Research interests include Central Asian geopolitics and security; EU-Central Asia relations; international identity; image and perception studies, Kazakhstan' foreign policy

Zhanibek Arynov joined the Graduate School of Public Policy as a Postdoctoral Scholar in July 2019. He obtained a Ph.D. degree in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews, UK. Dr. Arynov’s research interests include Central Asian geopolitics, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, EU-Central Asia relations, and international identity, image and perception studies. He is currently working on a project related to legitimacy and (de)legitimation of international organizations with a specific focus on the Eurasian Economic Union.  

Prior to joining the GSPP, Zhanibek Arynov served as a Senior Expert of the Program of Eurasian Studies, Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP), a think-tank based in Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan.