If you are a CESS member interested in serving on a committee or forming a new one, please send us an email. Read on to find out more about the remit and membership of our current committees:

Academic Freedom, Advocacy, and Scholars at Risk
Awards
Communications
Conference
Elections
Endowment and Fundraising
Membership
University of Pittsburgh Press Papers Series Editorial Board

Academic Freedom, Advocacy, and Scholars at Risk (AFASAR) Committee

The Academic Freedom, Advocacy, and Scholars at Risk (AFASAR) Committee was created in May 2018. AFASAR works to study issues of endangered academic freedom among our members, communicate these findings regularly to the membership, and provide support for local scholars at risk in Central Eurasia. It also develops support mechanisms for scholars at risk to attend CESS conferences and report to the membership about their experiences and situations. The committee coordinates with the organization Scholars at Risk to provide formal support to our members. This committee also works to establish institutional measures of ‘critical engagement’ on issues of academic freedom. In coordination with the executive committee, the AFASAR committee will develop a systematic approach for responding to scholars’ situations and other advocacy requests. The purpose of this committee is to define and develop an advocacy policy, not to issue any kind of political statement on behalf of the society.

Chair: Artemy M. Kalinovsky // Members: TBC (2023/24)

Awards Committee

The Awards Committee recognizes important contributions and contributors to Central Eurasian studies globally by bestowing the awards listed below. It also awards the status of CESS Honorary Member.

Jeff Sahadeo (2023/2024) // Members: Nargis Kassenova

Best Graduate Student Paper Award (Annual Conference)
2023 sub-committee: TBC
Book Award (History and Humanities)
2023 sub-committee: TBC
Book Award (Social Sciences)
2023 sub-committee: TBC
Edward Allworth Lifetime Service to the Profession Award
2023 sub-committee: TBC
Public Outreach Award (awarded every other year)
2023 sub-committee: TBC

Communications Committee

The Communications Committee manages the CESS Blog, social media, and other communications efforts.

Ketevan Gurchiani, Chair // Members: Inge Snip, Katia Clod-Svensson (2023/24)

Conference Committee

The Conference Committee plans and implements the Annual Conference and Regional Conference, including: overseeing the call for proposals, finding peer reviewers and selecting papers, communicating with delegates, planning the conference program, and liaising with the conference’s host institution. This committee is supported by the Administrative Coordinator and the conference’s host institution staff.

Ablet Kamalov, Chair  // Members: Olga Khan, Jeff Sahadeo (2023/24)

Elections Committee

The Elections Committee is composed of the CESS Board’s Executive Committee. It oversees the policies and procedures for the annual Board Elections and aims to actively encourage a diverse range of qualified candidates to stand for election.

Jeff Sahadeo, Chair (2023/24)

Endowment and Fundraising Committee

The Endowment and Fundraising Committee was created in October 2018. It will explore the feasibility of creating a CESS Endowment Fund; and review the prospects for mobilizing funds for CESS project-specific activities and purposes consistent with the Society’s Articles and 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

Jennifer Murtazashvili, Chair // Members: TBC (2022/24)

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee develops and pursues innovative ways to attract new members and meet the interests and needs of our current members, with the aim of supporting strong communities of scholarship in all the regions and disciplines CESS encompasses.

Christopher Atwood, Chair // Members: Omar Sadr (2023/24)

Regional Outreach Committee

The CESS Regional Outreach Committee was created in July 2020. The ROC serves as a platform to strengthen communication, collaboration, and partnerships among regional scholars in Eurasia and international scholars from other parts of the world researching the region. The ROC seeks to promote diversity and inclusivity in its various activities, including by representing multiple languages, countries, regions, and disciplines of study; and also aims to promote professional development and support networks of regional scholars. The ROC is comprised of multiple board members of CESS and regional scholars in Eurasia who serve three-year terms.

Read about the Regional Outreach Committee in multiple regional languages.

Emil Nasritdinov, Chair // Members: Dina Sharipova (2023/24)