Issue 1, March 2018 Welcome Contents Welcome Note ...... 2 Note ‘governance’ and ‘order’ to connect top- What our Partners say about the Project ... 3 centres around the globe. Artsiom Nazaranka, Belarusian State University (BSU) ...... 3 This newsletter brings you information Munira Shahidi, Tajik National about the nature of the project and its University, ...... 3 people, including our newly appointed Advisory Board. There is also Akram Umarov, University of World information about the events that have Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), already taken place and are yet to come. ...... 3 The latter are referred to as ‘SAVE the Siddharth Saxena, Cambridge Central DATE’: please ensure that you pencil Asia Forum ...... 3 these events in your calendars!

Nargiz Ismayilova, ADA University, ...... 3 We will also have a separate column COMPASS Objectives and Goals ...... 3 Dear Friends and Project Partners, about our achievements and professional accolades of all partners. If Objectives ...... 3 you have any further suggestions on We are delighted to announce the start what else should be included in the Beneficiaries ...... 3 of our new and exciting venture - GCRF newsletter, please let us know. It is run Past Events...... 4 RCUK COMPASS project by Prajakti Kalra ([email protected]) (ES/P010849/1, 2017-21, GCRF RCUK Launch, London, 21 July from Cambridge. She will ask you http://research.kent.ac.uk/gcrf-compass) 2017 ...... 4 regularly for updates, and will aim to focusing on capacity-building and publish this newsletter quarterly. Launch in the Royal Society, 4 development of research synergies, September 2017 ...... 4 policy and public impact within and 1st GCRF COMPASS project meeting, beyond our consortium. It is part of the A warm welcome to you all and I wish Cambridge, 5 October 2017 ...... 4 1st generation of funding announced by all of us every success in achieving our goals and going well beyond them! Informal Project Launch, University of Research Fund GCRF (£1.5 billion), the Kent, School of Politics and International UK Government initiative in 2015. It Relations, 6 November 2017...... 4 has been specially designed to stimulate research on the challenges faced by Informal project launch, London, 29 developing countries. November 2017 ...... 4

Project Launch Workshop in Tajikistan, 8 Our project went through a tough February 2018 ...... 4 competition, initially involving over Meeting of the heads of Tajik National 500 applicants, and four stages of the Yours faithfully, University (TNU), 18 February 2018 ...... 4 selection process. In the end, 37 projects were deemed successful, with ours Visit by Belarusian State University to Professor Elena A. Korosteleva being the only one in the field of Kent, 12-15 March 2018...... 5 Principal Investigator, University of politics and , and Kent Project meeting with Baroness a geographical focus on the Eastern Alison Suttie in Kent, 15 March 2018 ..... 5 Neighbourhood and Central Asia

Cambridge NAVROZ: 17 March 2018 ..... 5 (http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/documents/gcrf- calls/growcallbooklet37finaljuly2017- Save the Date: Forthcoming events ...... 5 pdf/). Project Launch, 22-23 May 2018 ...... 5 The project envisages major research

conferences, policy forums, study trips, Tartu Conference 10-12 June 2018 ...... 5 student conventions and training UPTAKE Training School in Uppsala, 27 schools - all for sharing best practice August- 2 September 2018...... 6 and knowledge exchange. With this COMPASS Study Trip, , 21-26 project we will aim to lay strong January 2019 ...... 6 foundations to enable our lasting In other news ...... 6 dialogue and cooperation, and name- building, so that eventually we could Accolades ...... 6 proudly refer to ourselves as a global Conferences ...... 6 network of the ‘hubs of excellence’ Publications ...... 6 specialising in different aspects of Social Media ...... 7

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only to the promotion of BSU and and experience of the partners will play Belarusian national education system in significant role in this development. general, but also facilitate development Through the project new policies and of friendly relations with UK, know-hows will be communicated not only to ADA but to the whole society. Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other countries and help meet real sustainable development challenges.

