Acti
on R
ese
arc
h
Eff
ecti
ve W
riti
ng
Advo
cacy OPEN SOCIETY
FELLOWS TRAINING
Budapest
8–14 April 2018
Participants’ Booklet
1
Table
of
Conte
ntsWELCOME ................................................................ 2
THE COURSE ............................................................ 3 Course Schedule .................................................. 5
Course Reading ................................................... 6
PROGRAM ................................................................ 8 SUNDAY—8 April .................................................. 8
Arrival and Accommodation .......................... 8
Dinner Reception ......................................... 9
MONDAY—9 April .................................................. 10
Course Venue .............................................. 10
FRIDAY—13 April .................................................. 10
Farewell Drinks ........................................... 10
LOGISTICAL INFORMATION ......................................... 10 Meals ................................................................. 10
Eating Out .......................................................... 11
Smoking ............................................................. 11
Internet and Wifi .................................................. 11
Medical Care ....................................................... 12
Weather and Clothing ........................................... 12
Personal Safety and Security ................................. 12
A Note on Hungary ............................................... 12
Metro and Suburban Railway Lines in Budapest ......... 14
Useful Hungarian Phrases ..................................... 15
Course Coordinators ............................................. 15
BIOGRAPHIES ...................................................................... 16
Course Director .................................................... 16
Faculty .................................................................... 16
Course Participants .............................................. 19
Guests ..................................................................... 28
SPP Global Policy Academy Staff ........................... 31
HOST ....................................................................... 32 SPP Global Policy Academy................................... 32
2
Dear OSI fellows,
This six-day “Action research, effective writing, advocacy” training
at CEU’s School of Public Policy in Budapest is an important
part of your OSI public policy fellowship program. The goal of
the 2018 training is to develop the capacity of researchers and
think tanks in Moldova, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan to produce
effective policy proposals.
We believe that this initiative will increase the pool of
independent policy experts in various fi elds thereby providing an
alternative to experts who are affi liated with state institutions.
The program encourages proactive cooperation among you with
a view to increasing the quality of policy research, promoting
data-based dialogue, and informing the public policy-making
process in your home countries.
We wish you an exciting time in Budapest!
Global Policy Academy
CEU School of Public Policy
Welc
om
e
3
The C
ours
eIN THE COUNTRIES of the former Soviet Union, state institutions do
sometimes consult and solicit input from civil society experts. This is
done only selectively, however, and as long as it does not interfere with
the government’s agenda. As a rule, the nature of the dialogue among
policy-makers, independent researchers, and civic activists is more
confrontational than constructive. In this environment, governments
are left without the vital expertise and know-how of policy research
communities as they work to achieve effective policy reform.
A more inclusive conversation is needed on how to carry out advocacy,
communicate research results, and cooperate with government and
civil society actors to bring about policy change. Such change-oriented,
proactive intervention in the policy-making process is of paramount
importance in the region today – a time in which we are witnessing
a backsliding of democratic reform and a rise of issue-based civic
activism. Civic initiatives too often don’t offer informed and data-based
policy solutions.
The three countries that are a focus of this training have gone through
major constitutional reforms that introduced parliamentary systems. It is
now even more important to propose targeted policy solutions that can
infl uence party platforms and/or inform parliamentary debates.
During the fi rst segment of the training (Monday to Wednesday), fellows
will be introduced to the most important methods for data collection,
analysis, and operationalization of research questions. It will draw
on quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches. Carsten
Schneider, Kristin Makszin, and Achim Kemmerling will lead sessions
on comparative case study research and strategies of case selection for
policy research. They will (re-)introduce the fundamentals of research
design with an emphasis on how to present data in charts and tables
and how to conduct and interpret more complex statistical analyses.
In addition, the course will offer intensive qualitative and quantitative
project clinics as well as modules on textual analysis, data story-telling,
visualization and interviewing. The goal is to provide fellows with the
training they need to defi ne a research topic, ask pertinent research
4
The C
ours
e questions, and use data to build a strong, convincing, and coherent
argument. Fellows will be trained on how to outline the importance of
a research topic, defi ne the subject of the research and its expected
outcome, and describe the stated problem in legal, social, economic and
political contexts. They will learn also how to address the groups affected,
as well as identify the successes and failures of the current approach.
Those working on policy reform have very little time and are drowning in
information. Yet for analytical writing to have an impact, it must be read
and understood. The second segment of the seminar (Thursday and Friday)
will examine examples of writing that had an impact and analyze why and
how it was effective. Second, the team will present tools that can help to
produce such writing. Gerald Knaus, Besa Shahini, Kristof Bender, and
Adnan Cerimagic will conduct practice-oriented modules and share their
experiences from more than 15 years of think tank work. They will explain
how they approach topics from an impact perspective, how they work and
think as a team, and how to make analytical writing engaging.
