CAIS Public Lecture "Advanced Sultanism? The case of MBS and MBZ"
Lecture
Muhammad bin Salman Al-Saud and Muhammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the respective princely strongmen of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have torn up the old rules. They have spurred game-changing economic master plans, presided over vast anti-corruption crackdowns, tackled entrenched religious forces, and…
The Ukraine Crisis: Interpreting Russia's Moves and Responding to Them
Other
IN CONVERSATION In recent months, long-term tensions between Russia and Ukraine have reached a boiling point. The Russian military buildup near the Ukrainian border has increased fears about a major armed conflict in the centre of Europe. Even if an outright war can be avoided, the present crisis…
February Majlis - The Growing Cyber Threat to Security of the GCC States
Seminar
The global threat of cyber attacks from hostile international and domestic actors against states, commercial enterprises and private persons is rising exponentially. Foreign states use cyber operations against governments, private companies and individuals to steal information, influence…
January Majlis: Artistic Activism and the Politics of Erasure in the Western Balkans
Seminar
This paper examines how contemporary artists from the Western Balkans have sought to engage with the legacy of ethnonationalist violence. Specific focus is placed upon the ways in which war crimes committed in the countries of the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s have been interpreted in…
November Majlis: Of Tacky Geopolitical Tropes: The Image of Remoteness Along Afghan Kyrgyz Migration Routes
Other
On the edge of Central and South Asia, the Afghan Pamirs conjure up the impression of an extraordinarily ‘remote’ borderland. Perhaps the lasting outcome of their colonial delineation, the place continues to be regarded in terms of closure despite foreign interventions – including a major 1978…
Central Asia Program: "Soft Power in Central Asia: The Politics of Influence and Seduction"
Seminar
This event is organised and hosted by the Central Asia Program Since the breakup of the Eastern bloc, Central Asia has been analyzed primarily through the prism of hard power and the great powers’ geopolitical and geostrategic games in the region. Yet, forging long-term relationships with…
October Majlis: Hostile Borders - Afghan Refugees and Uncertain Hospitality
Webinar/Online
Devastating scenes emerging from Kabul's international airport in mid-August provide a sharp reminder of the four-decade long crisis of displacement that has so profoundly impacted Afghanistan and given rise to a global Afghan diaspora. As the world once again contemplates the prospect of mass…