Munira Shahidi, Tajik National University, Tajikistan The project, along with a number of Baroness Suttie at , 15 others, initiated in Tajikistan, such as March 2018 UNESCO, Erasmus+ and others is oriented to release the community from its cultural isolation. Tajikistan, the only Advisory country in Central Asia, gone through Delegation from Uzbekistan in Cambridge, 3 the civil war of 1992-1997, with its March 2018 economic inefficiencies, migration and Board broken cultural infrastructure is ready to tackle problems of governance and We would like to welcome our newly build capacity. Its reconstruction appointed Advisory Board, which challenges require collaborative includes members of the academic research with its closest neighborhood, community, UK/EU policy officials and such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, National Impact advisors. For more , as well as with Great Britain information please visit our project page and EU. at: https://research.kent.ac.uk/gcrf- Roundtable on Silk Roads: Prospects and compass/people/ Akram Umarov, University of Perspectives, Cambridge 17 March 2018 World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), What our Uzbekistan COMPASS Participation in this project gives us a unique opportunity to gain new Partners say experiences, establish stable and Objectives promising cooperation with partners from different countries, to contribute to about the the establishment of long-term and and Goals mutually beneficial scientific Objectives Project cooperation between representatives of project participating countries. We appreciate Conceptually, the project explores new Artsiom Nazaranka, the opportunity to meet with so many approaches to ‘external governance’ to outstanding scholars from a range of make it more effective and sustainable. Belarusian State University It focuses on developing the concepts of (BSU) countries and to maintain long term professional relationship with them in ‘resilience as self-governance’, COMPASS project will support BSU to the future. ‘capacity-building’ and ‘peoplehood’ as thrive and develop itself as center of communities are guided by a sense excellence, reaching strategic Siddharth Saxena, Cambridge ‘good life’. institutional goals. We value support for Central Asia Forum In practical terms, the project seeks to research and exchange of experience in COMPASS is a breakthrough project, enhance UK relations and build capacity the fields of education, good bringing together governance and with chosen partners, along the governance and IT development, governability concepts from across following three dimensions: migration and regional security, and Central Asia, Europe and Britain to co- sustainable development. We expect a construct the highest standards for 1) Research Integration range of new joint scientific and global coexistence and sustainable international relations. 2) Impact governance educational publications, new courses

and programs in English (with a long- 3) Sustainable communities term goal of establishing joint master’s Nargiz Ismayilova, ADA program), and a number of new joint University, Azerbaijan Beneficiaries scientific and educational projects. I This project is just in time for the ADA. - At the Local/regional level, specialist believe COMPASS will contribute not We are developing research activities knowledge and best practices in peace GCRF COMPASS, University of Kent https://research.kent.ac.uk/gcrf-compass/ GCRF COMPASS | Issue 1 4

and security dialogue, conflict methodology that linked the theory of Informal project launch, resolutions, cultural and normative governance and its explorations to the London, 29 November 2017 identity-building, geopolitical, citizens’ juries, to interrogate its utility. On 29th November 2017, the Kent and economic and energy cooperation. 1st GCRF COMPASS project Cambridge teams met with the four Ambassadors from the project's partner - At the UK level, research and policy meeting, Cambridge, 5 access to the hitherto 'closed' region, states. The meeting was hosted by the associated with top-down bureaucracy, October 2017 Belarusian Embassy in London. The conflict-torn societies, geopolitical University of Kent and University of meeting was an opportunity to introduce dependencies, and a wider Eurasian Cambridge COMPASS members met the project's aims as well as to discuss civilisation, including the economic Silk for the first time in Cambridge to the main areas of interest for Azerbaijan Road project discuss the way ahead for the project. (Ambassador Taghizadeh), Belarus Whilst the work described in the (Ambassador Aleinik), Tajikistan (Mr - At the Global level, a new insight into proposal outlined the overall aims and Qurbonov) and Uzbekistan ‘better global governance’ by unpacking objectives of COMPASS, more detailed (Ambassador Shaykhov). We were also and engaging with the notions of order discussions were necessary to define joined by two members of the Minsk at all levels, ‘peoplehood’, resilience, work package content, the roles of Dialogue Track-II Initiative, Yauheni and sustainability of the increasingly project partners and how they interact in Preiherman and Dzianis Melyantsou. fragmented international system. the project. These discussions will be During the meeting we considered how ongoing throughout the project and the different interests could be aligned, and For more information about planned Cambridge meeting was a useful what concrete initiatives we could activities, project Work Packages, and a occasion to establish a baseline from cooperate on in the next four years. Calendar of events, please visit our which to go forward. website: http://research.kent.ac.uk/gcrf- compass.