PH
OTO
BY D
AN
IEL V
EG
EL
5
The C
ours
e
CO
UR
SE S
CH
ED
ULE
Sun,
8 A
pri
lM
onday,
9 A
pri
lTu
e, 10 A
pri
lW
ed, 11 A
pri
lThur, 1
2 A
pri
lFr
iday,
13 A
pri
lSat, 1
4 A
pri
l
9:0
0–10:3
0
OS
I fe
llow
s
arr
ive
Intr
oducti
on
(Schneid
er)
Types
of
rese
arc
h
pro
jects
& d
esi
gnin
g
rese
arc
h q
uest
ions
(Maksz
in)
Text
analy
sis
(Maksz
in)
Quanti
tati
ve
pro
ject
clinic
(Maksz
in)
Wri
ting
for
Impact
(Knaus,
Bender,
Shahin
i)
Wri
ting
for
Impact
(Knaus,
Bender,
Shahin
i)
Cours
e
wra
p-u
p
(Schneid
er)
11:0
0–12.3
0W
ork
shop o
n
rese
arc
h q
uest
ions
(Maksz
in,
Schneid
er)
Pra
cti
cal se
ssio
n:
text
analy
sis
(Maksz
in)
Quanti
tati
ve
desi
gns
(Kem
merl
ing)
Wri
ting
for
Impact
(Knaus,
Bender,
Shahin
i)
Wri
ting
for
Impact
(Knaus,
Bender,
Shahin
i)
Cours
e
eva
luati
on
(Manners
)
13:3
0–15:0
0Fundam
enta
ls in
com
para
tive
case
st
udy
(Schneid
er)
Case
sele
cti
on,
types
of
case
s, b
ias
(Schneid
er)
Eva
luati
on
(Kem
merl
ing)
Wri
ting
for
Impact
(Knaus,
Bender,
Shahin
i)
Wri
ting
for
Impact
(Knaus,
Bender,
Shahin
i)
OS
I fe
llow
s depart
15:3
0–17:0
0C
oncept
form
ati
on,
typolo
gie
s
(Schneid
er)
Qualita
tive
pro
ject
clinic
(Schneid
er)
Pra
cti
cal se
ssio
ns
on:
Tellin
g s
tori
es
wit
h d
ata
(Kem
merl
ing)
Qualita
tive
vis
uali-
zati
on o
f arg
um
ents
(Schneid
er)
Inte
rvie
win
g
(Maksz
in)
Wri
ting
for
Impact
(Knaus,
Bender,
Shahin
i)
Wri
ting
for
Impact
(Knaus,
Bender,
Shahin
i)
19:3
0B
oat
recepti
on
Opti
onal in
div
idual consu
ltati
ons
Fare
well
din
ner
6
Cours
e R
eadin
g The list contains required and recommended reading for all participants. You
have been given access to an e-learning site that contains all pre-course
readings and video material.
MONDAY
� Blaikie, N. (2009), “Research Questions and Purposes,” in
Designing Social Research—The Logic of Anticipation (2nd edition),
Cambridge, UK (Malden, MA: Polity), pp. 56–78;
� Rohlfi ng, I. (2012), Case Studies and Causal Inference: An
Integrative Framework (chapter 1), Houndsmill: Palgrave
MacMillan.
TUESDAY
� Krippendorff, K. (2012), Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its
Methodology (SAGE, 2012), pp. 1–22;
� Diez, D., Barr C.D., and Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel, M. (3rd ed.,
2015), OpenIntro Statistics, Creative Commons (recommended for
those who need more introduction to statistics);
� Teorell, J., Dahlberg, S., Holmberg, S., Rothstein, B., Khomenko,
A., and Svensson, R. (2017), The Quality of Government Standard
Dataset, University of Gothenburg: The Quality of Government
Institute.
WEDNESDAY
� Mahoney, J. and Vanderpoel, R.S. (2015), “Set Diagrams and
Qualitative Research,” Comparative Political Studies 48(1): 65–100.
On research design
� Buttolph Johnson, J. & Joslyn, R. (8th ed., 2016), Political
Science Research Methods (chapter 6 on Research Designs:
Making Causal Inferences), California CQ Press.
7
Cours
e R
eadin
g On evaluation
� Clemens, M.A. & Demombynes G. (2010), When Does
Rigorous Impact Evaluation Make a Difference? The Case of
the Millennium Villages, Working Paper 225, Center for Global
Development (Washington, D.C.);
� Khandker, S.R., Koolwal, G.B., Samad H.A. (2010), Handbook
on Impact Evaluation: Quantitative Methods and Practices, World
Bank (esp. chapter 2 for those interested in impact evaluation).
On telling a story with data
� Wilke, C.O., Fundamentals of Data Visualization (chapter 18
on Telling a Story with Data) http://serialmentor.com/dataviz/
telling-a-story.html
THURSDAY–FRIDAY
� Pinker, S. (2014), The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide
to Writing in the 21st Century, chapter II (New York, NY: Penguin);
� European Stability Initiative—Report, Books and Teachers—The Great
Debate on Education Kosovo Needs in 2015 (22 December 2014);
� European Stability Initiative, Why people don’t need to drown in
the Aegean (17 September 2015);
� European Stability Initiative, The European Swamp (Caviar
Diplomacy Part 2)—Prosecutors, Corruption and the Council of
Europe (Report, 17 December 2016);
� European Stability Initiative, Montenegro: Germany’s Balkan Stipends
—Asylum and the Rozaje Exodus (Essay, 19 January 2016);
� European Stability Initiative, Measuring Corruption—The Case for
Deep Analysis and a Simple Proposal (Discussion Paper, 19 March
2015);
� European Stability Initiative, Pumpkins, Outliers and the Doing
Business Illusion (Newsletter, 4 November 2014);
� European Stability Initiative, Macron, Italy and the Mirage of Mass
Return (Newsletter, 18 March 2018).
8
Pro
gra
m SUNDAY — 8 April
ARRIVAL AND ACCOMMODATION
The taxi company serving Liszt Ferenc International Airport is Fotaxi.
Reservations are made in person outside the exit of the terminal. The
fare to the city center will not
exceed 8,000 HUF (25 EUR).
There is also an airport shuttle
which will cost around 4,000 HUF
(13 EUR) to the city center. You
can order a shuttle to your hotel at
the airport shuttle stand when you
arrive. The shuttle will probably
take slightly longer than a taxi as it
is shared with other people.
