format.He has frequently emphasized the need to carry forward the "Shanghai Spirit" — a tenet of the grouping that features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development.In addition, Xi has issued China's initiatives at the gatherings on boosting solidarity and cooperation within the grouping. For example, at last year's summit, hosted by India, he announced that the country will carry out digital technology training programs in collaboration with the China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center, and will host an SCO national green development forum.The upcoming visit is "another major diplomatic action of China toward Central Asian countries" and the Eurasian region, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xi's visit will further pool strength for the SCO to work together in the same boat, promote the quality and upgrading of cooperation in many fields, including economy, security and culture, and "inject more positivity into world peace and development".At the summit in Astana, leaders of member states will discuss a wide range of topics such as politics, trade, economy and culture. Leaders of observer states and dialogue partner countries will also attend, according to the Kazakh government.The summit will witness the signing of a series of documents, including the SCO Development Strategy through 2035, Kazakh officials said.In the 23 years since its founding, the SCO has made remarkable achievements in maintaining the region's security and stability, deepening practical cooperation in various fields, and increasing its international influence and appeal, analysts said.SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming suggested that the member states continue to carry forward the "Shanghai Spirit" and advance the implementation of the organization's teamwork in various fields.While attending a forum last month in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, Zhang also called for strengthened reform and improvement of the organization's work to ensure that SCO cooperation "keeps pace with the times and moves to new heights".Guan Xueling, director of the Renmin University of China-St. Petersburg State University Center for Russian Studies, said the Astana summit will testify to the organization's growing influence and international status.Topics will include the SCO's plans for further development, how to better synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with the development visions of other member countries, and how to truly realize the strategic autonomy of the Global South, Guan said at a recent seminar in Beijing."Given the dampened international turmoil, crises and global governance deficit, the SCO has become a very important player in maintaining the region's security and stability and fostering development and prosperity," she added.Zhao Huirong, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said the SCO faces a number of opportunities as well as multiple challenges."The opportunities include the fact that the SCO is being favored by an increasing number of developing countries because of its commitment to the 'Shanghai Spirit' amid the persistent geopolitical confrontations in the world," she said.At the same time, the SCO faces a much more complex geopolitical environment, a tougher regional and international security setting, and a number of alarming areas related to unconventional security, she added.Vladimir Norov, former SCO secretary-general and former foreign minister of Uzbekistan, said the organization's spirit of solidarity, mutual trust and collaboration is "particularly precious in today's world"."The SCO should keep on cooperating in this spirit in the fight against the three evil forces (separatism, extremism and terrorism), tackling climate change, the response to cyberattacks, and ensuring the security of artificial intelligence," he told the newspaper 21st Century Business Herald.Reporter: Zhang YunbiShanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)n.上海合作组织China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Centern.中国-上海合作组织大数据合作中心

Nargis Kassenova is a senior fellow and director of the Program on Central Asia at the Davis Center. Prior to joining the center, she was an associate professor at the Department of International Relations and Regional Studies of KIMEP University (Almaty, Kazakhstan). She is the former founder and director of the KIMEP Central Asian Studies Center (CASC) and the China and Central Asia Studies Center (CCASC). Kassenova holds a Ph.D. in international cooperation studies from the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University (Japan). Her research focuses on Central Asian politics and security, Eurasian geopolitics, China's Belt and Road Initiative, governance in Central Asia, and the history of state-making in Central Asia.  Temur Umarov is a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. His research is focused on Central Asian countries' domestic and foreign policies, as well as China's relations with Russia and Central Asian neighbors. A native of Uzbekistan, Temur Umarov has degrees in China studies and international relations from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, and Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He holds an MA in world economics from the University of International Business and Economics (Beijing). He is also an alumnus of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center's Young Ambassadors and the Carnegie Endowment's Central Asian Futures programs. This webinar will be moderated by Scott Radnitz (Director of the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington).

President Xi Jinping pledged support to the Russian people in choosing their own path of development on Wednesday, while calling for more robust bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, energy and connectivity.During a meeting in Beijing with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Xi said the two nations should continue to enrich their bilateral cooperation by giving full play to the advantages of political mutual trust, economic complementarity, infrastructure connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.He highlighted the need for joint efforts to safeguard the security and stability of industrial and supply chains.The president hosted Mishustin, who is making his second visit to China this year for a regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government, at the Great Hall of the People. The two also met during Xi's state visit to Russia in March.Xi said the two nations have already met the target of increasing annual bilateral trade to $200 billion in the January-November period, a target set jointly by him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which demonstrated the strong resilience and broad prospects of mutually beneficial cooperation.He stressed that upholding and building up bilateral ties was the strategic choice made by both sides based on the fundamental interests of their peoples.Xi expressed Beijing's readiness to work with Moscow to take the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year as a new starting point to continuously expand the positive effects of the high-level political relationship.In doing so, both nations can continue to jointly move forward in the process of comprehensively promoting economic and social development and realizing national rejuvenation, he added.Xi underlined the strong resilience, vast potential and broad room for maneuver of the Chinese economy, saying that its long-term positive fundamentals remain unchanged.He reiterated Beijing's commitment to promoting high-quality development and high-level opening-up, which he said will provide new opportunities for the development of all countries, including Russia.The president called for joint efforts to ensure that the China-Russia Cultural Year in 2024 and 2025 is a success, including steps to design and carry out a variety of rich and colorful cultural and people-to-people exchange activities.The goal is to consolidate social and public support for the everlasting friendship between the two countries, he explained.The Russian prime minister stressed Moscow's readiness to further tap into potential and expand cooperation in areas such as trade, energy and connectivity.He conveyed the condolences of the Russian government and people to Xi regarding the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck Gansu and Qinghai provinces late on Monday night, saying that Russia is willing to provide rescue assistance as needed.Xi expressed his gratitude, saying that President Putin and many foreign leaders sent messages of condolences after the earthquake.China is making every effort to carry out rescue efforts and is doing its best to protect the lives and property of the people, he said, adding that the rescue forces and materials in the disaster-stricken areas are sufficient, and the basic well-being of local residents has been guaranteed.The people in the affected areas will surely be able to overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, he added.Xu Poling, director of the department of Russian economy of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the high level of ties and strong political mutual trust between Beijing and Moscow have been evident in the frequent meetings between leaders from both countries.He explained that trade between the two nations has grown exponentially and become more balanced, adding that bilateral trade could reach a historic high of $230 billion this year."There is even greater room for bilateral cooperation in industrial goods and supply chains," he said.Reporter: Xu Wei

Organized Muslim Women in Turkey: An Intersectional Approach to Building Women's Coalitions This talk explores the politics of organized Muslim women in Turkey and analyzes their coalitions with other – secular feminist, Kurdish etc. – women's movements from an intersectional perspective. It provides empirical evidence for significant changes in Muslim women's politics under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and points to the increasing difficulty to build cross-movement women's coalitions in the face of rising religious conservatism and authoritarianism. Ayse Dursun studied Political Science and English Studies at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main und graduated in 2010. Following her graduation, she started a PhD on the topic “Muslim Women's Movements in Turkey: An Intersectional Approach to Coalition Building” at the Department of Political Science of the University of Vienna. During her PhD, she worked as a research assistant at the same Department for the following projects: “Fördert Föderalismus Frauen? Föderalisierte Gleichstellungspolitik in Österreich und Deutschland” (Does Federalism Promote Gender Equality? Federalized Gender Equality Policies in Austria and Germany) (duration: 2012-2014) as well as “In Whose Best Interests? Exploring Unaccompanied Minors‘ Rights through the Lens of Migration and Asylum Processes” (MinAs) (duration: July 2014-December 2015). In May 2018, she received her PhD. From January until September 2019 she was working as a researcher for the research project Migrant Communities and Children in a Transforming Europe (MiCREATE) at the Department for Political Science. Since October 2019 she is Post Doc Assistant with research focus on Gender and Politics at the Department of Political Science. She is Steering Committee member of the Standing Group “Gender and Politics” of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). The Talking Gender in Europe lecture series is organized by the Center for West European Studies and the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence with support from the Lee and Stuart Scheingold European Studies Fund, the EU Erasmus+ Program, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the Center for Global Studies.