Past Events

GCRF RCUK Launch, London, Project Launch Workshop in 21 July 2017 Tajikistan, 8 February 2018 Leading experts from the UK and in On 8th February 2018 the Shahidi developing countries across the world are joining forces to tackle some of the Foundation hosted a workshop to most serious global challenges in a new Informal Project Launch, launch the GCRF COMPASS project in multi-disciplinary research programme Tajikistan. The invitees included the University of Kent, School of members of the team from the Tajik launched today. In one of the most Politics and International ambitious international research National University and the agenda of programmes ever created, £225 million Relations, 6 November 2017 the meeting was to introduce the has been invested across 37 Professor Elena Korosteleva and her members to each other to discuss the interdisciplinary projects to address team had an informal launch of the project. During the meeting the work challenges in fields such as health, project organized by the School of packages and deliverables of each humanitarian crises, conflict, the Politics and International Relations to member were outlined and an agenda environment, the economy, domestic celebrate this success. Head of School, for future meetings and workshops was violence, society, and technology. The Professor Richard Whitman noted that also considered. this grant was the largest in the history Global Challenges Research Fund Meeting of the heads of Tajik (GCRF) Research Councils UK of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Collective Fund is supporting projects Kent, and wished the team further National University (TNU), 18 in the range of £2 – 8 million over four success. February 2018 years. It aims to build upon research Discussion and planning innovative knowledge in the UK, and strengthen research within the "GCRF capacity overseas, to help address Comprehensive Capacity-building in challenges, informed by expressed need Eastern Neighborhood and Central in developing countries. Asia: research integration, impact governance and sustainable Launch in the Royal Society, communities (COMPASS)”. 4 September 2017 Participants: 21 heads of chairs of TNU Professor Korosteleva was invited to or their representatives, including present the project to the Royal Society Department of International Affairs, th in London on 4 September 2017. The Department of History and Manuscripts, audience was impressed with the Economy and Innovations, Chemistry, project’s focus and especially its GCRF COMPASS, University of Kent https://research.kent.ac.uk/gcrf-compass/ GCRF COMPASS | Issue 1 5