Participants will be accommodated at Starlight Hotel.
Starlight Hotel
Mérleg utca 6
1051 Hungary
Tel: (+36 1) 484 3700
9
Pro
gra
mDINNER RECEPTION
The course will be launched on Sunday evening, 8 April, with a dinner
reception on Halászbástya boat. The reception will start at 19:30.
The boat will leave from Kossuth Hajó / Vénhajó Étterem.
Our staff will pick you up in front of the InterContinental Budapest at 19:10.
From Starlight Hotel to A InterContinental and to B CEU N15
MONDAY — 9 April
A
B
10
Pro
gra
m COURSE VENUE
The course will take place on the
1st fl oor of CEU’s Nádor 15
building. Sessions will begin at
9:00. Please arrive at the N15
reception at 8:45 am so we can
take you to the 1st fl oor.
VENUE:
Central European University, Rooms: 101, 104, 105, 106
Nádor utca 15, H–1051 Budapest
FRIDAY — 13 April
FAREWELL DRINKS
You are invited to join us for drinks and snacks at 19:30 at Platz, which
is located two minutes walk from the course venue.
VENUE:
Platz
Szent István tér 4
1051 Budapest
Tel.: (+36-1) 266 2850
MEALS
Coffee breaks and lunches will be served in the Lower Foyer on -1 fl oor
of CEU’s N15 building.
EATING OUT
11
Logis
tical
Info
rmati
on
There are many places close to CEU where you can have dinner. The list
below is not exhaustive, so we encourage you to explore the neighbor-
hood. Restaurants marked with an * offer vegetarian dishes.
Bamba Marha Burger Bar
Október 6. utca 6 l open 11:30–24:00
Hummus Bar*
Október 6. utca 19 l open 10:00 (12:00 on Sun&Sat)–22:00
Istanbul Kebab
Október 6. utca 22 l open 08:00–05:00
La Trattoria
Október 6. utca 13 l open 11:00–23:00
Padthai Wokbar*
Október 6. utca 4 l open 11:00–23:00
Rétesház (Strudel House)*
Október 6. utca 22 l open 9:00–23:00
Soup Culture*
Október 6. utca 19 l open 11:00-19:00, closed on Sundays
SMOKING
Smoking is strictly prohibited within fi ve meters of all building entrances.
INTERNET AND WIFI
Wifi is available on campus.
� Network name: CEU Guest
� Password: Budapest1991
European plugs (220V) are available at CEU.
MEDICAL CARE
12
Logis
tical
Info
rmati
on
The CEU Medical Center is open to participants with valid medical
insurance. There are two qualifi ed English-speaking doctors (male and
female) who hold regular consultation hours.
CEU Medical Center
Nádor utca 11 Building, Courtyard
Tel.: (+36 1) 327 3815
WEATHER AND CLOTHING
April is characterized by abundant sunshine and temperatures start to
rise markedly. The weather is often very agreeable during the day and
cool at night. There is occasional rainfall at this time of year. The average
maximum temperature is 17°C and the average minimum temperature is
6°C. Except for the welcome and farewell reception (smart casual), dress
code for the course is casual.
PERSONAL SAFETY AND SECURITY
Budapest is a safe city but as with other popular tourist destinations you
need to be vigilant. One thing to be careful about: do not hail a cab on the
street; call a cab. A reliable company is CITY TAXI, at +36 1 211 1111.
Make sure the meter is set at the pickup rate of 470 HUF before you
begin any journey.
A NOTE ON HUNGARY
Capital city: Budapest
Population: ~ 9.9 million
Population of Budapest
~ 1.7 million (city), ~ 3.3 million (including periphery)
Language: Hungarian
13
Logis
tical
Info
rmati
on
Religion
54.5% Catholic, 19.5% Protestant, 0.2% other Christians,
0.1% orthodox Christian, 0.1% Jewish, 0.1% other.
Electric plug details: European plug (220V) with two circular metal pins
Country dialing code
Hungary: 0036 or +36 (00361 or +361 – for Budapest)
To dial Hungarian numbers from Hungary you can dial:
06 + 1 xxx xxxx (Budapest), or
for cellular phone: 06 + 2/3/7 + 0 + xxx xxxx.
Money
The Hungarian currency is the forint (HUF).
1 EUR = 313 HUF, 1 USD = 252 HUF
You usually CANNOT pay in Euro or US dollars. You can exchange
money at the airport or train stations, but change as little as possible
there since exchange rates at these locations are bad. It is preferable
to use one of the many ATMs or cash points across the city.
Public Transport
Budapest has an excellent public transit system consisting of
subways, buses, trolleys, trams, and electric commuter trains called
HÉV. Tickets are available at all metro stations from automated
machines, and most stations also have cashiers at ticket windows.
Tickets can be bought individually, discounted in books of 10, or in
the form of daily, weekly, or monthly passes. You need to validate
your ticket before starting your trip on the metro or immediately upon
boarding a bus, tram, trolley, or commuter train. Insert the ticket into
the machines at metro station entrances and in the red or yellow boxes
on trams, buses, and trolleys. Tickets are valid for 60 minutes after
they have been stamped or for 90 minutes on the night service. Passes
and tickets are checked by inspectors at random and you will be fi ned
14
METRO AND SUBURBAN RAILWAY LINES
HUF 8,000 on the spot if you cannot produce your pass or validated
ticket. If fi ned, get a receipt, as foreigners are sometimes overcharged.
Public transportation runs from 4:30 until 23:00 and is both regular
and frequent. Night trams and buses run on an abbreviated schedule.
