POLIS PhD researcher awarded prestigious prize for research

PhD researcher Sarah Dorr has been awarded the 2018 BASEES Women’s Forum Postgraduate Prize.

Sarah's research on 'The reception of the Arab Spring in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan: A study of political change' has seen her investigate how and to what extent the Arab Spring uprisings impacted the governments of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and what theoretical mechanism can account for any effects. Using case studies, Sarah's research has been exploring how ruling authorities are impacted by their perceptions of protest elsewhere. 

In March 2016 Sarah was awarded a Postgraduate Research and Development Grant from the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies (BASEES) to conduct fieldwork in Kazakhstan. As a visiting researcher in autumn 2016 at KIMEP University’s Central Asian Studies Center in Almaty, she conducted 20 interviews with local scholars and experts based in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Additionally, Sarah participated in discussions at the local, academic, and diplomatic levels as well as with the media, including her participation in the Journal Exclusive’s panel on the 2016 United States presidential elections and the interests of Kazakhstan. At the invitation of the U.S. Consulate, Almaty, Sarah spoke to local media about the 2016 United States presidential elections.

Sarah said, 'I would like to thank BASEES, the Central Asian Studies Center at KIMEP University, and the School of Politics and International Studies at the University of Leeds for supporting my research, as well as the many individuals who enriched my stay in the region'.