Cultural Studies and Arts, Department might have on the Union’s foreign and of Biology and others. security policy. Save the The main issue was how to contribute to Cambridge NAVROZ: 17 March the reform of the system of education in 2018 Date: TNU. There were a lot of questions raised including: Why even successful projects, made by some students within Forthcoming the projects of Erasmus+ and Chinese Center of Confucius Studies are not events presented publicly? How these projects correlate with the processes in the Project Launch, Minsk 22-23 neighboring countries and universities May 2018 in Central Asia, especially in The official launch of the GCRF Uzbekistan? What can TNU Cambridge Central Asia Forum had its COMPASS project will take place in recommend to the government of annual Navroz (New Year) celebrations Minsk, at the Belarusian State Tajikistan, regarding the re- on the 17th of March. The evening was University on 22-23 May 2018. The establishment of collaborative research preceded by a Roundtable on the Silk launch will be opened by the Rector of between two neighboring countries in Roads: Prospects and Perspectives the Belarusian State University, with different disciplines, for example, re- which was attended by the welcome remarks from the Ministry of researching manuscripts, as evidences Ambassadors of Uzbekistan, Education and the Parliament of of the common national/regional Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus. The launch will be attended by heritage? Turkmenistan, Head of Mission of all project partners, members of the Advisory Board and invited guests. The Visit by Belarusian State Tajikistan and First Secretary Consul of Turkmenistan. Deputy Vice Chancellor working meetings will continue the next University to Kent, 12-17 and Master of Jesus College, Professor day, followed by the Minsk Dialogue March 2018 White gave a welcome speech to open Forum on 23-25 May, with top regional Kent hosted our colleagues from the the proceedings. Dr Saxena, Professor and international officials, academics Belarusian State University (BSU), led Nolan, Dr Fennell along with other and practitioners in attendance. by Dr Artsiom Nazaranka between 12- academics including from University of 15 March. The agenda included Kent and University College London For more information please see discussing further collaboration under were present. At the beginning of the https://research.kent.ac.uk/gcrf- the GCRF COMPASS project, and new meeting Dr Saxena gave a brief compass/events/calendar/?event=30596 ERASMUS+ opportunities in the introduction of the GCRF COMPASS &eslug=gcrf-compass-launch Eurasian region; as well as knowledge project to the audience and talked about exchange about the Global Master’s the opportunities for capacity building, Tartu Conference 10-12 June programme and future research and partnership and policy making between 2018 publication strategies. the UK and the wider region of Central The Tartu Conference is a venue for Asia. academic discussion of the fundamental Project meeting with cultural, social, economic and political Baroness Alison Suttie in The evening’s program was outstanding trends affecting all aspects of people’s Kent, 15 March 2018 with performances from across Central life in Russia and Eastern Europe. On 15th March University of Kent Asia and was attended by more than Inaugurated in June 2016, this forum hosted Baroness Suttie to discuss the 200 people from London and brings together scholars from across COMPASS project’s aims and options Cambridge. For more information see multiple disciplines, from the region for joint cooperation. https://centralasia.group.cam.ac.uk/ and beyond. As in previous years, the Baroness Suttie outlined her interest in organizers expect the number of the region, and in working on participants to reach or exceed 200. strengthening parliaments and Members of the COMPASS team will administration in particular. She kindly present in two panels on 11th June. Dr agreed to join the project’s Advisory Saxena and Professor Korosteleva will Board, to help oversee future joint chair panels on, ‘Challenges for initiatives and policy impact in regional security and capacity-building particular. The project meeting was also in the eastern region and Central Asia: complemented by a Q&A session with (I) a domestic perspective’; and (II) an students from the School of Politics and international perspective’. The first IR, as well as exchange students from panel will include presentations from the Belarusian State University. Anar Valiyev (Azerbaijan), Munira Students asked questions about the Shahidi and Nargis Nurulla-Khozhaeva consequences of Brexit for relations (Tajikistan), Alisher Faizullaev with the Eurasian region; relations (Uzbekistan) and Andrei Rusakovich between the UK and Russia; and the (Belarus). The second panel will include effect the UK’s withdrawal from the EU GCRF COMPASS, University of Kent https://research.kent.ac.uk/gcrf-compass/ GCRF COMPASS | Issue 1 6