COURSE COORDINATORS
Logis
tical
Info
rmati
on
15
Logis
tical
Info
rmati
onUSEFUL HUNGARIAN PHRASES
English Hungarian Pronounciation
Yes/No Igen/nem igen/nem
Thank you Köszönöm Kurssurnurm
Hello Jó napot Yow nopot
Goodbye Viszontlátásra Vissont-latashruh
Please Kérem szépen Kherem sehpen
Do you speak English? Beszél angolul? Bessayl ungolool?
I can’t speak Hungarian Nem beszélek magyarul Nem besseylek mud-yarool
Entrance Bejárat Beh-yarut
Exit Kijárat Ki-yarut
I’m sorry Elnézést Ellnezeysht
Toilet WC Vaytsay
Tanja MANNERS
Mobile: +36 30 943 0332
Email: [email protected]
Livia MARSCHALL
Mobile: +36 30 629 1807
Email: [email protected]
Ilona PUSKÁS
Mobile: +36 20 945 4291
Email: [email protected]
16
Bio
gra
phie
s COURSE DIRECTOR
Carsten SCHNEIDER
Central European University l Germany
Carsten is a professor in CEU’s Political Science Department.
Prior to joining CEU in 2004, he obtained his PhD from the
European University Institute ( Florence). His research focuses
on regime transitions, new forms of autocracy and the link
between social and political inequalities. He also works in the
fi eld of comparative methodology, especially on set-theoretic methods, in particular
Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and its fuzzy set extension. His book Set-
Theoretic Methods for the Social Sciences, co-authored with Claudius Wagemann,
was published by Cambridge University Press in 2012. From 2009-14, Carsten was
an elected member of the Young Academy of Science in Germany. He spent the
2009-10 academic year as a John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellow at the Center for
European Studies at Harvard University. During the academic year 2017-18, Carsten
is a visiting researcher at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.
FACULTY
Kristof BENDER
European Stability Initiative l Austria
Kristof is the deputy chairman of the European Stability
Initiative (ESI). He has worked in South East Europe in various
capacities since 1997, including managing higher education
projects in Bosnia for the World University Service, as Attaché
for Humanitarian Affairs in the Austrian Embassy in Belgrade,
as a researcher for the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, and
as a consultant for various institutions, including the Austrian Federal Chancellery,
DFID, and SIDA. Part of the ESI team since early 2000, Kristof has lived in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. He is now based in Vienna and
leads various ESI research projects on EU enlargement and on South Eastern Europe.
He has co-authored many of ESI’s reports and documentaries and contributed to
ESI training programs aimed at supporting young policy researchers in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Tunisia.
17
Bio
gra
phie
sAdnan CERIMAGIC
European Stability Initiative | Bosnia and Herzegovina
Adnan joined ESI in 2013 as a fellow and since 2015 works
as an analyst. He studied law at the University of Graz and EU
international relations and diplomacy at the College of Europe
in Bruges. Adnan did a traineeship in the Secretariat of the
European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in Brussels
and Strasbourg, worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sarajevo and the Mission
of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the EU in Brussels. He is interested in EU enlargement
policy, human rights, rule of law and foreign policy. He is fl uent in English and
German. At ESI, he is researching EU enlargement policy, the Western Balkans’ EU
integration process and Turkey.
Achim KEMMERLING
University of Erfurt l Germany
Achim is Gerhard Haniel Professor for Public Policy and
International Development at the Willy Brandt School of Public
Policy, University of Erfurt, Germany, where he teaches courses
on methodology, welfare state policies and development. He
holds a PhD from Freie Universität Berlin. Before coming to
Erfurt, he worked for eight years in the School of Public Policy at CEU Budapest.
He has published in academic journals of various disciplines (e.g. Public Choice,
JEPP, EUP and JCMS) on issues of tax policy, social and labor market policies, and
fi scal federalism. His monograph Taxing the Working Poor (Edward Elgar 2009) deals
with the political and economic tradeoffs between redistribution and job incentives
for poor workers. He has worked as a consultant to the German Parliament, the
German Society for Technical Cooperation (former GTZ, now GIZ), and the European
Investment Bank. He also has taught in executive education programs in Eastern
Europe, Central Asia, and, most recently, in Myanmar. His research interests
include: welfare state and tax policies, international development, poverty, and
inequality. Currently he is writing on a book about human progress and the role for
public policy.
18
Bio
gra
phie
s Gerald KNAUS
European Stability Initiative l Austria
Gerald is the founding chairman of the European Stability
Initiative. He studied in Oxford, Brussels, and Bologna;
taught economics at the Chernivtsi National University in
Ukraine (1993–94); and spent fi ve years working for NGOs
and international organizations in Bulgaria and Bosnia and
Herzegovina. From 2001 to 2004, he was the director of the Lessons Learned Unit
of the EU Pillar of the UN Mission in Kosovo. In 2011, he co-authored, with Rory
Stewart, the book Can Intervention Work? He has also co-authored more than 80 ESI
reports as well as scripts for 12 TV documentaries on South East Europe. He is a
founding member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and was for fi ve years
an associate fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University’s
Kennedy School, where he was also a visiting fellow in 2010–11 lecturing on state
building and intervention.
Kristin MAKSZIN
Hungarian Academy of Sciences l USA
Kristin is a research fellow at the Hungarian Academy of
Sciences’ Centre for Social Sciences and teaches public policy
and comparative politics at McDaniel College Budapest. Her
current research projects relate to the politics of austerity and
the role of experts in policy change. She has taught research
design and methods in international relations at CEU and has worked as a research
fellow at the CEU Center for the Study of Imperfections in Democracies (DISC). Her
publications have appeared in the Socio-Economic Review, Journal for Labour and
Social Affairs in Eastern Europe, and the Czech Sociological Review. She completed
her PhD in political science at CEU in 2013.