Guntis Smidchens presents his lecture, "Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian “New Idealism” for a Postimperial World" on Aug. 15, 2023. This lecture was part of the 2023 EU Policy Forum Educator Workshop. This teacher workshop is sponsored by the European Union, the UW Center for West European Studies & EU Center, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, the Center for Global Studies, the World Affairs Council. The workshop is hosted by the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. For more information, please email the Center for West European Studies at cweseuc@uw.edu. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Dean LaRue presents his lecture, "The EU and NATO: Searching for a European Defense Identity" on Aug. 15, 2023. This lecture was part of the 2023 EU Policy Forum Educator Workshop. This teacher workshop is sponsored by the European Union, the UW Center for West European Studies & EU Center, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, the Center for Global Studies, the World Affairs Council. The workshop is hosted by the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. For more information, please email the Center for West European Studies at cweseuc@uw.edu. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

John Koenig presents his lecture, "The U.S.-Europe Defense Relationship: De-Risking, Not De-Coupling" on Aug. 15, 2023. This lecture was part of the 2023 EU Policy Forum Educator Workshop. This teacher workshop is sponsored by the European Union, the UW Center for West European Studies & EU Center, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, the Center for Global Studies, the World Affairs Council. The workshop is hosted by the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. For more information, please email the Center for West European Studies at cweseuc@uw.edu. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Scott Montgomery presents his lecture, "Europe's Energy Challenges: Winter is Coming" on Aug. 15, 2023. This lecture was part of the 2023 EU Policy Forum Educator Workshop. This teacher workshop is sponsored by the European Union, the UW Center for West European Studies & EU Center, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, the Center for Global Studies, the World Affairs Council. The workshop is hosted by the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. For more information, please email the Center for West European Studies at cweseuc@uw.edu. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Beijing underlined at high-level talks on Wednesday the urgency for China and the United Kingdom to show mutual respect, jointly tackle weather global challenges and spur two-way trade and investment.8月30日中共中央政治局委员、外交部长王毅在北京同英国外交发展大臣克莱弗利举行的会谈上强调，中英两国迫切需要相互尊重，共同应对全球天气挑战，促进双向贸易和投资。Vice-President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met separately in Beijing with visiting UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly.国家副主席韩正和外交部长王毅在北京分别会见了来访的英国外交发展大臣克莱弗利。Cleverly's official visit to China on Wednesday was the first by an incumbent UK foreign secretary to the country in five years.克莱弗利此次对中国进行的正式访问是英国现任外交大臣五年来首次访华。Observers noted that keywords such as "global" and "communication" demonstrated the common ground shared by both sides at the meeting, reflecting goodwill expressed by both sides to repair their strained ties.观察家们注意到，“全球”和“沟通”等关键词表明了双方在会晤中的共同点，反映了双方为修复紧张关系所表达的善意。Vice-President Han is no stranger to the British political community, as he attended the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and related activities as President Xi Jinping's special representative in May.韩正副主席对英国政界并不陌生，今年5月，他作为习近平主席的特别代表出席了英国国王查理三世的加冕仪式及相关活动。Speaking to Cleverly, he noted that China and the UK have had ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations for more than half a century and "have achieved positive results in practical cooperation in various fields".他在会见克莱弗利时表示，中英建立大使级外交关系半个多世纪，各领域务实合作取得积极成果。He underlined the two nations' shared identities: permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major global economies.并强调了两国的共同身份：联合国安理会常任理事国和世界主要经济体。In the face of risks and challenges in the current international situation, China and the UK "should uphold the spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, take care of each other's core interests and major concerns, maintain communication in international and regional affairs, and jointly promote world peace and development".面对当前国际形势的风险和挑战，中英两国“要秉持相互尊重、合作共赢精神，照顾彼此核心利益和重大关切，在国际和地区事务中保持沟通，共同推动世界和平与发展。”China has long been among the UK's largest export markets. Last year, China was the UK's second-largest trading partner in goods imports and its fifth-largest in goods exports, according to the UK Office for National Statistics.长期以来，中国一直是英国最大的出口市场之一。根据英国国家统计局的数据，去年中国是英国第二大货物进口贸易伙伴和第五大货物出口贸易伙伴。This year, the UK is the Guest Country of Honor for the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services, which is scheduled to open this weekend in Beijing.今年，英国是定于本周末在北京开幕的2023年中国国际服务贸易交易会的主宾国。During the meeting, Han also noted that economic and trade cooperation is the basis for the sound and stable development of China-UK relations.韩正在会谈中还指出，经贸合作是中英关系健康稳定发展的基础。He called on the two governments to "create an enabling business environment for enterprises and actively explore new growth points for pragmatic cooperation".两国政府要为企业创造良好营商环境，积极探索务实合作新增长点。Cleverly said that China is a key power with global influence and is increasingly playing an important role in international governance.克莱弗利表示，中国是具有全球影响力的重要大国，在国际治理中日益发挥重要作用。The UK appreciates China's important contribution to the world economy and poverty reduction, and is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication with China to build consensus and deepen cooperation, he added.英国赞赏中国对世界经济和减贫事业作出的重要贡献，愿同中国加强高层交往和战略沟通，凝聚共识，深化合作。In his meeting with Cleverly, Foreign Minister Wang said that the UK foreign secretary's visit reflected the importance and positive attitude he attaches to ties with China, and said the two countries "should conduct and step up regular exchanges in various fields".王毅在会见克莱弗利时说，英国外交大臣此次访问体现了对中国的重视和对华的积极姿态，中英应当开展并加强各方面的正常交往。London should "respect China's core interests and faithfully honor the one-China policy", he said, adding that the two countries should jointly champion world peace and stability, step up macro policy coordination and promote dialogue among cultures.他指出，英方应切实尊重中方核心利益，恪守一个中国政策。并强调“作为历史文化大国，理应加强交流互鉴，倡导文明对话，为人类社会减少隔阂冲突发挥建设性作用。”The visit was made at a time when relations have been overshadowed by London's recent policy agenda and comments regarding topics such as Xinjiang, Taiwan and Hong Kong.此次访问正值中英关系因英方近期有关新疆、台湾和香港等议题的政策议程和言论而蒙上阴影之际。Ahead of his visit, Cleverly said, "No significant global problem—from climate change to pandemic prevention, from economic instability to nuclear proliferation—can be solved without China."克莱弗里在访问前说：“任何重大的全球性问题，从气候变化到大流行病预防，从经济不稳定到核扩散的解决都离不开中国。”Many officials and policy watchers have spoken out and urged the UK not to be misled by voices advocating "decoupling" or "de-risking".许多官员和政策观察家纷纷发表言论，敦促英国不要被“脱钩”或“去风险”的主张所误导。They also said it is key for London to take tangible actions to repair trust with Beijing while seeking greater benefits in trade and investment.他们还表示，关键是伦敦要采取切实行动，修复与中国政府的信任，同时在贸易和投资方面寻求更大的利益。Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Asia government and politics correspondent for Bloomberg News, said in an article that, "It may be now or never for the UK to repair its battered relationship with the world's second-largest economy."彭博新闻社亚洲政府与政治记者丽贝卡-琼-威尔金斯（Rebecca Choong Wilkins）在一篇文章中说：“对于英国来说，现在是修复它与世界第二大经济体之间紧张关系的最佳时机，否则就没有机会了。”Tian Dewen, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, said that "China-UK cooperation is expected to play a positive role" when the UK looks to find a new way to enhance its economic autonomy and engage in extensive international cooperation.中国社会科学院俄罗斯东欧中亚研究所副所长田德文说，当英国寻求新的途径来增强其经济自主性并参与广泛的国际合作时，“中英合作有望发挥积极作用”。Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London, told the Associated Press, "We need to engage in conversation with China, we need to have effective communication channels with China—even if we don't agree on anything—because China does matter."伦敦SOAS中国研究所所长史蒂夫-曾（Steve Tsang）告诉美联社记者：“我们需要与中国进行对话，我们需要与中国建立有效的沟通渠道--即使我们在任何事情上意见不一致--因为中国确实很重要。”Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Tuesday that "maintaining and growing bilateral relations serves the common interests of the peoples of both countries".8月29日，中国外交部发言人汪文斌告诉记者：“维护和发展好双边关系符合两国人民的共同利益。”Zheng Zeguang, Chinese ambassador to the UK, noted that China and the UK have broad prospects of cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, trade and finance, and green energy.中国驻英国大使郑泽光指出，中英两国在数字经济、贸易金融、绿色能源等领域有着广阔的合作前景。"The two countries should adhere to the principle of mutual benefit and win-win, provide a level-playing field for each other's business communities, and break new ground in collaboration in new areas," he said.他说：“两国应坚持互利共赢的原则，为彼此工商界提供公平竞争的环境，在新领域开辟合作新天地。”Consensus英/kənˈsensəs/ 美/kənˈsensəs/n.一致看法，共识Communication英/kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ 美/kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃn/n.表达，交流

