معرفی
Diana Kudaibergenova is a Lecturer in Central Asian Politics and Society at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College London. She is a cultural and political sociologist specializing in power relations within authoritarian contexts, with particular expertise in Central Asian political systems and societies. Her academic profile reflects deep engagement with the complexities of post-Soviet political transformations across the region.
Dr. Kudaibergenova earned her MPhil and PhD in Sociology from the University of Cambridge, where she previously served as an Assistant Professor in Political Sociology before joining UCL. Her educational background and early academic career at Cambridge provided the foundation for her extensive research on nationalism, authoritarianism, and political sociology in Central Asia.
Her research program spans multiple interconnected domains including authoritarianism, political sociology, nationalism, and decolonial praxis. Kudaibergenova examines how power operates through state institutions, cultural production, and everyday practices in non-democratic contexts. She has developed innovative conceptual frameworks for analyzing 'everyday authoritarianism' and the resilience of dictatorial systems. Her work particularly focuses on Central Asia, where she has conducted extensive fieldwork across multiple countries, examining how citizens navigate and resist authoritarian rule through cultural expression, social movements, and digital activism. Her publications reveal consistent patterns of exploring how authoritarian regimes maintain control while citizens develop strategies of resistance and alternative meaning-making.
Dr. Kudaibergenova has secured significant research funding including the Forces of Art joint grant by Hivos Foundation, Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, and European Cultural Foundation in 2018 for her work on protest art in Central Asia. She actively supervises graduate students and welcomes research projects that push disciplinary boundaries, employ innovative methodologies, and explore new conceptual ground in Central Asian studies. Her advisory work emphasizes decolonial approaches and creative methodologies for understanding complex political phenomena in the region.
Her teaching portfolio at UCL includes modules on Central Asian Politics and Society, Post-Soviet Politics and Society, Political Sociology, and Political Art and Protest in Eurasia, reflecting the breadth and depth of her scholarly expertise and commitment to training the next generation of Central Asian specialists.
