http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/central-asia Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:28:47 -0400 Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:28:47 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1319/the-new-silk-road-assessing-prospects-for-win-win-cooperation-in-central-asia By Siyao Li - The New Silk Road, formally termed the Silk Road Economic Belt and also known as the "One Belt, One Road," was first proposed by China's President Xi Jinping during his 2013 visit to Central Asia. This initiative aims to revive the historical vitality of trade and exchanges among Central Asian countries and China.1 The vision of the Economic Belt "[brings] together China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe (the Baltic); linking China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia and the Indian Ocean."2 In Central Asia, the New Silk Road is designed to pass through Khorgos,... Fri, 01 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1319/the-new-silk-road-assessing-prospects-for-win-win-cooperation-in-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1178/surveying-the-challenges-and-opportunities-of-americas-foreign-policy-toward-central-asia By Andreas Borgeas - America’s record of engagement in Central Asia[i] has been extensive during its post-9/11 era of adventurism. Between its vast military infrastructure and its explosive expansion of new commercial and security networks, the US has invested enormous resources in Central Asia in the last fourteen years. Consequently the US has financed repressive governments, ignited religious resistance groups, and exacerbated tensions with neighboring powers Russia and China. Indeed the US recalibrated its traditional foreign policy toward this region in order to pursue a forward operating position... Wed, 15 Apr 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1178/surveying-the-challenges-and-opportunities-of-americas-foreign-policy-toward-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1190/muslims-in-moscow By Caitlin Toto - Since then, an inherent intolerance for Muslims has been embedded within the foundation of the country’s national identity. The recent influx of Muslims, precipitated by stagnant development in the Caucuses and Central Asia, have highlighted and reinforced the ideal that Muslims pose as an inferior, yet dangerous “other” in Muscovite society. Paradoxically, Moscow’s economy has become increasingly dependent upon an “outsider” workforce that many of its citizens hold a prejudice against; thus, the Russian government must soon find a way to alleviate the bitter... Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1190/muslims-in-moscow http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/731/the-soviet-nationality-policy-in-central-asia By Salvatore J. Freni - The Soviet nationality policy for Central Asia in the early twentieth century was an acceleration of the processes of modernization that the Russian Empire had already begun. However, building socialism in a region where no working class existed and intellectuals based their knowledge primarily on religious texts presented inherent challenges. The primary means of identification for an individual lay within a particular tribe, valley, or oasis rather than in the Western concepts of ‘nationality’ or ‘ethnicity.’ Expanding over an enormous territory and inhabited by a multitude... Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/731/the-soviet-nationality-policy-in-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/631/russia-and-iran-strategic-partners-or-competing-regional-hegemons-a-critical-analysis-of-russian-iranian-relations-in-the-post-soviet-space By Moritz A. Pieper - Russia and Iran have a long history of being geographic neighbours, rivals, competitors and partners - a history which has coined mutual expectations, stereotypes and interactions. Still present in the Iranian collective memory, Tsarist Russia expanded territorially into wide parts of what had hitherto been part of “Greater Iran” in Central Asia and the Caucasus. That way, Tehran lost Tbilisi and Baku to Russia in the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan and the khanates of Yerevan and Nakhichevan in the 1828 Treaty of Turkmanchai (Katouzian 2009: 144) - a historic disgrace which not only took... Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:52 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/631/russia-and-iran-strategic-partners-or-competing-regional-hegemons-a-critical-analysis-of-russian-iranian-relations-in-the-post-soviet-space http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/528/the-effect-of-cedaw-ratification-in-central-asia By Vince A. Gonzalez - If ratification of CEDAW is related to women’s economic, political, and social rights, one would expect states that have ratified CEDAW to respect the rights of women more than states that have not ratified. I use the CIRI Human Rights Data Project measure of women’s economic, political, and social rights to analyze this hypothesis. The CIRI human rights data project’s measure of women’s economic, political, and social rights consists of a scale of 0 (no rights) to 3 (equal rights). The following is analysis of the data itself and the average scores given to the region... Mon, 16 May 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/528/the-effect-of-cedaw-ratification-in-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/505/understanding-iran-between-central-asia-and-the-gulf-cooperation-council By Tamim K. Kashgari - The Islamic Republic of Iran today sits at the crossroads of Asia between the Middle East and Central Asia. This inherently places it in very close proximity to over half of the world's known energy reserves both in the form of petroleum and natural gas. Thus, an understanding of Iranian intentions and motivations in both these regions are of paramount importance for the entire global community. On a superficial level, these regions share striking similarities. Both the Central Asian States as well as the Arab Gulf States are predominantly comprised of Sunni Muslims. They also share the trait... Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:35 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/505/understanding-iran-between-central-asia-and-the-gulf-cooperation-council http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/3/can-the-us-win-the-war-in-afghanistan By David Pierce - Nearly eight years into the war, the security situation in Afghanistan appears to be deteriorating at an increasingly fast past. Areas that were previously secured have been retaken by militants; significant increases in civilian casualties, caused primarily by U.S.-led attacks, have fostered a growing resentment within the civilian population towards U.S. policy in the region; the Afghan government, led by President Hamid Karzai, effectively controls only the capital city of Kabul, while rampant corruption leaves the population disaffected and unenthused; and ongoing challenges continue to grow... Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/3/can-the-us-win-the-war-in-afghanistan