On Wednesday, 4 June, we will host a Frontier Talks seminar on Central Asian Dimension of Soft Power in French Foreign Policy. This event will feature Mokhira Saidazimkhujaeva, PhD Candidate in International Relations at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), whose research examines the evolving contours of France’s diplomatic influence across Central Asia.
Ms Saidazimkhujaeva will begin by situating France’s soft-power instruments — cultural diplomacy, educational exchanges, and development cooperation — within the broader strategic framework of French foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. Drawing upon her fieldwork in Tashkent and Almaty, she will analyse how French language institutes, academic partnerships and cultural centres have been leveraged to strengthen bilateral ties, project values of “liberté – égalité – fraternité” and foster sustainable partnerships with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.
The seminar will then explore the specific modalities through which France engages Central Asian publics: from the Alliance Française network and francophone academic programs to joint research on water governance, renewable energy, and heritage preservation. Speaker will assess the impact of these initiatives on local policy debates, social networks, and elite perceptions, highlighting both successes and ongoing challenges in a region marked by complex post-Soviet legacies.
In closing, she will offer recommendations for enhancing France’s soft-power strategy in Central Asia, advocating a more nuanced approach that balances high-level political engagements with bottom-up cultural and educational outreach. Attendees will gain fresh insights into how mid-sized powers like France can sustain influence in a region increasingly shaped by Sino-Russian competition and the recalibration of Western engagement under the Global Gateway initiative.
This seminar will reaffirm our commitment to rigorous scholarly dialogue on pressing geopolitical issues. Future seminars will continue to convene leading experts and early-career researchers, fostering an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas that informs both academic scholarship and policy practice. Participation is open to any interested parties.
