Carpe Diem, Central Asia: Agency in the Era of Great Power Competition

Date: Friday, April 17, 2026

Conference Schedule:

1:00 PM Check-in opens

1:15 PM Introductory Remarks by CERES Director, Michael David-Fox

1:30 PM Panel I: Geopolitical Forces and National Sovereignty

3:00 PM Coffee Break

3:30 PM Panel II: Geoeconomic Strategies and Transactional Tactics

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Reception

Location: Riggs Library (3rd floor of Healy Hall at Georgetown University)

About the Conference:

Central Asia stands at a pivotal "carpe diem" moment, navigating intensifying rivalry among Russia, China and the West, while seizing the opportunity to exercise agency and make the most of burgeoning global interest in the region’s strategic location and resource wealth. The conference assesses the security implications of regional maneuvering on C5 states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) as they manage the profound risks and unprecedented prospects of this competitive landscape. At the same time, it explores the long-term benefits that may accrue to C5 states by strengthening autonomy, diversifying the sources of foreign direct investment and engineering an enduring partnership with the United States.

Panel I. Geopolitical Forces and National Sovereignty

Moderator: Gavin Helf (Georgetown University)

Temur Umarov (Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Berlin), “Architects of Autonomy: How Central Asian States are Reshaping Their Own Neighborhood”

Carla Freeman (Johns Hopkins SAIS), “The End of the Quiet Periphery: China's Reluctant Turn to Security Provision in Central Asia”

Erica Marat (Georgetown University), “Wedging Russia, Hedging China in Central Asia”

Panel II. Geoeconomic Strategies and Transactional Tactics

Moderator: Theresa Sabonis-Helf (Georgetown University)

Vadim Grishin (Georgetown University), “Central Asia and the Strategic Dilemmas of Transactional Geoeconomics: Fragmentation, Standards, Critical Minerals, and Competing AI Futures”

Marsha McGraw Olive (Johns Hopkins SAIS), “The Geoeconomics of Critical Minerals:

Implications of a Trump - Central Asia Framework Agreement”

Brianne Todd (Georgetown University), “The Price of Access: Lessons from the Northern Distribution Network and the Future of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor”

For participants’ bios, .

Please RSVP as seating is limited. Check-in opens at 1:00 PM. If you have further questions please email CERES' Center Administrator, Jessica Miller, at [email protected]

CERES would like to thank the Chevron Corporation for its generous sponsorship of this conference.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Riggs Library, Library Walk, Washington, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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