वैगनर ग्रुप के चीफ येवेज्ञनी प्रिगोझिन की विमान हादसे में मौत हो गई है. वैगनर से जुड़े टेलीग्राम चैनल ने भी प्रिगोझिन के मारे जाने की पुष्टि कर दी है. इसने कहा है कि वैगनर चीफ और रूस के हीरो येवेज्ञनी प्रिगोझिन मारे गए हैं. प्रिगोझिन ने जून में ही रूस के खिलाफ बगावत की थी. ऐसे में इस बात की भी चर्चाएं हो रही हैं कि राष्ट्रपति व्लादिमीर पुतिन ने कहीं प्रिगोझिन को इसकी सजा तो नहीं दी है. चलिए आज बात करते हैं इस बारे में . मैं मानसी हूँ आपके साथ लेकर FYIऔर मेरे साथ हैं Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies , JNU , Dr. Nalin Kumar Mohapatra, ABP LIVE Podcasts पर

The lecture will focus on the current political developments in Europe after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In response to thousands of civilian deaths and destruction of the country, the international community has imposed fierce sanctions targeting every sector of the Russian economy. The war has created a new reality and changed the relations between Russia and the European Union from the ground. Was it possible to avoid the war? How are the refugees from Ukraine received and how did the conflict change lives of the people in neighboring countries? What will be the impact for Europe in near future? Dr. Martin Nekola, Ph.D. received his doctorate in Political Science at the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. His research is focused on non-democratic regimes, the era of Communism, Czech communities abroad and the East-European anti-communist exiles in the USA during the Cold War. From time to time he participates in the election observation missions organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). He is the member of Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES), he is the author of more than three hundred articles and has published twenty-four books. He is also Czechoslovak Talks Project coordinator. This event is sponsored by the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic, the Department of History and the Ellison Center for Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington.

The upcoming China-Central Asia Summit, to be chaired by President Xi Jinping, will further elevate ties between China and the five Central Asian countries, bring economic and trade cooperation to a higher level and deliver more tangible benefits to the people, officials and analysts said.Xi will chair the summit on May 18 and 19 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on Monday.The summit will bring together President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, she said.The gathering, one of the major diplomatic events to be hosted by China this year, will be a significant milestone in the history of ties between the two sides, Wang Wenbin, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said at a news briefing on Monday.Xi will deliver an important speech at the summit, and the six heads of state will exchange views on the development of the China-Central Asia mechanism, cooperation in various sectors and major international and regional issues of common concern, he said.Key political documents will also be signed during the summit, he said. "It is our belief that under the joint efforts from various sides, the summit will draw up a new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations and usher in a new era for cooperation."Total trade volume between China and the five Central Asian countries reached a record $70 billion last year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.Li Yongquan, head of the China Society for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said China has always respected the five Central Asian countries' sovereignty, independence and their right to choose development paths suited to their own national conditions."China has always seen Central Asia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, while the stability and development of the region is directly related to China's own development," Li said.Last year, Xi chaired a virtual summit in Beijing to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Central Asian countries, during which he announced a plan to provide grant assistance of $500 million to the countries to support livelihood programs.Xi also made Kazakhstan the destination of his first foreign trip since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, paying a state visit to the nation in September.Going forward, the building of an even closer community with a shared future between China and Central Asia will give fresh impetus to bilateral ties and contribute to the region's security, stability and development, said Li from the China Society for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies.Zhao Huirong, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said that the elevation of the multilateral mechanism between China and the five countries indicated a new level of emphasis placed on the relationship."A summit between heads of state will help build a strong pillar for the building of a community with a shared future between the two sides and lead the way for the future growth of ties," she said.Central Asia is the place where Xi proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt, the forerunner of the Belt and Road Initiative. The region has also played pivotal roles in the BRI going global, Zhao added."The five nations are active participants and beneficiaries from the BRI, and we have reasons to believe that the summit will help scale up pragmatic cooperation and enable the region to continue leading the way for BRI cooperation," she said.China and the five countries agreed during a foreign ministers' meeting last year to establish the China-Central Asia Summit mechanism, with the six countries to hold biennial summits starting this year.Summit英/ˈsʌmɪt/ 美/ˈsʌmɪt/n.（政府间的）首脑会议，峰会Anniversary英/ˌænɪˈvɜːsəri/ 美/ˌænɪˈvɜːrsəri/n.周年纪念（日）

David Tyson retired from the CIA's Directorate of Operations in 2020 after a 25-year career. The majority of his service was overseas; most of his postings and deployments were in Central Asia, the Caucasus region, and South Asia. David was a member of Team Alpha, the first group of U.S. personnel inserted behind enemy lines in Afghanistan after 9/11. During that deployment, David and the team worked closely with U.S. Special Forces (ODA 595) along with Afghan allies. David began his intelligence career as a linguist and interpreter, achieving fluency in Russian, Uzbek, Turkmen, Turkish, and Farsi/Dari. He is a recipient of the CIA's Distinguished Intelligence Cross, the Agency's highest award for valor, and the Agency's Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal. Prior to working for the Agency, David served in the U.S. Army, both enlisted and as an officer. He has a BA in International Relations and Russian Language from West Chester State University, and two master's degrees from Indiana University, in Central Asian Studies and Russian Studies. David was born and raised in Pennsylvania and currently lives with his family in rural Virginia. Find out more at www.badgersix.org This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5351305/advertisement

Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev says he is creating a new Kazakhstan. But when unemployed oil workers from the western city of Zhanaozen made their way to the capital, Astana, on April 9, Kazakh authorities dealt with the issue in the same old way. What does the recent demonstration in Astana tell us about the government's vision of a new Kazakhstan? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the old methods of new Kazakhstan are guests Assel Tutumlu, lecturer at the Department of International Relations and Political Science at the Near East University in Nicosia, and Luca Anceschi, professor of Central Asian Studies at Glasgow University.

For the first time in the history of independent Turkmenistan, the president is not the most powerful person in the country. Serdar Berdymukhammedov lost many of his powers as president when the Turkmen parliament passed amendments to its constitution on January 21. The head of the government in Turkmenistan now is the chairman of the People's Council, Serdar's father, former President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss what just happened in Turkmenistan, and why, are Luca Anceschi, professor of Central Asian Studies at Glasgow University and author of the book Turkmenistan's Foreign Policy: Positive Neutrality And The Consolidation Of The Turkmen Regime; and Farruh Yusupov, the head of RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk.

The Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington presents the first talk (12/1/2022)in the 2022-2023 REECAS Lecture Series on Russia in the Arctic. Valeria Vasilyeva (Ph.D. in Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences) is a research fellow at the Center for Arctic Social Studies, European University at St. Petersburg, Russia. Currently, she is a Fulbright visiting scholar at Boise State University. Her research focuses on mobility practices, social construction of space, and perception of infrastructure in the Russian North. She has conducted fieldwork in several regions on the Arctic coast, but her primary region of interest is the Taimyr Peninsula.