19
Bio
gra
phie
sBesa SHAHINI
Education Plenum l Kosovo
Besa is the deputy minister for Education, Youth and Sport
in Albania. Prior to joining the Albanian government, Besa
founded the Education Plenum—a think tank based in
Prishtina, Kosovo. Since 2015, Besa has been a member of
the “Council for Textbooks”—part of the Kosovo Ministry of
Education— in charge of textbook policy. As a researcher, her focus is on enlargement
(Western Balkans) and education policy (Kosovo). Until 2015, Besa was a senior
analyst with the European Stability Initiative (ESI). Besa’s work with ESI focused
mainly on issues of European integration in the Western Balkans and in the South
Caucasus. Prior to joining ESI, Besa was the co-founder and director of the ESI spin-
off, Kosovar Stability Initiative (IKS), a think tank focusing on development issues
in Kosovo. She is an occasional university guest lecturer and writes columns for
Albanian and English language media in Kosovo. Besa holds an MPP from the Hertie
School of Governance in Berlin, Germany.
COURSE PARTICIPANTS
Azis ABAKIROV
Unique Technologies l Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: The IT market of Kyrgyzstan:
forecasting market development until 2020
Azis is the owner of Unique Technologies, one of the most
successful software development companies in Kyrgyzstan. He
was elected chairman of the Kyrgyz software and services developers association. He
holds a BA in oriental studies from Kyrgyz National University (2002). Projects he
was involved in include: “Live in Kyrgyzstan—work with the world”—High Technology
Park of the Kyrgyz Republic development (low tax regime for IT businesses); “One
family—one programmer”—establishing an IT Academy in each region of the country;
and “Virtual port on the new Silk Road”—free fl ow of ideas, people, technology
and innovation. Azis was awarded “Best Entrepreneur” by Zamandash magazine in
2009 and Best Innovation by Bishkekchanka magazine in 2013. He also received the
Araket National Prize for the Kyrgyz HighTech Park in 2016.
20
Bio
gra
phie
s Chinara AITBAEVA
Nash Vek l Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: Regional development funds—the
effect of projects on the development of regions
Chinara has been a social activist since 1999. Since 2001,
she has been the director of the public foundation Nash Vek. In
2012, she received a master’s degree in management of non-
profi t organizations from the Academy of Public Administration under the President
of the Kyrgyz Republic (Hanns Seidel Foundation 2010–2012). Before that, she
studied law at the Kyrgyz State Legal Academy (2000–2003) and continued her
professional education at the School of Political Management of AUCA (2011), at the
School of State and Public Policy Consultancy (2010) and at the School of Gender
(2011). Chinara is a member of the UNDP Advisory Council, the Supervisory Board
of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the Working Group on
Regional Development Funds of the Ministry of Economy of the Kyrgyz Republic, and
other international NGO networks on sustainable development. She also serves as
coordinator of the committee for monitoring external assistance of the Coordinating
Council of Public Councils of State Bodies.
Iskender ALIEV
Velosoobshestvo l Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: Cycle economics—using the
development of cycling as a factor in the economic and
social development of cities in Kyrgyzstan
Iskender is the director and founder of the public association
‘Cycling community,’ established in 2014. Major activities include the promotion of
cycling and advocacy in the fi eld of urban planning. In cooperation with the Bishkek
City Development Agency, the association has prepared the project ‘First Cycling
Path.’ Iskender has an MBA in fi nance from the University of Nicosia, Cyprus.
21
Bio
gra
phie
sSaltanat ANARBAEVA
Freelance researcher l Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: Measuring Bishkek’s population
Saltanat is a researcher in the area of migration, mining
policy, socio-economic niches, cultures and public policy. She
obtained a law degree from Kyrgyz National University (Zhusup
Balasagyn) and graduated with a master’s in public administration from the Academy
of Management under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (2012). She worked as
an analyst at SIAR Research & Consulting (2011–2014), an international research
and consulting company providing professional services in the countries of Central
Asia, Mongolia, China and Afghanistan in the areas of social and marketing research.
Since 2014 she has been working at the Resource Center for Elderly People, an
NGO where she manages two projects on migration. With her colleagues from Urban
Initiatives PF she developed a methodology for ‘New life of city libraries: a study of
the demand and the current state of libraries in Bishkek’ (2015) and conducted the
multi-disciplinary study of fi ve regional cities of the ‘Forum of Cities’ project (2017).
Her key current areas of work include city migration, city identity and cultures and
the use of urban data for better governance.
Vlada CIOBANU
Primaria mea l Moldova
RESEARCH TOPIC: Transparency in crowdfunding
campaigns
Vlada is a trainer and activist. She is the community develop-
ment manager at Primaria Mea (My City Hall)—an online
platform to monitor and analyze the decisions of Chisinau local public authorities and
to increase citizens’ participation in the decision-making process. She is also doing
research for the Prague Civil Society Center on how to increase the accountability and
legitimacy of Moldovan NGOs through diverse fundraising. Prior to this, she worked
for fi ve years as program manager at the National Democratic Institute designing and
developing programs for young policy makers and voter education campaigns. Her
research interests are development of civil society, urban issues and mass-media.
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s Hasmik HARUTYUNYAN
Protection of Rights without Borders l Armenia
RESEARCH TOPIC: Mapping Armenia’s judicial reforms
towards an independent judiciary between 1995–2018
Hasmik is a PhD candidate in public law. Since 2012, she
works as legal expert for the NGO Protection of Rights
without Borders. Her professional experience encompasses monitoring of courts
and closed/semi-closed institutions, legal consulting, awareness-raising, advocacy
at international level via submissions of alternative reports and strategic litigation.
