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Central Eurasia Experts Directory

Purposes of the Central Eurasia Experts Directory

Edited by John Schoeberlein

Central Asia is a region which is often difficult to understand and which has generally received inadequate attention by the press, foreign policy-makers, and others.  Those would are most competent to give good guidance and advice are often difficult to identify and to find.  The Central Eurasia Experts Directory is created with a goal of improving access to the available expertise.

As Director of the Harvard Program on Central Asia -- one of the few institutions with the capacity to respond to this need -- I frequently find myself overwhelmed by requests for information and referrals.  I often feel that I may not be the best person to respond to questions I am asked, but it is sometimes not easy to offer good leads.  I also feel that the press and other organizations may rely excessively on a limited set of sources which are the easiest ones to find, and therefore it is important to widen their access to a broad pool of expertise.

Keeping the public and policy-makers informed about our region is one of the responsibilities of scholarship.  This Directory is designed to help a wide constituency of scholars to share in this responsibility.

The purpose of this Directory will be served if journalists and others make good use of it to help overcome the gaps and mis-comprehensions that have often hampered the understanding of the region by non-specialists.

Who is Included in the Central Eurasia Experts Directory?

The Directory includes those who have offered themselves as experts on specified topics related to Central Asia/Eurasia (for a definition of the broad region indicted by "Central Asia", see What is Included in Central Asia).

By submitting their information, these people are indicating their willingness to be contacted for expert consultations by journalists, policy-makers, human rights workers, and others.

Inclusion in the Directory does not mean that the Harvard Program on Central Asia certifies the individual as an expert.  Directory entries include a brief description of qualifications, and if the qualifications listed are too weak, according to our assessment, we may omit inclusion. Otherwise, it is up to the users to determine whether the qualifications match the purposes.

Submit the Questionnaire to be included in the Directory.  Submit the Tips Form to suggest others who might be included.

Organization of the Experts Directory

The Experts Listing is organized alphabetically by name under several headings: Politics and International Relations, Economy, Social Issues, and Cultural and Historical Background.  There are indexes by Name and Topic.  The Topic Index covers issues as well as geographic regions.  There is also a Location Index to make it possible to find experts who are available nearby.

The Experts Listing itself contains the following information: 1) Topics of expertise, 2) Profile of qualifications, 3) Language abilities, and 4) Contact and location information.

Using the Directory

The Experts Directory is intended to help match up those needing information and expert analysis with those who can offer it:

Journalists needing background or comment from international experts.

Journalists seeking expert sources and current information "on the ground" from among local specialists or outside experts stationed in the region.

Policy-makers who wish to make policy more responsive to in-depth knowledge of the region.

International Aid Organizations and others needing expert consultation.

Human Rights workers and immigration law advocates needing information about the human rights situation for particular groups in particular countries.

Conference organizers seeking people who can speak on particular questions.

Editors seeking people who can write on Central Asian issues.

Please Be Considerate of the Experts' Time

The Experts Directory is public information.  In asking people to make themselves available for consultations, of course, we must understand that these people have time constraints.  The experts reserve the right to be selective regarding those to whom they choose to give consultations.  All users of the Directory are expected to "do their homework" first, so as not to waste the experts' time finding out things that can be readily found out elsewhere.  Please see "About This Project" below for some suggestions on how to get information prior to contacting experts.

By agreeing to be included in the Directory, these experts are NOT agreeing to provide basic guidance to everyone who may need assistance.  For example, undergraduate students should NOT feel they are invited to contact these people for assistance with term papers.

Because of our time constraints, we must structure this Directory to be a low-maintenance project.  Please do not expect us to answer queries for information which you are unable to find in the Directory.

Input and Feedback from Users

We are anxious to improve the Experts Directory continually, and we request feedback from users.  If you have suggestions on how the Directory can be made more useful, please use the Feedback Form to let use know, or send an e-mail to us at <centasiafas.harvard.edu>.  In particular, if you have tips on who else it would be good to include in the Directory, please use the Tips Form to give us the information on how to contact them (we will send them an invitation to submit their information, mentioning that you referred us if you do not object).

Journalists and other users are the ones who will derive the most benefit from this Directory, and we hope that you will reciprocate by taking a few minutes to share some tips which can benefit others.

Journalists and other users can also help to make this a more valuable resource by ensuring that their colleagues are aware of it and pool information through it, and also by emphasizing to experts the value of their inclusion.

About Inclusion in the Directory

Benefits of Inclusion in the Directory

Have an impact on the public knowledge of and policies toward the region we study and care about.

Help to correct the misinformation and fill the gaps in information which cannot but harm the interests of the people of this region, as well as of the international community.

Increase your own profile and that of your institution as a valuable information resource.

Make yourself accessible to conference organizers and editors who would include your contribution in a conference or publication.

Some Basic Ground Rules for Included Experts

To ensure that the Directory is a useful resource, we reserve the right to make administrative decisions about inclusion (though of course our purpose is generally to be broadly inclusive).

Information submitted which does not conform to the Guidelines may be edited or excluded from the Directory.

It is the responsibility of submitters to ensure that information is truthful and up-to-date.  We may periodically contact those included for verification that the information is current.  If we find information that appears to be obsolete or otherwise inaccurate, we may mark it as such, or exclude it from the Directory.

Submit the Questionnaire to be included in the Directory.  Submit the Tips Form to suggest others who might be included.

About This Project

The Central Eurasia Experts Directory is a part of the efforts of the Harvard Program on Central Asia, through our «Central Eurasian Studies World Wide» website, to foster greater integration and communication in the field of Central Asia studies.

Additional resources included on the «Central Eurasian Studies World Wide» website which may be useful for those seeking expert guidance include:

The Central-Eurasia-L Archives

Dissertations in Central Eurasian Studies

Reading Lists

E-mail discussion lists

We recommend that you look around the «Central Eurasian Studies World Wide» website in general for a broad range of relevant information.

Search «CESWW» to find information on a wide range of resources in Central Asian studies.

We welcome feedback on how to make the Experts Directory more useful.  Please send comments to: <centasiafas.harvard.edu>.

The Experts Directory was established March 9, 2000.
Latest update: June 12, 2002.
Currently, the Experts Directory contains about 200 experts.
Editor: John Schoeberlein (Director, Harvard Program on Central Asia)
For full contact information to reach us concerning the Experts Directory, see the website of the Harvard Program on Central Asia.