I was delighted to present my co-authored paper “Winning hearts and minds of Kyrgyz people? German and Russian public diplomacy in action” with my colleague Dr. Aijan Sharshenova from the OSCE Academy in Bishkek at the annual convention of the German Political Science Association (DVPW) held virtually on 14-16 September, 2021. This research paper contributes to bridging theoretical concepts of soft power with the empirical realities of public diplomacy on the ground through a comparative analysis of the efforts of Germany and Russia's sponsored foundations in the Kyrgyz Republic. The study was conducted in the framework of the professionalisation program “Institutional Change and Social Practice. Research on the Political System, the Economy and Society in Central Asia and the Caucasus” funded by VolkswagenStiftung.

- Chiara Pierobon