Conferences presentations from Roza Turarbekava week in Brussels, they will attend a Professor Elena Korosteleva attended (Belarus), Yauheni Preiherman policy-forum in London. a meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan on the 18 (Belarus), Oybek Madiyev (Kent), February-2 March 2018. Leonardo Pataccini (Tartu) and Eske The Training School will cover: Van Gils (Kent). The programme can be Dr Siddharth Saxena attended a found here -Tailored training sessions (with guest meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan on 28 https://sisu.ut.ee/tartuconference/progra speakers from relevant EU institutions February-2 March 2018. and best-practice exchange) on: mme Dr Siddharth Saxena attended the UPTAKE Training School in  EU institutions and decision ONE GLOBE FORUM in New Delhi, India on 9-10 February 2018. He Uppsala, 27 August- 2 making  EU lobbying and negotiation addressed challenges related to capacity September 2018 building, governance and new industrial strategies On 27th August 2018 the 4th UPTAKE paradigms in the Eurasia space. Training School will take place at  Tenders and funding opportunities Uppsala University. The Training  Negotiation Skills Workshop Publications School aims to bring together young  Political communication and Korosteleva, E. (January 2018) ‘Putting the EU Global Security researchers working in the field of diplomacy Eastern European and Russian Studies Strategy to Test: ‘Cooperative Orders’  Roundtable discussions on EU’s to present their work on the theme and Othering in EU-Russia Relations’, "Straight talk about Russia: Internal Global Strategy, Trade & EaP and International Politics. developments, external conflicts and CA region Korosteleva, E. (December 2017) outside perceptions". The Training  EU & “Geopolitical challenges in ‘Challenges of a Changing Eastern School will include paper presentations, the East” Neighbourhood’, in the Routledge guest lectures, round table discussions  EaP: what’s in it for the partners? Handbook on the European as well as networking activities and Neighbourhood Policy, Chapter 15. social programme. - Meeting EU institutions (visits), Korosteleva, E., Merheim-Eyre, I. Early career researchers from including meetings with Eastern and E. Van Gils (February 2018) ‘The COMPASS institutions are encouraged Partnership’s/ Central Asia’s Politics’ and ‘The political’ of the to apply, in order to familiarise Diplomatic Advisers from the 28 Initiative: themselves with a Training School set- Member States at Residence’s Palace. Reshaping the Agenda’ SI as a book. up, which we aim to organise as part of - Meeting relevant national Embassies COMPASS activities. to discuss agenda and priorities; Madiyev, O. (2017) Why have China and Russia become Uzbekistan’s In order to apply, please fill in the form networking and an organised cultural biggest energy partners? Exploring the on the website to include a brief paper tour. role of exogenous and endogenous abstract (150-200 words), and return it factors.’ Cambridge Journal of Eurasian to Stella Marceta by 1 May 2018 by Studies, 1. QYJ7IT. ISSN 1879-3665. email ([email protected]), and (https://doi.org/10.22261/QYJ7IT) include “UPTAKE TS UPPSALA” in In other news the subject line. Accolades Kalra, P. (April 2018) ‘The Silk Road For more information see Professor Elena Korosteleva was and the Political Economy of the http://www.uptake.ut.ee/cfp-fourth- appointed LSE IDEAS Visiting Mongol Empire’ (Routledge Studies on uptake-training-school-straight-talk- Professor in November 2017. the Chinese Economy, Series Editor: about-russia/ Professor Nolan) Professor Munira Shahidi has started a new course entitled, ‘Activity, COMPASS Study Trip, Faizullaev, A. (2017). ‘Symbolic Insult Employment and Social behavior of in Diplomacy: A Subtle Game of Brussels, 21-26 January 2019 cattle breeders in the Pamir mountains’ Diplomatic Slap’, Brill Research The study trip aims to bring top-level in Tajik National University. The course Perspectives in Diplomacy and Foreign delegations from Belarusian State is based on presentation and discussions Policy, 2(4): 1-116. University (BSU), ADA University of Salimsho Akbarsho’s research. This http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/ (Azerbaijan), Tajik National University course is part of collaborative work with content/journals/10.1163/24056006- (TNU) and Uzbek University for World German researchers. 12340008 Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), to Brussels for a 5-day training and networking workshop. After spending a

GCRF COMPASS, University of Kent https://research.kent.ac.uk/gcrf-compass/

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Facebook GCRF COMPASS Her Excellency Mrs Iskakova (Kyrgyzstan), (https://www.facebook.com/) His Excellency Mr Shaykhov (Uzbekistan), His Excellency Mr Jawad (Afghanistan), Deputy Vice Chancellor, , Research Gate We recommend you Professor White, Dr Saxena, Dr Jorayev create profiles on Research Gate and (UCL), Dr Kudaibergenova, Mr Annayev (First connect with the partners to stay abreast Secretary, Turkmenistan) and Mr Qurbonov of all the new and exciting research and (Head of Mission, Tajikistan) at the Roundtable on Silk Roads: Prospects and work being undertaken by our Perspectives in Cambridge, 17 March 2018 colleagues.

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Please send your questions and news to Prajakti Kalra ([email protected]).