Postdoctoral Fellows
Aurélie Biard, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow at the Central Asia Program (2015-2016). Aurélie studies the transformation of the state and the reconfiguration of political legitimacies with the emergence of alternative Islamic ethical systems that reject globalization because of its perceived roots in the West (the United States and Europe). The analysis focuses on the Muslim regions of the post-Soviet realm (Central Asia and Russia). Aurélie is in charge, as part of the CERIA (Central Eurasia-Religion in International Affairs Initiative at George Washington, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation) of the research axis “‘Bourgeois’ Islam, Prosperity Theology and Ethics in Muslim Eurasia.” Aurélie teaches a class on “Islam and Ethnicity in Central Asia” at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Aurélie holds a Ph.D. from Sciences-Po Paris, and her work can be found at https://gwu.academia.edu/AurélieBiard
Interns
Elvira Aidarkhanova is CAP’s November 2016-March 2017 intern. She is a PhD Candidate at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Kazakhstan), where she taught masters and college students. From May-August 2016, Elvira conducted research in Washington, DC for her dissertation on energy security in the Eurasian Union, with a particular emphasis on the influence of external actors, including the United States. Elvira has extensive experience in research centers as the Eurasian Research Institute of the Kh.A.Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan as a Senior Researcher and a winner of a scholarship. Elvira was an intern at the universities of Turkey and Korea (2011-2012). Besides speaking Turkish, Elvira also gained expertise in the field of journalism at the international school “Medianet.”
Elvira Aidarkhanova is CAP’s November 2016-March 2017 intern. She is a PhD Candidate at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Kazakhstan), where she taught masters and college students. From May-August 2016, Elvira conducted research in Washington, DC for her dissertation on energy security in the Eurasian Union, with a particular emphasis on the influence of external actors, including the United States. Elvira has extensive experience in research centers as the Eurasian Research Institute of the Kh.A.Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan as a Senior Researcher and a winner of a scholarship. Elvira was an intern at the universities of Turkey and Korea (2011-2012). Besides speaking Turkish, Elvira also gained expertise in the field of journalism at the international school “Medianet.”
Temirlan Abdyldaev is CAP’s fall 2016 OSCE intern. Termirlan has a Bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpretation from Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University and is currently enrolled in the M.A. Program in Politics and Security at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek. He has experience working in both public and NGO sectors, including the Ministry of Economy of the Kyrgyz Republic and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Additionally, Temirlan was a participant in the OSCE Parliamentary Internship 2015, where he assisted the Vice-Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament and implemented a social project on Electoral Rights. Temirlan’s research during his internship will be focused on the politics of border disputes in Central Asia, particularly in the Ferghana Valley.
Fulbright Scholars
The Fulbright Program for Foreign Students is administered by binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations or U.S. Embassies. All Foreign Student Program applications are processed by these offices.
Program eligibility and selection procedures vary widely by country. Please consult the Fulbright website for more information.
Bekzod Zakirov, Fulbright Visiting Scholar 2020
Research topic: From Market to the State: the Politics of State Ownership and Control in Russia and Kazakhstan.
Emil Nasritdinov, Fulbright Visiting Scholar 2018-2019
Research topic: Migration in Kyrgyzstan: Here, There and in Between.
Ainura Akmatalieva, Fulbright Visiting Scholar 2015
Ainura’s research topics included US Interests in Central Asia, Translatic Cooperation and Competition, Color Revolutions, Foreign Policy of Kyrgyzstan, Party Strategies, and State Development.
Abdulfattoh Shafiev, Fulbright Visiting Scholar 2014-2015
Abdulfattoh researched the increased role of social media in the formation of civil society in Tajikistan through a step-by-step comparative process with countries that already witnessed the power of an actively mobilized online society. Abdulfattoh received his B.A. and M.A. from Tajik State National University. He has more than ten years of journalism experience, including eight years at the Tajik Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (2002-2010). He was editor-in-chief of the Arabic Service at the Tajikistan State Radio (2002-2003).
