Nazerke Mukhlissova

My name is Nazerke, I was born and raised in Kazakhstan, where I received Bachelor’s degree at Nazarbayev University with a double major in History and Political Science. As a true nomad, I consider myself a native of three cities: Atyrau, Almaty and Astana. Prior to coming to Yale, I was involved with many research projects focusing on the behaviour and policymaking of Central Asian states, as well as regional integration. I have completed several internships with the most remarkable Central Asian think tanks. My undergraduate thesis, “The ‘Great Steppe’ narrative: origins, politics, and aspirations of Eternal Kazakhstan”, explored how Kazakhstan, as a newly independent country, created a state ideology instrumentalizing Eurasian Steppe with an attempt to distance and differentiate itself from the Soviet past. Another published piece of mine, “Reclaiming Historical Past and Collective Public Memory: The Case of Valikhanov in Kazakhstan”, highlights the tendency of modern Kazakhstani authorities to bluntly accommodate the memory policy inherited from the Soviet past.

Outside of class, I was heavily involved with social student life at NU. Particularly, I was the coordinator of the biggest student club, the debating club, and the president of the Association of Political Science students. 

Currently, at Yale, I am focusing more on the political history of the Soviet Union, and Eastern European and Central Asian countries. I am interested in memory politics, intellectual history, nation and tradition building.