معرفی
Aijan Sharshenova serves as a Leading Visiting Researcher at Riga Stradins University and Executive Director of Crossroads Central Asia. Her academic expertise centers on Central Asian political systems, international relations, and sustainable development. She actively bridges scholarly research with policy application, focusing on democracy promotion, foreign policy dynamics involving the EU and Russia, and emerging climate governance frameworks in Kyrgyzstan and broader Central Asian contexts.
Her educational background includes:
- PhD in Political Science from the University of Leeds (awarded 2016)
- Master's in Political Science from Institut für Europäische Politik (awarded 2012)
- Master's in Political Science from the University of Leeds (awarded 2009)
- Bachelor's in Political Science from Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (awarded 2008)
- Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy teaching qualification (awarded 2017)
Dr. Sharshenova's research primarily examines how external powers influence domestic governance in Central Asia, with emphasis on democracy promotion efforts, populist movements, and soft power dynamics. Her work employs comparative frameworks analyzing Russian and European engagement strategies, while increasingly integrating climate policy dimensions.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strategic evolution toward applied climate governance research, particularly examining carbon pricing mechanisms and decarbonization strategies. While maintaining core political science expertise, her work now critically assesses how digitalization and environmental policies intersect with traditional security concerns in Central Asian contexts.
Professional recognition includes:
- Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
She leads significant research initiatives including Volkswagen Foundation funding for autocracy studies in Kyrgyzstan (2020-2023), British Academy support for UK-EU academic collaboration (2025), and multiple CAREC projects on carbon taxation. Her grant portfolio demonstrates consistent success in securing competitive international research funding for Central Asian policy analysis.
Dr. Sharshenova contributes to the Prof. Miķelis Grīviņš Group at Riga Stradins University focusing on sustainable systems, while directing Crossroads Central Asia to facilitate regional dialogue. Her work connects academic scholarship with practical policy development through these dual institutional platforms.
