The Head of the Central Asia program at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University arrived in Sofia at the invitation of the Faculty of Classical and New Philology (FCNF) at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.” Dr. Kassenova held discussions with the dean of FCNF Prof. Dr. Gergana Petkova and with other faculty members from the Center for Eastern Languages and Cultures for collaboration in research on the Central Asian region and knowledge exchange between faculty and students for the creation of specialized courses.

Dr. Kassenova’s lecture dedicated to Kazakhstan as an ambitious middle power facing crises in the Eurasian and global order attracted many faculty members, students, and diplomats. They also discussed topics that Dr. Kassenova touched upon in her talk: Kazakhstan positions itself as an ambitious middle power, using its strategic location in the heart of Eurasia and its rich deposits of uranium, oil, and rare minerals to increase its international influence through a skillful "multi-vector" foreign policy that balances relations with Russia, China, Europe, and the United States. Violations of both the Eurasian regional order—caused by Russia's war against Ukraine—and the broader global order—accelerated by the Trump administration's rejection of multilateralism—have fundamentally changed Kazakhstan's strategic environment. These simultaneously unfolding crises have strengthened Kazakhstan's balancing role. By developing strategic partnerships with other middle powers such as Turkey, the UAE, and Singapore, Kazakhstan seeks to maintain diplomatic flexibility and regional influence in an increasingly divided world.

Kazakhstan's foreign policy can also be seen as a litmus test for the role of middle powers, a question that has gained particular attention following the remarkable speech of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Davos in January. One of the theses in this speech was that it is precisely the middle powers that are called upon to create a new just world order.

Since 2018 Dr. Nargis Kassenova has been a Senior Fellow and Director of the Program on Central Asia at the Davis Center of the Harvard University. Prior to joining the Center, she was an associate professor at the Department of International Relations and Regional Studies of KIMEP University (Almaty, Kazakhstan). She is the former founder and director of the KIMEP Central Asian Studies Center (CASC) and the China and Central Asia Studies Center (CCASC). Kassenova holds a Ph.D. in international cooperation studies from the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University (Japan). Her research focuses on Central Asian politics and security, Eurasian geopolitics, governance and history of Central Asian states.