The Political Economy of Central Asia: Migration and Remittances

Central Asia is undergoing significant political-economic transformations, shaped by shifting geopolitical relationships, changing patterns of production and investment, energy transitions, and the movement of people and capital. Yet the regions' political economy is often examined primarily through the lenses of great-power competition, resource dependence, and geopolitical rivalry, leaving less room for critical perspectives on the social relations, institutions, and everyday practices that underpin these transformations.

The Political Economy of Central Asia is a five-part thematic seminar series bringing together scholars working on the region to explore these dynamics through critical political economy perspectives. The series aims to foster dialogue across disciplinary and geographical boundaries, connecting research on Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang/East Turkestan and beyond) to broader debates in international political economy, development studies, and critical social sciences. 

Bhavna Davé is Senior Lecturer in Politics of Central Asia at SOAS University of London. Her research explores nationalism, ethnicity, migration and state relations in Eurasia, with particular attention to labour mobility and migration governance. 

Matthew Heneghan is an ESRC doctoral researcher at the University of Glasgow. His research examines labour migration, financial remittances and development in Central Asia, focusing on migration governance, economic dependence and state sovereignty.

This seminar will take place online via Microsoft Teams.

Join the seminar: Join via Microsoft Teams 
Meeting ID: 370 788 503 153 798 2
Passcode: vz7UF6Fh