Her interest in human rights and their advocacy was much infl uenced by her legal
education.
Kanat MAMBETALIEV
State Academy of Physical Culture and Sports l
Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: Extra-curricular forms of inclusion
of schoolchildren with mental health disorders and
schoolchildren in general education schools
Kanat is a professor in the Theory and Methods of Physical Culture department of
the Kyrgyz State Academy of Physical Culture and Sports. He graduated from the
Kyrgyz Institute of Physical Culture (Frunze city, 1988) and continued his studies
of pedagogical sciences (1994) in the fi eld of physical education of schoolchildren.
At the Kyrgyz State Academy, he teaches courses on physical culture and sports,
including a course on “Adaptive physical culture” and a course on “Special Olympic
and social rehabilitation of people with mental disabilities.” Kanat was the president
of the public association SOK (2005–2017), that promoted a better quality of
life for people with mental disabilities through practicing sports. He initiated the
United Sports program of the International Special Olympics in Kyrgyzstan and now
coordinates SOK’s research programs.
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sMihai MOGILDEA
Institute for European Policy and Reforms l Moldova
RESEARCH TOPIC: Public acquisition of electricity in
Moldova and their implications for national security
Mihai is a research assistant for Collegium Civitas (Warsaw)
in a project concerning domestic barriers to the pro-European
transformation of Moldova. He is also a research fellow at the Experts for Security
and Global Affairs Association and an associate expert of the Institute for European
Policy and Reforms. His main research interests are related to democratization and
good governance in the Eastern Partnership region. Mihai holds a master degree in
European political and administrative studies from the College of Europe (Bruges).
Davit PETROSYAN
Yerevan State University (YSU) l Armenia
RESEARCH TOPIC: Students’ and lecturers’ rights at
Yerevan State University: a study of existing barriers
and corrupt practices
Davit is a student at YSU majoring in political science. He has
been a member of the “For the development of Science” student initiative, which
fought against a new law according to which deferment rights were changed. He is a
member of the ‘YSU Restart’ student initiative advocating for reforms at the university.
Previously, Davit took part in election observation missions, fi rst as an observer and
then as coordinator. His last experience was during the 2017 parliamentary elections,
when he recruited 75 observers. Davit’s professional and scientifi c areas of interest
span education policy, elections, civic activism and political psychology.
Vitalie RAPCEA
Expert Grup l Moldova
RESEARCH TOPIC: Evaluating the need for improving
legislation regarding to the use of natural resources for
road building in Moldova
Vitalie is a researcher with a PhD in economics. His experience
in the public sector include: adviser to a member of parliament, adviser of the minister
of transport and road infrastructure, and former deputy minister of transport and road
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s infrastructure. As a deputy minister, Vitalie has been advocating and succeeded to
implement the “Reform of the Road Fund” with direct impact on decentralization.
His latest research addressed problems related to the effi cient use of the Road Fund,
tackling issues like corruption and the use of natural resources in the construction
and maintenance of public roads. His work was the subject of public debate and
promoted by NGOs like the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM) and the
Association of the Independent Press (API).
Liubov SHEVCHENKO
University of Central Asia l Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: Realizing the rights of disabled
people to work through the activation of “sleeping”
norms of the law
Liubov graduated from the Technical Kyrgyz University and
obtained an MBA in the Management Academy under the President of the Kyrgyz
Republic. Since 1998 she has been working for international organizations in
various positions, starting as a trainer, program coordinator, fi nancial manager, grant
manager and independent expert. Presently she is a consultant on strengthening
the organizational capacity of organizations who are working with disabled people.
She also works as a data collection expert, a consultant to the European Partnership
for Democracy and as an analyst at the University of Central Asia. Her professional
affi liations include membership in the Institute of Management Consultants and
board membership at the Association of Civil Society Support Centres.
Sultan STAMBEKOV
National Centre of Oncology l Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: Accessibility of oncological care for
children in the Kyrgyz Republic
Sultan studied medicine at the Medical Faculty of the Kyrgyz-
Russian Slavic University in Bishkek (1998-–2004) and
specialized as oncologist at the National Centre of Oncology in 2006. In 2015
he qualifi ed in child oncology at the Federal Scientifi c Clinical Centre of Child
Hematology, Oncology and Immunology (Moscow) and became a child oncologist.
During that time he worked at the National Centre of Oncology. From 2011–2014
he was the Dean of the Medical Faculty at the Asian Medical Institute and served
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sas general director of the fi rst Assist company in Kyrgyzstan that organized medical
insurance. He won a prize for young scientists (Saenko A.I., National Center of
Oncology, 2013) and the Biology Olympiads (Kyrgyzstan, 1999 and Kazakhstan,
1997 and 1998). Sultan was a member of the academic council of the Asian Medical
Institute from 2012 to 2014.
Joomart SULAIMANOV
Osh State University l Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: The right to higher education among
national minorities: problems and challenges to its
implementation (case study: Uzbeks)
Joomart is an associate professor at the Regional Studies
Department of Osh State University. He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of
the Kazakh State University (Almaty) and conducted postgraduate studies at the Kiev
State University. His scientifi c interests gravitate around philosophy, anthropology
and political history. The main topic of the study is the problem of nation building
in Kyrgyzstan. Joomart participated in projects under CARTI, CEP of the Soros
Foundation and in summer schools under the HESP program.
