ValEUs Lecture Series (14): “European Values” as Perceived from Central Asia?
Join the livestream of our upcoming ValEUs Lecture: “European Values” as Perceived from Central Asia with Zhanibek Arynov from Nazarbayev University (Kazakhstan)!
About the Lecture
As a major external actor, the European Union has always prioritised its normative agenda while interacting with Central Asia. How is the EU’s normative agenda perceived by local actors in the region? This webinar focuses on how the very notion of ‘European values’ and the promotion of these values by the EU are perceived by intermediate elites in Kazakhstan. It is argued that Kazakh opinion-makers distinguish between ‘European’ political values and cultural values. Based on how these dimensions are interpreted, three categories of perceivers are identified and discussed in detail: ‘opponents’, ‘moderate supporters’, and ‘ardent supporters’ of the EU normative policies. The discussion also touches upon some of the factors shaping those perceptions.