Mr. Milewski has spent his career in various aspects of the mining industry, including as a company director, advisor, founder and investor.  In particular, he has been active in the battery metals industry including investing in cobalt and actively trading physical cobalt. In 2016, one of the industry's leading publications, “The Mining Journal,” named him as a Future Mining Leader. In 2017, Anthony accepted an invitation from the London Metals Exchange to join the LME Cobalt Committee which includes representatives from the largest mining and commodities companies globally to represent the interests of the industry to the board of directors the LME. Mr. Milewski has managed numerous mining investments at various stages of development, including exploration, development, production and turnaround situations, and across a broad range of commodities. With the June 2018 close of Nickel 28's A$10 million equity investment in Highlands Pacific for resulting ownership of 13%, Mr. Milewski was appointed to the Board of Directors of Highlands Pacific.  He has also served as a director of both public and private companies and has been seconded as interim CEO on multiple occasions.  Mr. Milewski was a member of the investment team at Pala Investments Limited.  Prior to joining Pala Investments, he worked at Firebird Management LLC. Mr. Milewski previously worked at Renaissance Capital and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Moscow, where he focused on advisory and transactional work in metals & mining and oil & gas sectors.  He has lived and worked in Africa and Russia, including a year as a Fulbright scholar, and has spent considerable time in Central Asia. Mr. Milewski holds a B.A. in Russian history from Brigham Young University, an M.A. in Russian and Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington, and a J.D. from the University of Washington.  He holds an LLM from the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2:20 - Anthony's focus on energy transition and decarbonization 3:20 - Human's carbon footprints 5:48 - Global warming and pollution 6:35 - Carbon credits - what are they and how do you get them? 11:30 - Carbon credits and Wall Street 14:25 - Carbon credit money markets  23:10 - Doing more with less while making the world a better place 25:10 - Carbon credits and farming 27:00 - Vertical farming 28:00 - Connecting with Anthony  

Dean LaRue presents his lecture, "How Does the EU Actually Work and How Is It Changing in the Face of Russian Aggression in Ukraine?" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2022 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/ed…cator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. Dean LaRue is a Senior Lecturer for the Center for West European Studies and European Union Center in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Mr. LaRue holds a Master of Arts in Policy Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Global Trade, Transportation and Logistics from the University of Washington. He is a member of the founding team for the West Coast Model European Union, the primary instructor for the UW's European Union Policy and Simulation course since 2005, and a former Outreach Coordinator for CWES/EUC. Mr. LaRue is a former US Foreign Service Officer for the United States Information Agency and International Product Manager for Amazon.com. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Glennys Young presents her lecture, "Russia's War Against Ukraine: Teaching Opportunities and Challenges" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2021 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/ed…cator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. I am a historian of Russia and the Soviet Union. Over the course of my career, I have become increasingly interested in the USSR's involvement in transnational movements and processes, whether political, social, cultural, or economic. I have also pursued research interests in the history of Communism and world history. In addition to the books mentioned below, I've published articles on a number of topics in Soviet social and political history. My first book, Power and the Sacred in Revolutionary Russia: Religious Activists in the Village (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997), examined the Bolshevik project of cultural transformation through a case study of peasants' responses to the Soviet anti-religious campaign. In 1999, the book was awarded Honorable Mention for the Hans Rosenhaupt Memorial Book Prize from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. In 2011, I published The Communist Experience in the Twentieth Century: A Global History through Sources (Oxford University Press. Through a collection of carefully selected documents, some presented for the first time in English translation, the book seeks to provide an inside look at how people around the world subjectively experienced, and contributed to, global communism. My current book project is entitled The Return: From the Soviet Union to Franco's Spain in the Cold War, under contract with Oxford University Press, England. The Return reveals the unrecognized political, social, and cultural shockwaves of the Cold War repatriation of Spanish nationals who had been catapulted to the USSR as refugees and exiles in the Spanish Civil War, or as soldiers who fought for the Nazi Wehrmacht in World War II. What makes the Spanish case distinct with respect to numerous others involving post-World War II repatriations from the USSR is that it involved civilians and military personnel, including prisoners of war. As well, the repatriation of Spanish nationals constituted the largest repatriation of civilians from the USSR to a country in Western Europe during the Cold War. Although the repatriation of Spaniards—both Red Army POWs and civilians—began during World War II, albeit in small numbers, the return of the Spaniards became an international issue beginning in the late 1940s, just as the Cold War was heating up. The book focuses on the seven expeditions of repatriates from the USSR to Franco's Spain in the second half of the 1950s. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Christopher Jones presents his lecture, "What to Do About Russia? Russia, the EU, and the International System" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2021 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/ed…cator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. Chris Jones is an Associate Professor of International Studies at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. His teaching focuses on NATO/Warsaw pact relations, post-Cold War security issues, and political economy of the post-Cold War era. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Brendan Mcelmeel presents his lecture, "Russia vs. ‘Gayropa?' Russian Cultural Politics since the Conservative Turn" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2021 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/ed…cator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. Brendan Mcelmeel is a doctoral candidate at the Department of History, University of Washington. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Scott Montgomery presents his lecture, "EU Economic and Energy Responses to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2021 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/ed…cator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. Scott L. Montgomery is an author, geoscientist, and affiliate faculty member in the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington. He writes and lectures on a wide variety of topics related to energy (geopolitics, technology, resources, climate change), American politics, intellectual history, language and communication, and the history of science. He is a frequent contributor to online journals such as The Conversation, Forbes, and Fortune, and his articles and op-eds are regularly featured in many outlets, including Newsweek, Marketwatch, The Huffington Post, and UPI. He also gives public talks and serves on panels related to issues in global energy and their relation to political and economic trends and ideas of sustainability. For more than two decades, Montgomery worked as a geoscientist in the energy industry, writing over 100 scientific papers and 70 monographs on topics related to oil and gas, energy technology, and industry trends. Montgomery is the author of 12 books and is currently pursuing several areas of research, including the role of Enlightenment ideas in present-day American politics, as well as the future of petroleum and its role in geopolitics and climate change. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Glennys Young presents her lecture, "Russia's War Against Ukraine: Teaching Opportunities and Challenges" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2021 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/ed…cator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. I am a historian of Russia and the Soviet Union. Over the course of my career, I have become increasingly interested in the USSR's involvement in transnational movements and processes, whether political, social, cultural, or economic. I have also pursued research interests in the history of Communism and world history. In addition to the books mentioned below, I've published articles on a number of topics in Soviet social and political history. My first book, Power and the Sacred in Revolutionary Russia: Religious Activists in the Village (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997), examined the Bolshevik project of cultural transformation through a case study of peasants' responses to the Soviet anti-religious campaign. In 1999, the book was awarded Honorable Mention for the Hans Rosenhaupt Memorial Book Prize from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. In 2011, I published The Communist Experience in the Twentieth Century: A Global History through Sources (Oxford University Press. Through a collection of carefully selected documents, some presented for the first time in English translation, the book seeks to provide an inside look at how people around the world subjectively experienced, and contributed to, global communism. My current book project is entitled The Return: From the Soviet Union to Franco's Spain in the Cold War, under contract with Oxford University Press, England. The Return reveals the unrecognized political, social, and cultural shockwaves of the Cold War repatriation of Spanish nationals who had been catapulted to the USSR as refugees and exiles in the Spanish Civil War, or as soldiers who fought for the Nazi Wehrmacht in World War II. What makes the Spanish case distinct with respect to numerous others involving post-World War II repatriations from the USSR is that it involved civilians and military personnel, including prisoners of war. As well, the repatriation of Spanish nationals constituted the largest repatriation of civilians from the USSR to a country in Western Europe during the Cold War. Although the repatriation of Spaniards—both Red Army POWs and civilians—began during World War II, albeit in small numbers, the return of the Spaniards became an international issue beginning in the late 1940s, just as the Cold War was heating up. The book focuses on the seven expeditions of repatriates from the USSR to Franco's Spain in the second half of the 1950s. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Christopher Jones presents his lecture, "What to Do About Russia? Russia, the EU, and the International System" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2021 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: https://jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/educator-resources/annual-teachers-workshop/2022-eu-policy-forum-educator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. Chris Jones is an Associate Professor of International Studies at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. His teaching focuses on NATO/Warsaw pact relations, post-Cold War security issues, and political economy of the post-Cold War era. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Brendan Mcelmeel presents his lecture, "Russia vs. ‘Gayropa?' Russian Cultural Politics since the Conservative Turn" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2021 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/ed…cator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. Brendan Mcelmeel is a doctoral candidate at the Department of History, University of Washington. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Scott Montgomery presents his lecture, "EU Economic and Energy Responses to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2021 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: https://jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/educator-resources/annual-teachers-workshop/2022-eu-policy-forum-educator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. Scott L. Montgomery is an author, geoscientist, and affiliate faculty member in the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington. He writes and lectures on a wide variety of topics related to energy (geopolitics, technology, resources, climate change), American politics, intellectual history, language and communication, and the history of science. He is a frequent contributor to online journals such as The Conversation, Forbes, and Fortune, and his articles and op-eds are regularly featured in many outlets, including Newsweek, Marketwatch, The Huffington Post, and UPI. He also gives public talks and serves on panels related to issues in global energy and their relation to political and economic trends and ideas of sustainability. For more than two decades, Montgomery worked as a geoscientist in the energy industry, writing over 100 scientific papers and 70 monographs on topics related to oil and gas, energy technology, and industry trends. Montgomery is the author of 12 books and is currently pursuing several areas of research, including the role of Enlightenment ideas in present-day American politics, as well as the future of petroleum and its role in geopolitics and climate change. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Dean LaRue presents his lecture, "How Does the EU Actually Work and How Is It Changing in the Face of Russian Aggression in Ukraine?" on Aug. 17, 2022. This lecture was part of the 2022 EU Policy Forum for Educators. More information about the workshop, as well as the visual Presentation Slides accompanying this lecture can be found here: https://jsis.washington.edu/euwesteurope/educator-resources/annual-teachers-workshop/2022-eu-policy-forum-educator-workshop/ A complete transcript of the podcast is also available at the above link. Dean LaRue is a Senior Lecturer for the Center for West European Studies and European Union Center in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Mr. LaRue holds a Master of Arts in Policy Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Global Trade, Transportation and Logistics from the University of Washington. He is a member of the founding team for the West Coast Model European Union, the primary instructor for the UW's European Union Policy and Simulation course since 2005, and a former Outreach Coordinator for CWES/EUC. Mr. LaRue is a former US Foreign Service Officer for the United States Information Agency and International Product Manager for Amazon.com. The EU Policy Forum is supported by The UW Jackson School of International Studies' Erasmus+ funded Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, the Center for West European Studies, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the World Affairs Council. This lecture was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