Lusine TANAJYAN
National Academy of Sciences l Armenia
RESEARCH TOPIC: The integration experience of Syrian-
Armenians in Armenia: problem-solving mechanisms
Lusine is a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and
Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences. She has
a master’s degree in sociology and currently writes her PhD in ethnography. Lusine
analyses social processes and socio-professional changes in Armenia’s Diaspora and
authored over ten articles. Her professional and scientifi c areas of interest include
social changes, Diaspora studies and migration.
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s Marina TURCANU
Primaria Mea l Moldova
RESEARCH TOPIC: Optimizing public transportation in
Chisinau
Marina has a bachelor’s degree in public administration
from Moldova State University and is currently pursuing her
master’s degree in marketing management at the Academy of Economic Studies of
Moldova. Marina is a civic activist focusing on improving the public transportation
system in Chisinau.
Diana UKHINA
Laboratoria ci l Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: City and townspeople: reconstructing
Bishkek’s road and street network
Diana is a cultural worker who represents feminist perspectives
and focuses on history and theory of culture, contemporary art,
urban research and gender studies. She is the co-founder and director of Laboratoria
ci (2015), an organization that seeks to understand contemporary socio-cultural
processes. Diana holds a master’s degree in sociology from American University of
Central Asia and a master’s degree (specialist) in history from the Kyrgyz–Russian
Slavic University (2011). She participated in various interdisciplinary research and
cultural projects, such as: the art prospect residency program for curators at the
Foundation Centre for Contemporary Art and Open Place Art platform (Kyiv, 2017);
a fi eld research project of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (Moscow, 2017);
research interaction between government and civil society (Bishkek, 2016); UN
Women Academic Gender Studies Summer School (Bishkek, 2015); Third Moscow
Curatorial Summer School (Moscow, 2014); and Redirecting: East–Residencies
program of the Centre for Contemporary Art (Warsaw, 2013).
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sEdgar VARDANYAN
Boon Foundation l Armenia
RESEARCH TOPIC: Whitewashing of Stalin-era Armenian
politicians as a tool for anti-democratic propaganda
After his postgraduate studies at St. Petersburg State
University (political science), Edgar received a qualifi cation
of a researcher-trainer (2017). His areas of interest are democratic theory,
democratization processes and civic resistance. He has taught political science at the
Moscow Institute of Business and Law (2007-2012) and at the Eurasia International
University (2008-2009). He has collaborated with a number of leading Armenian
and international organizations and foundations, including the IDHR, Lragir, Hetq,
Junior Achievement of Armenia, International IDEA, CIS IPA Institute of Democracy,
ACNIS, and Boon TV. As a political commentator, Edgar often shares his analyses
on political processes in the Armenian media. Currently he is the editor-in-chief of
‘Detector’, an informational-analytical project at the Boon Foundation.
Olha YAROVA
American University of Central Asia l Kyrgyzstan
RESEARCH TOPIC: Parenting a child with developmental
disorder in Kyrgyzstan: the experience of mothers of
children with Down syndrome
Olha is the director of the Institute of Behavioral Health
and Applied Research at the American University of Central Asia and an assistant
professor at its Psychology Department. She earned her MA in psychology in Ukraine
and obtained an MA in gender studies at CEU. She also completed courses in applied
behavior analysis at Clemson University and she is a certifi ed behavior analyst. For
several years Olha assisted the clinical director in the fi rst Center of Autism and
Applied Behavior Analysis in Kyrgyzstan. Now she conducts training for parents of
children with autism and Down syndrome. Her research interests include gender,
autism, applied behavior analysis, Down syndrome, special psychology and inclusive
education.
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s GUESTS
Pierre-Olivier BIGO
Open Society Foundations–Eurasia Programme l France
Pierre-Olivier is a program specialist for the Open Society
Foundations Eurasia Program working out of London. He joined
the Eurasia Program in 2014. Prior to that, he worked at the
Open Society European Policy Institute (Brussels) where he
provided support to colleagues in charge of EU advocacy in the
fi eld of human rights and democracy in Central Asia, and support to the whole team
in administrative and fi nancial work. Prior to joining the Open Society Foundations,
Pierre-Olivier interned at the French Embassy in Mongolia and at the EU Delegation
to Kazakhstan, where he participated in political monitoring and reporting.
Valentina GEVORGYAN
Open Society Foundations Armenia l Armenia
Valentina joined OSF Armenia in July 2017 as a civil society
program and policy fellowship coordinator. Her academic
interests are in the sphere of civil society, focusing on society
and state relations, the role of civil society in the development
of public policy agenda, and the promotion of human rights
in hybrid regimes. Valentina received her MA in political science from American
University of Armenia, and worked as a senior researcher of academic studies at
the same university. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD in political science at the
University of Fribourg in Switzerland.
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sGulnara IBRAEVA
Board of the Soros Foundation Kyrgyzstan l Kyrgyzstan
Gulnara is an analyst with experience in socio-economic, polit-
ical and cultural research and an expert on gender, in strategic
planning, monitoring and evaluation. She has substantial ex-
perience working with international organizations, state organs
and civil society organizations not only in the Kyrgyz Republic,
but also in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Georgia and Turkmenistan. Gulnara ob-
tained degree of candidate nauk in political sociology at the Sankt-Petersburg State
University, Russia (1994). Having started her academic career in 1988, Gulnara has
spent more than two decades teaching students (journalists and sociologists) at the
National State University, Bishkek Humanitarian University, AGUP KR, Kyrgyz–Turk-
ish Manas University, AUCA, and others. Gulnara has experience in policy develop-
ment with the Ministry of Labour and Social Development and expertise in legislative
drafting with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy. Gulnara is the
author of numerous reports and books. Among those are Extended Migration Profi le:
Kyrgyzstan 2010–2015 (2015), Marriage Strategies in Kyrgyzstan: Generations of
Fathers and Children (2006), Media and Languages in Kyrgyzstan (2002) and, with
Svetlana Kulikova, Historical Development and Current Situation of Mass Media in
Kyrgyzstan (2001).
