Albina Muratbekova

Albina Muratbekova

Senior Research fellow

Dr. Albina Muratbekova is a research fellow at the Eurasian Research Institute of Akhmet Yassawi Kazakh Turkish International University. Albina holds a PhD degree in Oriental Studies from Al Farabi Kazakh National University. During her studies, Albina received fellowships from institutions in China, India, the USA, the UK, Germany, and Switzerland. Her primary research interests cover Central, East, and South Asian affairs; intraregional and interregional cooperation of Central Asian states; China-India relations; and Central Asian politics.

Staff's Publications


March 9, 2024

Expanding China’s Education Diplomacy in Central Asia

With the post-pandemic resurgence of diplomatic activities, China has been strengthening its education diplomacy. In Central Asia, where China is an established strategic partner, its efforts to widen educational cooperation have been gaining new impetus. In late December 2023, China’s Vice Minister of Education, Sun Yao, visited Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and […]
January 9, 2024

The Growing Importance of Xinjiang in Kazakhstan-China Relations

On October 18, 2023, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Urumqi and met with Ma Xingrui, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Prior to that, in May 2023, Kazakh Minister of Agriculture […]
November 7, 2023

Expanding Brics and G20: New Features of the Multipolar World?

The outcomes of the last annual BRICS summit in Johannesburg and the G20 summit in New Delhi sparked extensive debates on the world’s apparent shift towards multipolarity due to their enlargement. The transformation from the BRICS to the BRICS+ and the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 indeed […]
September 7, 2023

People as a Power: India’s Demographic Challenges

According to the projections of the UN, India officially surpassed China as the most populous country in the world. By reaching 1.425.775.850 people in 2023, India broke a historical milestone in its development [UN, 2022; Ellis-Petersen, 2023]. For India, the status of the most populous country in the world brings […]
September 7, 2023

Central Asia in China’s Foreign Policy: Xi’an Summit

On May 18–19, 2023, Xi’an city in China’s northwest Shaanxi Province hosted the inaugural China–Central Asia Summit. Chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the summit was joined by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, […]
May 28, 2023

The Global South and Current Geopolitics

The current global geopolitical transformations have given new rise to narratives centered around the Global South. With the US struggling to maintain its position as the world’s superpower, China’s expanding economic and political power as well as Russia’s challenge to the current international order through its conflict in Ukraine have […]
January 9, 2023

Central Asia’s Foreign Policy in 2022: Highlights

2022 has brought significant changes to world affairs. The Russian invasion of Ukraine shook the established order of world politics and became one of the most acute conflicts in Europe since World War II. The coalition of the so-called “collective West,” sanctions against Russia, the energy crisis in Europe, and […]
November 25, 2022

Policy Dialogue between Central Asia and European Union: Reaffirmation of Interests

On October 27, 2022, Central Asian leaders gathered in Astana for the first regional Central Asia-European Union summit, alongside European Council President Charles Michel. At the summit, the Central Asian presidents, except for Turkmenistan, which was presented by the Deputy Chair of the Cabinet of Ministers, reaffirmed their commitment to […]
November 1, 2022

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Samarkand Summit in 2022: Key Takeaways

On September 15–16, 2022, the attention of politicians and the media was riveted at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand. During the times when serious political and economic transformations are happening across the Eurasian continent, the first in-person gathering of the heads of states after […]
September 30, 2022

2022 SCO Summit in Samarkand: Key Takeaways

On September 15–16, 2022, the attention of politicians and the media was riveted at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand. During the times when serious political and economic transformations are happening across the Eurasian continent, the first in-person gathering of the heads of states after […]