It is very difficult to see an endgame for Turkish foreign policy, because for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, there is no endgame, said Hamit Bozarslan, Director of the Centre for Turkish, Ottoman, Balkan, and Central Asian Studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris, France. Turkey, under Erdoğan's leadership, escalates series of challenges and crisis within NATO, in the neighbourhood and region. Pushing Sweden and Finland into a corner, Erdoğan ups the ante also with the United States and seems all set for a large-scale incursion into Syrian and Iraqi soil. What's at stake? Has Erdoğan passed the Rubicon? How can NATO react? Will the region's Kurds once more end up as losers of the grand power game? Ahval's Editor in Chief Yavuz Baydar talked to a top expert, Prof Bozarslan on the issue, for Hot Pursuit podcast series on Wednesday.

It is very difficult to see an endgame for Turkish foreign policy, because for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, there is no endgame, said Hamit Bozarslan, Director of the Centre for Turkish, Ottoman, Balkan, and Central Asian Studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris, France.Turkey, under Erdoğan's leadership, escalates series of challenges and crisis within NATO, in the neighbourhood and region. Pushing Sweden and Finland into a corner, Erdoğan ups the ante also with the United States and seems all set for a large-scale incursion into Syrian and Iraqi soil. What's at stake? Has Erdoğan passed the Rubicon? How can NATO react? Will the region's Kurds once more end up as losers of the grand power game? Ahval's Editor in Chief Yavuz Baydar talked to a top expert, Prof Bozarslan on the issue, for Hot Pursuit podcast series on Wednesday.

There's something natural and organic about perceiving that the people in power are out to advance their own interests. It's in part because it's often true. Governments actually do keep secrets from the public. Politicians engage in scandals. There often is corruption at high levels. So, we don't want citizens in a democracy to be too trusting of their politicians. It's healthy to be skeptical of the state and its real abuses and tendencies towards secrecy. The danger is when this distrust gets redirected, not toward the state, but targets innocent people who are not actually responsible for people's problems.Scott RadnitzSupport Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.*Please note during the interview the host says "conspiracy" rather than "conspiracy theory." The transcript has been corrected.*Scott Radnitz is an associate professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Washington and the director of the Ellison Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asian Studies. He is the author of Revealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region and coeditor with Harris Mylonas of the forthcoming book Enemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns. His article “Why Democracy Fuels Conspiracy Theories” was recently published in the Journal of Democracy.Key HighlightsConspiracy theories Russia uses to justify their invasion of UkraineWhy Russia relies on conspiracy theories in its political rhetoricThe use of conspiracy theories in democracies and autocraciesThe recent proliferation of conspiracy theories in the United StatesHow to mitigate the harmful effects of conspiracy theories in politicsKey Links"Why Democracy Fuels Conspiracy Theories" by Scott Radnitz in Journal of DemocracyRevealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region by Scott RadnitzEnemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns edited by Harris Mylonas and Scott RadnitzAdditional InformationDemocracy Paradox PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

There's something natural and organic about perceiving that the people in power are out to advance their own interests. It's in part because it's often true. Governments actually do keep secrets from the public. Politicians engage in scandals. There often is corruption at high levels. So, we don't want citizens in a democracy to be too trusting of their politicians. It's healthy to be skeptical of the state and its real abuses and tendencies towards secrecy. The danger is when this distrust gets redirected, not toward the state, but targets innocent people who are not actually responsible for people's problems.Scott RadnitzSupport Democracy Paradox on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive updates and information. A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.*Please note during the interview the host says "conspiracy" rather than "conspiracy theory." The transcript has been corrected.*Scott Radnitz is an associate professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Washington and the director of the Ellison Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asian Studies. He is the author of Revealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region and coeditor with Harris Mylonas of the forthcoming book Enemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns. His article “Why Democracy Fuels Conspiracy Theories” was recently published in the Journal of Democracy.Key HighlightsConspiracy theories Russia uses to justify their invasion of UkraineWhy Russia relies on conspiracy theories in its political rhetoricThe use of conspiracy theories in democracies and autocraciesThe recent proliferation of conspiracy theories in the United StatesHow to mitigate the harmful effects of conspiracy theories in politicsKey Links"Why Democracy Fuels Conspiracy Theories" by Scott Radnitz in Journal of DemocracyRevealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region by Scott RadnitzEnemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns edited by Harris Mylonas and Scott RadnitzDemocracy Paradox PodcastRonald Deibert from Citizen Lab on Cyber Surveillance, Digital Subversion, and Transnational RepressionMoisés Naím on the New Dynamics of Political PowerMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox100 Books on DemocracySupport the show