Hayarpi PAPIKYAN
Open Society Foundations Armenia l Armenia
Hayarpi joined OSF Armenia in November 2017 as a civil
society program coordinator. Specializing in comparative
and international education, research and evaluation, she is
particularly engaged in the design of assessment tools, project
evaluation and reporting. Hayarpi holds a PhD in history and
sociology of education from the Université Paris V–Sorbonne Cité and is attached
to the research and scientifi c centre of CERLIS (Centre de recherche sur les liens
sociaux) in Paris. Her main research interest is the history of girls’ and women’s
education, which also involves the history of schooling and institutionalized education
and women’s history.
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s Victor ROTARI
Soros Foundation–Moldova l Moldova
Victor is a program coordinator in the Good Governance
Department of the Soros Foundation–Moldova where he is
involved in the Policy Fellowship Initiative and EU advocacy
projects. Victor has previously worked in the Justice and Human
Rights Department of the Foundation and in the Parliament of
Moldova before that. He holds a master degree in law from Moldova State University.
His areas of expertise are the judiciary, legislation and good governance.
Nazira TURAROVA
Soros Foundation–Kyrgyzstan l Kyrgyzstan
Nazira has been working for Soros Foundation – Kyrgyzstan
since 2006 and has been involved in its education, cultural,
and ‘East East: partnership beyond borders’ programs.
For the last seven years, Nazira has focused on education
reform processes, particularly in inclusive education and
national curriculum development. In 2017, Nazira became coordinator of the
fellowship program initiative that supports researchers in the sphere of public policy
development. Nazira holds a BA in American studies from the American University-
Central Asia (AUCA). Prior to joining Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan, Nazira worked in
AUCA in the Student Affairs Offi ce.
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sSPP GLOBAL POLICY ACADEMY STAFF
Bernhard KNOLL-TUDOR
Director of SPP’s Global Policy Academy
Prior to his appointment at CEU, Bernhard worked for the
OSCE, an international organization devoted to “hard” security
as well as to human rights diplomacy. He was involved in
policy design and public relations, both at the level of fi eld
missions (Sarajevo, 1999–2000; Prishtina, 2000–02), and at
the OSCE Offi ce for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (Warsaw, 2006–
12). He has held positions at the European Union Monitoring Mission (deputy head,
Political and Information Division, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 1998); the United Nations
Administration Mission in Kosovo (acting Temporary Media Commissioner, 2003);
and with the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Political Directorate, desk offi cer for
EU accession countries, 2005–06). Bernhard earned a master in law at the University
of Vienna and an MA in international relations and economics at Johns Hopkins/SAIS
with a focus on IR theory (Bologna and Washington, DC). He obtained his PhD from
the European University Institute (Florence, Italy), and is the author of Legal Status
of Territories Subject to Administration of International Organisations (Cambridge
University Press, 2008). He has published widely on human rights protection in post-
confl ict situations in leading academic journals and currently teaches a two-credit
elective course on public international law at SPP.
Tanja K. MANNERS
Senior Program Manager, SPP Global Policy Academy
Tanja has spent the past decade working in education both in
front of the classroom and behind the scenes, teaching
mathe-matics in Micronesia and Austria and working in
administration at the Institute of Education, University College
London, and King’s College London. She has a degree in applied mathematics from
Brown University and a master’s degree in comparative education from the Institute
of Education of the University of London. She moved to Hungary in summer 2015
after spending a year as an education consultant in Shanghai.
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s &
Host Livia MARSCHALL
Program Coordinator, SPP Global Policy Academy
Livia joined CEU as a program assistant at the Roma Access
Programs Unit in 2014. She assumed her present role as part-
time program coordinator at SPP’s Global Policy Academy in
2015. She holds an MA in Cultural Anthropology and English
Language and Literature from Eötvös Loránd University
(ELTE) in Budapest. She is also currently working as a curator at Gallery8 – Roma
Contemporary Art Space.
Ilona PUSKÁS
Events Manager and Program Assistant, SPP Global
Policy Academy
As a devoted communications professional, Ilona liaises with
creative practitioners, the business sector, and the media. She
has a background in cultural project management. Involved in
contemporary fi ne art, she has been researching the role of the
curator in facilitating sustainability and solidarity in curatorial praxis. She earned an
MA in art and design management from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design
and a BA in communication and media studies (specialization in journalism) from
Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest.
CEU School of Public Policy,
Global Policy Academy
The Global Policy Academy (GPA) is part of CEU’s School of Public Policy (SPP).
GPA has fi ve years of experience running executive education programs and hosted
numerous courses and public events that have focused on developing an innovative
research agenda while deepening cooperation with OSF and its networks. While the
majority are organized in Budapest, we have also run courses abroad including in
Vienna, Warsaw, Brussels, Athens, Sando and Kuala Lumpur. GPA has partnered
with OSF geographical and thematic programs and units numerous times, but other
partners include the Natural Resource Governance Institute, the Coun cil of Europe,
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Regional Environmental
Center for Central and Eastern Europe, and Namati, amongst others.
School of Public Policy at Central European University
Nádor utca 9, H–1051 Budapest, Hungary
Phone: +36 1 327-3110
Email: [email protected]
http://spp.ceu.edu
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