Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC) Research Group

Housed in the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, the CAC Research Group unites graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and professionals from Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as other researchers working in the region. Members of the group have come from the United States, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. As a research network, our mission is to support active collaboration across disciplines within the Maxwell School and the broader Syracuse community, including SUNY-ESF. Monthly group meetings serve as a forum for participants to present and workshop their research, with the goal of promoting a deeper understanding of the region and the unique insights of participants’ respective disciplines. Designed to promote interdisciplinary and cross-regional dialogue, the CAC Research Group builds on the Maxwell School’s multi-disciplinary heritage and the mission of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs to advance regionally-grounded approaches to challenges to governance.

New members are always welcome. To join the mailing list, email: hkarakas@maxwell.syr.edu    

Faculty Coordinator

Natalie Koch is Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She is a political geographer focused on geopolitics, nationalism, and the environment in post-Soviet Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Questions about the CAC Research Group may be directed to her at: nkoch@maxwell.syr.edu