Dr. Roger Kangas, Ph.D. Academic Dean and Professor Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University TNWAC Global Town Hall at Belmont University, March 31, 2022 @ 6:00 p.m. CT with Moderator, Dr. Thomas A Schwartz, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of History of U.S. Foreign Relations, Vanderbilt University Transcript available at TNWAC.org | Support the Tennessee World Affairs Council by becoming a member and making a contribution | Sign up for the newsletter | All on TNWAC.org Dr. Roger Kangas – Academic Dean and a Professor of Central Asian Studies at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. Previously Dr. Kangas served as a Professor of Central Asian Studies at the George C. Marshall Center for European Security in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; Deputy Director of the Central Asian Institute at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC; Central Asian Course Coordinator at the Foreign Service Institute for the U.S. Department of State; Research Analyst on Central Asian Affairs for the Open Media Research Institute (OMRI) in Prague, Czech Republic; and as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Kangas has been an advisor to the Combatant Commands, NATO/ISAF, the US Air Force Special Operations School, National Democratic Institute, International Research and Exchanges Board, American Councils, Academy for Educational Development, USIA, USAID, and other US government agencies on issues relating to Central and South Asia, Russia, and the South Caucasus. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Dr. Kangas holds a B.S.F.S. in Comparative Politics from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University. Dr. Thomas A. Schwartz Thomas Alan Schwartz is a historian of the foreign relations of the United States, with related interests in American politics, the history of international relations, Modern European history, and biography. His most recent book is Henry Kissinger and American Power: A Political Biography (Hill and Wang, 2020). The book has received considerable notice and acclaim. Harvard's University's Charles Maier has written: “Thomas Schwartz's superbly researched political biography reveals the brilliance, self-serving ego, and vulnerability of America's most remarkable diplomat in the twentieth century, even as it provides a history of U.S. engagement in global politics as it moved beyond bipolarity.” Earlier in his career, Schwartz was the author of America's Germany: John J. McCloy and the Federal Republic of Germany (Harvard, 1991), which was translated into German, Die Atlantik Brücke (Ullstein, 1992). This book received the Stuart Bernath Book Prize of the Society of American Foreign Relations, and the Harry S. Truman Book Award, given by the Truman Presidential Library. He is also the author of Lyndon Johnson and Europe: In the Shadow of Vietnam (Harvard, 2003), which examined the Johnson Administration's policy toward Europe and assessed the impact of the war in Vietnam on its other foreign policy objectives. He is the co-editor with Matthias Schulz of The Strained Alliance: U.S.-European Relations from Nixon to Carter, (Cambridge University Press, 2009).

The Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies presents "In Focus: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine" on March 7, 2022, a panel discussion with UW faculty and other guest speakers on the unfolding situation in Ukraine. Find resources for supporting Ukraine here: https://jsis.washington.edu/ellisoncenter/news/how-to-help-support-ukraine-suggested-organizations-for-donations/ Opening Remarks: Leela Fernandes, Director and Stanley D. Golub Chair, Jackson School of International Studies Moderator: Scott Radnitz, Herbert J. Ellison Associate Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies, and Director, Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies UW and Guest Speakers: Glennys Young, Chair, Department of History and Professor, Jackson School of International Studies Laada Bilaniuk, Professor, Department of Anthropology Ambassador John Koenig, Lecturer, Jackson School and former U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO in Brussels Chris Collison, Senior Program Manager, National Democratic Institute, Washington D.C. Sofiia Fedzhora, Ph.D. student, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and UW Fulbright Ukrainian Language Teaching Assistant (2021-2022) This panel is sponsored by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, and the Center for West European Studies.

The Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies presents "In Focus: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine" on March 7, 2022, a panel discussion with UW faculty and other guest speakers on the unfolding situation in Ukraine. Find resources for supporting Ukraine here: https://jsis.washington.edu/ellisoncenter/news/how-to-help-support-ukraine-suggested-organizations-for-donations/ Opening Remarks: Leela Fernandes, Director and Stanley D. Golub Chair, Jackson School of International Studies Moderator: Scott Radnitz, Herbert J. Ellison Associate Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies, and Director, Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies UW and Guest Speakers: Glennys Young, Chair, Department of History and Professor, Jackson School of International Studies Laada Bilaniuk, Professor, Department of Anthropology Ambassador John Koenig, Lecturer, Jackson School and former U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO in Brussels Chris Collison, Senior Program Manager, National Democratic Institute, Washington D.C. Sofiia Fedzhora, Ph.D. student, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and UW Fulbright Ukrainian Language Teaching Assistant (2021-2022) This panel is sponsored by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, and the Center for West European Studies.

The Ellison Center presents the panel, "Challenges to the Post-Cold War Order: Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan" on Feb. 1, 2022. Speakers: Oxana Shevel, Associate Professor - Political Science (Tufts University) Oxana Shevel is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Tufts University where her research and teaching focuses on Ukraine and the post-Soviet region. Her current research projects examine the sources of citizenship policies in the post-Communist states and religious politics in Ukraine. Her research interests also include comparative memory politics and the politics of nationalism and nation-building. She is the author of award-winning Migration, Refugee Policy, and State Building in Postcommunist Europe (Cambridge University Press, 2011), which examines how the politics of national identity and strategies of the UNHCR shape refugee admission policies in the post-Communist region. Shevel's research appeared in a variety of journals, including Comparative Politics, Current History, East European Politics and Societies, Europe-Asia Studies, Geopolitics, Nationality Papers, Post-Soviet Affairs, Political Science Quarterly, Slavic Review and in edited volumes. She is a member of PONARS Eurasia scholarly network, a country expert on Ukraine for Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT), and an associate of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. She currently serves as President of the American Association for Ukrainian Studies (AAUS) and Vice President of the Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN). Dmitry Gorenburg, Senior Research Scientist (CNA) Dmitry Gorenburg is an expert on security issues in the former Soviet Union, Russian military reform, Russian foreign policy, and ethnic politics and identity. His recent research topics include decision-making processes in the senior Russian leadership, Russian naval strategy in the Pacific and the Black Sea, and Russian maritime defense doctrine. Gorenburg is author of "Nationalism for the Masses: Minority Ethnic Mobilization in the Russian Federation" (Cambridge University Press, 2003), and has been published in journals such as World Politics and Post-Soviet Affairs. In addition to his role at CNA, he currently serves as editor of Problems of Post-Communism and is an Associate of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. (Read more) Carol Williams, Journalist; Former LA Times Moscow Bureau Chief Carol J. Williams is a retired foreign correspondent living near Seattle with her husband and a tuxedo cat. She covered revolution and war for 30-plus years for Associated Press and Los Angeles Times, from USSR/Russia, Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. She has been awarded more than a dozen international honors, including a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1994. Retired from mainstream journalism, she curates “World Briefing by CJ Williams” on Twitter @cjwilliamslat, writes foreign affairs commentary for Seattle website www.postalley.org, and speaks on press freedom and foreign policy at events held by civic groups, libraries and her alma mater, University of Washington's Jackson School of International Studies. Moderator: Scott Radnitz, Ellison Center Director. This panel is hosted by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle.

President Xi Jinping is set to chair a virtual summit on Tuesday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and five Central Asian countries－a move that shows China's commitment to strengthening trade, investment and security cooperation for regional prosperity and stability, analysts said.▲ A freight train from Rizhao to Central Asia leaves a container station of Rizhao port in East China's Shandong province, Sept 12, 2017. Photo/XinhuaThe five Central Asian countries are the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.As the first heads of state meeting between China and the Central Asian countries, the summit is crucial because the leaders will take stock of achievements and experiences in developing relations, and draw up blueprints for future cooperation, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a news conference on Monday.During the summit, the leaders are also expected to adopt and release a joint statement on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the five Central Asian countries, Zhao said.He said the development of relations between China and the five nations over the past three decades has seen ties reach a historical high.Cooperation between China and the five countries in various fields has yielded "historic, landmark and groundbreaking" results that have set an example for building a new type of international relations and made contributions to advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Zhao said.China will continue to intensify political mutual trust and expand all-around mutually beneficial cooperation with the Central Asian countries in order to upgrade their relations to a new stage, he added.Over the past 30 years, China has upheld the principles of good neighborliness, equality, mutual trust and mutual benefit in developing ties with the Central Asian countries. Experts said the development of good relations between China and the five nations has delivered tangible benefits to people in the region and also made important contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity.The Belt and Road Initiative－proposed by President Xi when visiting Kazakhstan and Indonesia in September and October of 2013 respectively－has helped China and the Central Asian countries strengthen their relations, said Sun Xiuwen, an associate professor of international relations at Lanzhou University's Institute for Central Asian Studies in Gansu province. The initiative has also elevated all-around bilateral and multilateral cooperation to a new stage.Trade volume between China and the five Central Asian countries has increased by over a hundredfold to around $50 billion over the past 30 years, and China's direct investment in the countries has exceeded $14 billion over the period, according to the Ministry of Commerce.For the future development of ties between China and the five countries, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said both sides should jointly solidify their strategic mutual trust and consistently uphold open and mutually beneficial cooperation.In an article published in the People's Daily on Dec 30, Wang also called for the countries to jointly forge relations featuring intensified good neighborliness and friendship, more peaceful and stable situations for regional security, and strengthened international cooperation for fairness and justice.记者：曹德胜

