| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, October 11, 2017 | 12:00PM - 2:00PM | Seminar Room 208N, 1 Devonshire Place |
Dictators Without Borders: Power and Money in Central Asia
Alex Cooley, Columbia University and Barnard College
Weak, corrupt, and politically unstable, the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are dismissed as isolated and irrelevant to the outside world. But are they? Based on years of research and involvement in the region, Cooley discusses his book co-authored with John Heathershaw (U. Exeter), in which they reveal how business networks, elite bank accounts, overseas courts, third-party brokers, and Western lawyers connect Central Asia’s supposedly isolated leaders with global power centers. Cooley uncovers widespread Western participation in money laundering, bribery, foreign lobbying by autocratic governments, and the exploitation of legal loopholes within Central Asia. Cooley’s talk exposes the global connections of a troubled region that must no longer be ignored, arguing for fundamental changes to how we analyze the global political economy.
Speaker:
Alex Cooley is director of Columbia University’s Harriman Institute and a professor of Political Science at Barnard College
Chair: Ed Schatz
If you are attending a Munk School event and require accommodation(s), please email the event contact listed above to make appropriate arrangements.
Disclaimer: Please note that events posted on this website are considered to be public events – unless otherwise stated – and you are choosing to enter a space where your image and/or voice may be captured as part of event proceedings that may be made public as part of a broadcast, webcast, or publication (online and in print). We make every effort to ensure your personal information is kept and used in compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). If you have any questions please get in touch with our office at munkschool@utoronto.ca or 416-946-8900.