The Diplomat | Author
Colleen Wood
Colleen Wood is a writer and educator based in St. Paul, Minnesota. She holds a PhD from Columbia University, where she studied activism and social media politics in Kazakhstan.
Colleen Wood is a writer and educator based in St. Paul, Minnesota. She teaches courses in political science at Century College and researches human rights and digital politics in Central Asia. She holds a PhD from Columbia University, where she studied activism and social media politics in Kazakhstan.
July 01, 2024
Turning Out for Bishkek’s Trolleybuses
By Colleen Wood
Activists and Bishkek government officials are pushing back on the mayor’s office’s swift move to get rid of the city’s trolleybuses.
June 28, 2024
Kyrgyzstan’s Hot (Mess) Transport Summer
By Colleen Wood
A number of initiatives to shake up public transport in Bishkek have come to a head this summer.
May 31, 2024
Kicksharing Takes Off in Kyrgyzstan
By Colleen Wood
As shared e-kickscooters become more popular, local authorities are putting regulations on this ecologically friendly form of transport.
May 14, 2024
Viral Bishimbayev Trial in Kazakhstan Ends With 24-Year Sentence
By Colleen Wood
Under Kazakhstan’s hybrid jury model, jurors and the judge make a final decision together. In this case, the former minister was convicted of murdering his wife and handed a long sentence.
April 15, 2024
Kyrgyzstan Adopts Law Targeting Foreign-Funded NGOs
By Colleen Wood
The restrictive law was first proposed 10 years ago. How could it affect Kyrgyz society now that it’s been passed?
December 01, 2023
Bill on Flag Redesign Survives First Reading in Kyrgyzstan’s Parliament
By Colleen Wood
Government officials say the current iteration, which was designed just after independence, looks like a sunflower.
November 14, 2023
Kazakhstan’s First Go at Direct Elections of District Mayors
By Colleen Wood
Incumbents from the ruling party swept elections for district-level leadership.
November 01, 2023
How Is the Israel-Hamas War Being Framed in Central Asia?
By Colleen Wood
Journalists, influencers, and religious teachers are using social media to inform Central Asians about the Israel-Hamas war.
October 30, 2023
Central Asian Governments React to the Israel-Palestine Conflict
By Colleen Wood
To what extent have religious ties or geopolitical ambitions shaped Central Asian governments’ responses to growing violence in Gaza?
October 06, 2023
Kyrgyzstan Undermines Constitutional Court With New Avenues to Revise Decisions
By Colleen Wood
Two years after re-instituting the Constitutional Court, Japarov has approved a law that opens its decisions to presidential interference.
September 21, 2023
What Happened at the First-Ever Central Asia-US Leaders’ Summit?
By Colleen Wood
Biden met with Central Asian presidents on the sidelines of UNGA to discuss security, economic cooperation, and critical minerals.
August 31, 2023
Soccer School Sparks Controversy in Kyrgyzstan
By Colleen Wood
FC Barcelona visited Kyrgyzstan to inaugurate two new football academies. Japarov is touchy about investigations into how the schools are funded.
Page 1 of 8