The course is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of politics in Central Asia. It aims at exploring issues of governance, security, conflict and cooperation in the region as a whole, as well as investigating problems and processes specific to each of the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. While international relations of the newly independent states will be analysed primarily from the geopolitical and geostrategic point of view, students will be encouraged to develop interpretive frameworks based on indigenous knowledge and perceptions.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:- Demonstrate familiarity with Central Asia as a geographic and cultural entity, and major phases in its historical development.
- Reflect on, and discuss the key concepts, themes, and schools of thought pertaining to politics and international relations of the region, with a special emphasis on the notions of nation-building, democracy, great power interference, post-Communist transition, and security.
- Analyse historical and current developments in five individual countries constituting the region, using these intellectual tools.
- Locate and collate materials on a topic relevant to Central Asian studies, and present findings in a coherent manner on paper and orally.
Indicative Assessment
4000 word research essay (60%), Learning Outcomes 1-4Final Examination, 3 hours (held during the formal examination period) (40%), Learning Outcomes 1-4
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of workshop and workshop-like activities.
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
An e-brick is made available for this course on Wattle.Preliminary Reading
Olivier Roy, The New Central Asia: Geopolitics and the Birth of Nations. New York: New York University Press, 2007.Svat Soucek, A History of Inner Asia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Alexander Cooley, Great Games, Local Rules. The New Great Power Contest in Central Asia. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $2820 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $4320 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
