This course provides a bachelor-level introduction to contemporary Central Asia, with a focus on the five post-Soviet states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It examines the region’s historical trajectories, political and socio-economic transformations, and its evolving role in regional and global contexts.
Students will engage with key analytical frameworks in Central Asian studies and develop an understanding of the structural factors shaping the region since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Particular attention is given to state formation, governance, societal change, and international relations.
The course is structured into five thematic modules:
1. Introduction to the region – historical background, geography, and conceptual approaches
2. Country profiles –overview of the five Central Asian states
3. Political developments – institutions, governance, and regime dynamics
4. Society – social structures, identities, and contemporary challenges
5. Global context – international relations, regional cooperation, and external influences
- Opettaja
Outi Luova