Ellison Center Director Scott Radnitz presents his lecture "Revealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region" on January 13, 2022. The lecture presents Radnitz's book by the same title, and is moderated by Jacqueline Miller, World Affairs Council of Seattle President and CEO, with Discussant Paul Stronski from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This lecture is part of the Ellison Center's 2021-22 Lecture Series, "Scheming and Subversion: Conspiracy in Post-Soviet Space." More information can be found at bit.ly/EllisonTalks2022 Scott Radnitz is the Herbert J. Ellison Associate Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. His research deals primarily with the post-Soviet region and topics such as protests, authoritarianism, informal networks, and identity. His work employs surveys, focus groups, and experimental methodologies. His forthcoming book is “Enemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns,” edited with Harris Mylonas (GWU), and is under contract with Oxford University Press. His most recent book, “Revealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region” came out with Oxford University Press in 2021. It investigates why politicians in the region promote conspiratorial claims and what effects that has. His first book, “Weapons of the Wealthy: Predatory Regimes and Elite-Led Protests in Central Asia,” was published by Cornell University Press in 2010. Articles have appeared in journals including Comparative Politics, Comparative Political Studies, British Journal of Political Science, Journal of Democracy, Political Geography, Political Communication, and Post-Soviet Affairs. Policy commentary has appeared in Foreign Policy, The National Interest, The Guardian, Slate, and the Monkey Cage/Washington Post blog. He is an associate editor of Communist and Post-Communist Studies, a faculty member at UW's Center for an Informed Public, and a member of the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security (PONARS) in Eurasia. He teaches the following courses: States, Markets, and Societies; Contemporary Central Asian Politics; Post-Soviet Security; Interdisciplinary Survey of Eurasia; Failed States; Research Design and Methods; and Social Movements and Revolutions. This lecture is hosted by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Visiting Scholar at Cornell University Azamat Gabuev presents his lecture "Stalin as a Neo-Pagan Deity in Contemporary Russia" on Dec. 8, 2021. The word "cult" has been used with regards to Stalin since a famous report made by Khrushchev "On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences". But in post-soviet Russia it returns from political to primary religious meanings. Regardless of his lifetime atheism, Stalin is often associated with mysticism. He became a character of mythologies of neo-pagan religions such as Rodnovery and Assianism. At the same time, the cult of Stalin grew under the veil of Russian Orthodox Church. Not being canonized as a saint, he was depicted in icons, murals and acts in folk-hagiography. Moreover, there are authorized concepts such as “Mystic Salinism” by Alexander Prokhanov. Thus, Stalin could be described as a common deity for separate cults. Azamat Gabuev was born in 1985 in Vladikavkaz. In 2011 he has earned PhD (kandidat nauk) in Law from Kutafin Moscow State Law University. He has been living in Moscow since 2015, where he works as a lawyer. His stories have been published in Russian literary journals including Darial, Oktiabr, and Druzhba Narodov, as well as Russian Esquire. He has been longlisted for two literary prizes in Russia: the Neformat prize in 2009, and the Debut Prize in 2011. In 2018, EKSMO published his first book A Cold Day in the Sun, which was shortlisted in 2019 for the Fiction35 literary prize. Azamat Gabuev is a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Cornell University for the fall semester 2021. This lecture is hosted by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle.

The Ellison Center presents the panel "Feminist Anthropology of Old Europe: Celebrating the Centennial of Marija Gimbutas" on April 30, 2021. This panel was part of the virtual 2021 REECAS Northwest Conference. Find more information about the conference here: jsis.washington.edu/ellisoncenter/reecas-nw/ Marija Gimbutas (1921-1994), Professor of European Archaeology and Indo-European Studies at UCLA, wrote numerous popular and controversial books about the prehistoric gods and goddesses of Old Europe. Her research was a source of inspiration for environmentalist, feminist, neo-pagan, and other social movements on both sides of and transgressing the “Iron Curtain.” Born in Lithuania, educated at the Universities of Vilnius, Tübingen and München, Gimbutas immigrated to the United States to teach at Harvard University before moving to the West Coast. This roundtable celebrates the Centennial of her birth. Moderator & Organizer: - Guntis Šmidchens, Kazickas Family Endowed Professor in Baltic Studies; Associate Professor of Baltic Studies; Department of Scandinavian Studies, University of Washington-Seattle. Panelists: - Rasa Navickaitė, Visiting Lecturer, Central European University; Navickaitė's 2020 dissertation examines the transnational reception of Gimbutas's work and persona in diverse feminist and women's activist contexts on both sides of the “Iron Curtain.” Among her other publications are “Postcolonial Queer Critique in Post-Communist Europe -Stuck in the Western Progress Narrative?” Tijdschrift Voor Genderstudies (2014); “Under the Western Gaze: Sexuality and Postsocialist ‘Transition' in East Europe,” in Postcolonial Transitions in Europe (2015), and numerous articles and essays in Lithuanian scholarly publications. - Ernestine Elster, Associated Researcher, UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archeology; Elster was a graduate student of Marija Gimbutas and participated in four of her archeological expeditions. She has authored numerous publications on Italy and Greece in the Neolithic and Bronze Age, among them Excavations at Sitagroi, a prehistoric village in northeast Greece (1986), coauthored with Marija Gimbutas and this panel's discussant Colin Renfrew. - Colin Renfrew, Senior Fellow of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge; Renfrew was a friend and colleague of Marija Gimbutas. He is author of many articles and books, among them Before Civilisation: The Radiocarbon Revolution and Prehistoric Europe (1973); Transformations: Mathematical Approaches to Culture Change (1979); Archeology and Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins (1990); Loot, Legitimacy and Ownership: The Ethical Crisis in Archeology (2000); and Prehistory: The Making of the Human Mind (2008). This panel is cosponsored by the Lithuanian Culture Institute, the University of Washington Baltic Studies Program and the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies. The 2021 REECAS Northwest Conference, an ASEEES Regional Conference, is organized by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle. Image courtesy of Ernestine Elster. From left to right, Ernestine Elster, Colin Renfrew, and Marija Gimbutas in 1986 at the publication celebration for the first volume of the Sitagroi excavations.

Elżbieta Korolczuk presents her lecture "Anti-Gender Politics and Right Wing Populism in Poland" on April 27, 2021. This lecture is part of Talking Gender in the EU, a lecture series hosted by the Center for West European Studies at the University of Washington, covering gender politics in Poland, Latvia, France, and the European Parliament. This lecture is also a Pre-Conference Lecture for the 2021 REECAS Northwest Conference, hosted by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies. Elżbieta Korolczuk, PhD is an Associate professor in sociology working at Södertörn University in Stockholm and American Studies Center, Warsaw University. Her research interests involve: social movements, civil society, politics of reproduction as well as right-wing populism and mobilizations against “gender”. She co-edited two books on motherhood and fatherhood in Poland and Russia (in Polish) and published two volumes on social movements and civil society in Central Eastern Europe: Civil Society Revisited: Lessons from Poland co-edited with Kerstin Jacobsson (Berghahn Books, 2017), Rebellious Parents. Parental Movements in Central-Eastern Europe and Russia co-edited with Katalin Fábián (Indiana University Press, 2017). Most recent publications include an edited volume Bunt kobiet. Czarne Protesty i Strajki Kobiet [Women's Rebellion. Black Protests and Women's Strikes] co-authored with Beata Kowalska, Jennifer Ramme and Claudia Snochowska-Gonzalez and published by European Solidarity Centre in 2019 and a monograph Anti-gender Politics in the Populist Moment written with Agnieszka Graff (in press, Routledge). She is also a commentator and a long-time women's and human rights activist. The Talking Gender in the EU lecture series is organized by the Center for West European Studies and the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence with support from the Lee and Stuart Scheingold European Studies Fund, the EU Erasmus+ Program, the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and the Center for Global Studies, at the University of Washington, Seattle.

