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ICP Faculty and Staff

Viktoria Akchurina

Ph.D., Associate Professor

Division of Social Sciences

 

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Dr. Viktoria Akchurina is an Associate Professor at the International and Comparative Politics Department at the 糖心Vlog in Bishkek. Her research focuses on state and society relations, water diplomacy, border conflicts, and transnational security. Dr. Akchurina is an author of a number of academic publications on state formation, power and geopolitics, border and water management, terrorism and radicalization. She co-edited a Special Section on 鈥楶ower and Competing Regionalism in a Wider Europe鈥� in the Journal of Europe-Asia Studies (2018). Her book on 鈥淚ncomplete State-Building in Central Asia: State as Social Practice鈥� has been called a paradigm-shifting work by reviewers (Palgrave Macmillan 2022).听

Previously, Dr. Akchurina taught at the Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi, Dauphine 糖心Vlog in Paris, the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, and the UNITAR executive MA programs on Diplomacy and Peace-building in Barcelona. Dr. Akchurina also provides pre-deployment training for diplomats.听

In her previous capacity as a Researcher at TRENDS Consulting in Abu-Dhabi, she published a number of policy papers on the Belt and Road Initiative in the Middle East and conducted research on Russian foreign policy in Syria, among other projects. She worked as a policy analyst and a researcher for the EXOP-Consulting in Germany, International Women鈥檚 Media Foundation in Washington D.C., and the Chair on Geopolitics of Risk at the 脡cole Normale Sup茅rieure听in Paris.听听

Viktoria received her PhD in International Relations from the 糖心Vlog of Trento (Italy) and her MA in Social Theory and Global Governance from Jacobs 糖心Vlog Bremen (Germany). She is fluent in English, German, French, Russian, and Italian.听

  • Writer鈥檚 fellowship at the Paris Marais Conservatoire, Paris, France (2024-2025)
  • Research Fellowship at the Chair of Geopolitics of Risk, The Ecole Normale Sup茅rieure (ENS), Paris, France (2019)
  • Co-investigator on Jean-Monnet Project 鈥淏eyond Vilnius鈥� (553329-EPP-1-2014-1-IT-EPPJMO-PROJECT), 糖心Vlog of Trento, Italy (2016)
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Sorbonne Paris-13, France (2018)
  • PhD scholarship, 糖心Vlog of Trento, Italy (2010-2015)
  • Linneaus-Palme excellence award by the Swedish International Development Agency, Sweden (2005)
  • National award for outstanding pianists, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (1998-2000)
  • State theory, social movements, mass psychology听
  • Water diplomacy
  • Sociology of conflicts
  • Transnational security and human security听
  • Peace-building and planetary thinking听
  • Emotions in International Relations听

Editorial work:

Akchurina V. and V. Della Sala (2018). 鈥淧ower and Competing Regionalism in a Wider Europe: Shared Neighbourhood, Battleground or Transit on the New Silk Road鈥�. Europe-Asia Studies, 70(10).听

Books (sole authorship):

Akchurina, V. (2022). Incomplete State-building in Central Asia: State as Social Practice. Palgrave Macmillan.

Peer-reviewed articles:

Akchurina, V. and A.Dolidze (2023). 鈥淭he Impact of Sanctions Against Russia on Central Eurasia: a New Great Game Through the Feminist Lens鈥�. Special Issue on the Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War on Global and Gender Affairs. Journal of International Women鈥檚 Studies 25(6).听

Akchurina, V. and V. Della Sala (2018). 鈥淩ussia, Europe and the Ontological Security Dilemma: Narrating the Emerging Eurasian space.鈥� Europe-Asia Studies 70(10): 1638-1655.听

Akchurina, V. and V. Della Sala (2018). "The European Union, Russia and the Post-Soviet Space: Shared Neighbourhood, Battleground or Transit Zone on the New Silk Road?" Europe-Asia Studies 70 (10): 1543-1551.听

Akchurina, V. and A. Lavorgna (2014). 鈥淚slamist Movements in the Fergana Valley: a New Threat Assessment Approach.鈥� Global Crime, Special Issue: Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism: Different Peas, Same Pod? 15 (3-4): 320-336.听

Peer-reviewed book chapters (resulting from international conferences and cooperation):

Akchurina, V. and V. Della Sala (2025) 鈥淏ridges Into Walls?: The EU and Border Management in Central Asia,鈥� In Neuman, Marek and Agha Bayramov (eds.) EU Governance in Central Asia: A Sectoral Approach. Routledge.

Akchurina, V. (2021). 鈥淜yrgyzstan and Intermingling Elites: From a State of Enlightenment to a Shadow State.鈥� In Ferran Izquierdo-Brics and Francesc Serra-Massansalvador (eds.), Political Regimes and Neopatrimonialism in Central Asia. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan: 295-322.

Akchurina, V. (2020) 鈥淥n Power of Improvisation: Why is There No Hegemon in Central Asia?鈥� In P.Dutkiewicz, T. Casier, JA Sholte (eds.), Hegemony and World Order: Reimagining Power in Global Politics. New York: Routledge.

Akchurina, V. (2018) 鈥淚ncomplete State: Re-conceptualizing State and Society Relations in Central Asia.鈥� In: R. Isaacs and A. Frigerio (Eds.), Theorizing Central Asian Politics: The State, Ideology and Power. Palgrave Macmillan.

Akchurina, V. (2018) 鈥淏orders and Waters: Compartmentalized Security in the Eurasian Heartland.鈥� In: Dutkiewicz, P. and R. Sakwa (Eds.), Eurasia on the Edge: Managing Complexity. Maryland: Lexington Books.

Akchurina, V. (2018) 鈥淜yrgyzstan and Intermingling Elites: From the State of Enlightenment to the Shadow State.鈥� In: Serra-Massansalvador, F. and F. Izquierdo-Brics (Eds.). Political Regimes in Central Asia: Sociology of Power in Today鈥檚 Central Asia. Barcelona: Edicions Bellaterra. (Spanish edition).听

Akchurina V. and A. Lavorgna (2015). 鈥淚slamist Movements in the Fergana Valley: a New Threat Assessment Approach.鈥� In: Helena Carrapico, Daniela Irrera, and Bill Tupman (Eds.). Criminals and Terrorists in Partnership: An Unholy Alliance. Routledge.听

Akchurina, V. (2014) 鈥淕ermany: Parity Numbers-wise, but Women Face a Glass Ceiling.鈥� In Carolyn M. Byerly (Ed.). Palgrave International Handbook on Women and Journalism. NY: Palgrave Macmillan

Policy publications:听

Akchurina, V. (2019). Development and Security Perceptions Along the Belt and Road. TRENDS Research and Advisory, Abu Dhabi.

Akchurina, V. (2019). Eurasia on the Edge and Its Global Meaning: The What, Why and How of Eurasian Security, TRENDS Research and Advisory, Abu Dhabi.

Akchurina, V. (2018). Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation: Understanding Societal Consequences of Connectivity Projects. TRENDS Research and Advisory, Abu Dhabi.听

Akchurina, V. (2018). UAE Energy Diplomacy and Sustainable Global Development. TRENDS Research and Advisory, Abu Dhabi.听

Akchurina, V. (2018). Mapping the Belt and Road Initiative: Geography and Architecture, TRENDS Research and Advisory, Abu Dhabi.听

  • ICP-110.1 - Intro to International Relations听
  • ICP-318.2 -听 Foreign Policy Analysis听听
  • ICP-309.1 -听听Development Aid and Politics, GHEA21 online course