Research

The Academy supervises different research projects conducted by senior researchers from Central Asia. Research is strongly intertwined with the overall program of the Academy. A project is typically accompanied by an initial and a final workshop before the results will be published. In line with the Mission statement of the Academy, all research projects are conducted with a regional approach. One of the Academy’s core pillars of activity is practice-oriented and demand-driven research.

 

Innovative joint research projects bring regional scholars and practitioners together to enhance expertise on relevant Central Asian issues and to offer solid analysis and an in-depth data to decision makers, international community and academia. Research projects are closely interwoven and are constantly monitored and re-evaluated to further improve their implementation.

 

The OSCE Academy welcomes cooperation with interested institutions and individuals from Central Asia and beyond in developing comprehensive research projects in the fields of political science, regional studies, sustainable development and human rights.

 

In the year of 2004, the Academy embarked on two major research projects:

 

Rule of Law and Local Traditions. This research project aims at identifying ‘real term’ progress in the rule of law in Central Asian countries, exploring the significance of local traditions in this context and suggesting ways of optimizing the approach of international actors, in particular the OSCE.

Ethnicity and Education in Central Asia. The prime objective of this project is to provide the OSCE, participating States, and in particular Central Asian states with objective, reliable and comparable data at a regional level on equal treatment of ethnicities for education in Central Asian states. Its target groups are OSCE institutions, Central Asian states’, national and local governments like ministries of education, NGOs, researchers, opinion leaders, citizens of Central Asia.

Both projects are small-scale and planned for 6-month period. Four competent experts from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have been selected for conducting case studies in their respective countries and working in teams to ensure consistent regional vision. Upon completion of the research, national reports are to be presented at final workshops, with consequent publication by the Academy.

The beginning of 2005 has witnessed commencement of the third research project:

 

Legal Aspects of Border Management. The prime objectives of the research project is to analyze and compare existing law and traditions on border management in Central Asia. Challenges in the legal structure resulting in security implications are identified, including the realization of international agreements. The Target group consists of Decision Makers in the political and legal sphere.
Research, as well as training, is tightly interlinked with the Main Master Program and therefore gain considerable added value. The OSCE Academy has an open door policy and welcomes further initiatives for collaboration and exchange of ideas in its research activity.

 

In 2006 the OSCE Academy plans to implement a long term research project named as Oral History Project on the Tajik Civil War (1992-1997). The project will start with an initial workshop at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek between 5 and 7 July 2006.