The Ellison Center presents the panel "The Future of Nagorno-Karabakh: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Peacebuilding and Development in the South Caucasus" on April 29, 2021. This panel was part of the virtual 2021 REECAS Northwest Conference. Find more information about the conference here: https://jsis.washington.edu/ellisoncenter/reecas-nw/ Following the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh during the fall of 2020, what comes next for the region? This roundtable brings together an interdisciplinary panel of experts to discuss the opportunities and uncertainties created by the ceasefire, the prospects for building a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and potential ways to foster economic and social development in Nagorno-Karabakh and the broader South Caucasus. Organizer and Moderator: – Jeanene Mitchell, PhD, Visiting Scholar, Ellison Center, University of Washington Panelists: – Arman Grigoryan, Associate Professor of International Relations, Lehigh University – Fariz Huseynov, Professor of Finance and Faculty Fellow, Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth, North Dakota State University – Emin Milli, Founder, Restart Initiative This panel and the 2021 REECAS Northwest Conference, an ASEEES Regional Conference, is organized by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Conor O'Dwyer presents his book talk "Coming Out of Communism: The Emergence of LGBT Activism in Eastern Europe" on Nov. 8, 2019 at the University of Washington, Seattle. This book talk is a part of the Ellison Center's "1989 30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall" lecture series. While LGBT activism has increased worldwide, there has been strong backlash against LGBT people
 in Eastern Europe. Although Russia is the most prominent anti-gay regime in the region, LGBT individuals in other post-communist countries also suffer from discriminatory laws and prejudiced social institutions. Combining an historical overview with interviews and case studies in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, Conor O'Dwyer analyzes the development and impact of LGBT movements in post-communist Eastern and Central Europe. He argues that backlash against LGBT individuals has had the paradoxical effect of encouraging stronger and more organized activism, significantly impacting the social movement landscape in the region. As Eastern and Central European countries vie for inclusion or at least recognition in the increasingly LGBT-friendly European Union, activist groups and organizations have become even more emboldened to push for change. Using fieldwork in five countries, O'Dwyer explores the intricacies of these LGBT social movements and their structures, functions, and impact while also considering their ability to serve as models for future movements attempting to resist backlash. Conor O'Dwyer (Ph.D., UC Berkeley, 2003) is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida. He specializes in comparative politics, with a thematic focus on LGBT politics, social movements, democratization, and the state and a regional emphasis on East Central Europe and the European Union. He is the author of Coming Out of Communism: The Emergence of LGBT Activism in Eastern Europe (New York University Press, 2018) and Runaway State-Building: Patronage Politics and Democratic Development (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006). In addition to his time at the University of Florida, he has been an Academy Scholar at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Baltic and East European Studies at Södertörn University in Sweden. This lecture is sponsored by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle.

The University of Washington presents the panel, "The Politics of Memory in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Russia 30 Years After the Berlin Wall" on Nov. 7, 2019. Panelists: Conor O'Dwyer, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida Laada Bilaniuk, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Washington William Hill, Global Fellow at the Kennan Institute and former U.S. State Department Scott Radnitz, Associate Professor and Ellison Center Director at the University of Washington (Chair) The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was supposed to give rise to a "Europe Whole and Free." Today, the idea of a united Europe is under severe threat. At a time of rising authoritarianism, struggles over how to study, remember, and move past the Communist era are central to the political futures of countries east of the Iron Curtain. Our panel of three experts discuss the politics of history and identity in Poland, Czechia, Ukraine, and Russia. This panel is organized by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle.

In this episode we speak with return guest Dr. Philipp Maas about the ancient school of Sāṅkhya—which he describes as India's philosophy par excellence for its wide and enduring influence on Indian culture. Giving us a taste of his upcoming course: YS 204 | The Sāṅkhyakārikā: Stanzas on All-Embracing Insight,  Maas discusses Sāṅkhya‘s relationship with the Yoga of Patañjali, and dives into the Kārikā—the oldest surviving text of the tradition. We discuss what little we know about the work's author Īśvarakṛṣṇa, its roots in the lost treatise, the ancient Śaṣṭitantra, and much more. Speaker BioPhilipp Maas is currently a research associate at the Institute for Indology and Central Asian Studies, University of Leipzig in Germany, where he works on a digital critical edition of the Nyāyabhāṣya, a Sanskrit work on spiritual liberation through proper reasoning. Previously he had served as an assistant professor and postdoc researcher at the Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Vienna, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the University of Bonn Germany.He received his M.A. (1997) and Dr. phil. (2004) degrees from the University of Bonn, where he had completed studies in Indology, Comparative Religious Studies, Tibetology and Philosophy. His first book (originally his PhD thesis) is the first critical edition of the first chapter (Samādhipāda) of the Pātañjala Yogaśāstra, i.e. the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali together with the commentary called Yoga Bhāṣya. He has published extensively on classical Yoga and Sāṅkhya philosophy and meditation, Āyurveda, the relationship of Pātañjalayoga to Buddhism as well as on the textual tradition of the Pātañjalayogaśāstra. He is a member of the “Historical Sourcebooks on Classical Indian Thought” project, convened by Prof. Sheldon Pollock, to which he contributes with a monograph on the development of Yoga-related ideas in pre-modern South Asian intellectual history.  LinksYS 204 | The Sāṅkhyakārikā: Stanzas on All-Embracing Insighthttps://uni-leipzig.academia.edu/PhilippMaas

Roger Kangas, Professor of Central Asian Studies at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, joined us to discuss the numerous crises that have arisen in Russia's near abroad, including the situations in Belarus, Ukraine, Central Asia, and more. The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today. Music by Sam Kyzivat and Breakmaster Cylinder Production by Jonas Heering, Hannah Tyler, Emily Traynor Mayrand, and Nick Lokker Communications by Iris Thatcher and Mitchell Fariss Design by Sarah Diebboll https://cges.georgetown.edu/podcast Twitter and Instagram: @theeuropedesk If you would like a transcript of this episode, more information about the Center's events, or have any feedback, please email: theeuropedesk@georgetown.edu.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Philipp Maas about his pioneering textual research on the Yogaśāstra of Patañjali and its commentarial tradition, the authorship and dating of the Yogasūtra and its commentary the Bhāṣya, the surviving Sanskrit manuscripts of the PYŚ, the relationship between Sāṅkhya and Yoga, the nature of Īśvara for Patañjali, Maas' critical edition on the PYŚ, and more.  Speaker BioPhilipp Maas is a research associate at the Institute for Indology and Central Asian Studies, University of Leipzig in Germany, where he is currently working on a digital critical edition of the Nyāyabhāṣya, a Sanskrit work on spiritual liberation through proper reasoning. Previously he had served as an assistant professor and postdoc researcher at the Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Vienna, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the University of Bonn Germany. He received his M.A. (1997) and Dr. phil. (2004) degrees from the University of Bonn, where he had completed studies in Indology, Comparative Religious Studies, Tibetology and Philosophy. His first book (originally his PhD thesis) is the first critical edition of the first chapter (Samādhipāda) of the Pātañjala Yogaśāstra, i.e. the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali together with the commentary called Yoga Bhāṣya. He has published extensively on classical Yoga philosophy and meditation, Yoga and Āyurveda, the relationship of Pātañjalayoga to Buddhism as well as on the textual tradition of the Pātañjalayogaśāstra. He is a member of the “Historical Sourcebooks on Classical Indian Thought” project, convened by Prof. Sheldon Pollock, to which he contributes with a monograph on the development of Yoga-related ideas in pre-modern South Asian intellectual history.  Linkshttps://uni-leipzig.academia.edu/PhilippMaas "Pātañjalayogaśāstra" (Brill Encyclopedia Entry, 2020)"A Concise Historiography of Classical Yoga Philosophy" (2013)