Course Form (revised 5/1/12)
(Instructions: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/courseform_instructionsX.aspx)
I. Summary of Proposed Changes
Dept / Program
MCLL/ Russian
Prefix and Course # RUSS 371
Course Title
SRAS: The New Great Game
Please check one or more
X New course  Delete course
of the following:
Course Changes
 Course Title  Description  Learning Outcomes
 Prerequisites  Cross-listing  Other
 Credits
from _________ to________
 Number / Level from _________ to________
 Repeatability
from _________ to________
Justification / explanation (required for ALL proposals) For new courses please provide rationale for why
the course is needed, how it fits with exiting curriculum and whether there are curricular adjustments.
RUSS 371 SRAS: The New Great Game
This course is one of four other newly proposed UM/SRAS courses (see Department Summary for further
clarification about SRAS). It is one of the two core Central Asian courses of the SRAS program. It is
imperative that students of Central Asian culture understand the long history of Russian-British rivalry over
the region, as well as the contemporary geopolitics of the region.
Has the Department gone through common course Review?
 Yes  No X In process
II. Syllabus/Assessment Information Required for new courses, learning outcome changes and
course change from U to UG.
Important: please spell out learning goals and learning outcomes clearly in the syllabus.
Learning Goals are a list of what students should know, understand, or be able to do at the end of
the course, including essential information and knowledge or skills relevant to the subject area.
Learning Outcomes are measures of performance or behavior that indicate, to the teacher and the
students, that students understand the material, and what criteria differentiates among different
levels of understanding. Attach syllabus at the end of the document.
III. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Requestor:
Ona
Renner-Fahey
Phone/ email :
243-4602
Program Chair(s)/Director:
Liz
Ametsbichler,
Jannine
Montauban
Dean(s):
Chris Comer
All other affected programs:
Approve
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
Anthropology
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
Are other departments/programs affected by this
modification because of
(a) required courses incl. prerequisites or corequisites,
(b) X perceived overlap in content areas
(c) cross-listing of coursework
Signatory Comments (required for disapproval):
Please obtain signature(s) from the
Chair/Director of any such department/ program
(above) before submission
IV: To Add a New Course Syllabus and assessment information is required (paste syllabus into
section V or attach). Course should have internal coherence and clear focus.
Common Course Numbering Review (Department Chair Must Initial):
YES
NO
Does an equivalent course exist elsewhere in the MUS? Check all relevant disciplines if
course is interdisciplinary. (http://www.mus.edu/Qtools/CCN/ccn_default.asp)
X
If YES: Do the proposed abbreviation, number, title and credits align with existing course(s)? Please indicate
equivalent course/campus. 
If NO: Course may be unique, but is subject to common course review. The course number may be changed
at the system level.
Short Title (max. 26 characters incl. spaces) SRAS: The New Great Game
Exact entry to appear in the next catalog (Specify course abbreviation, level, number, title, credits,
repeatability (if applicable), frequency of offering, prerequisites, and a brief description.) 
U 371 SRAS: The New Great Game 3 cr. Offered autumn, spring and summer Restricted to students in the
SRAS program. Taught at The London School in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. This course offers an overview of the
New Great Game as a renewed struggle for hegemony and control over natural resources in Central Asia
between competing global powers, the Central Asian republics themselves, and neighboring states. Prereq.,
consent of instructor.
Complete for UG courses (UG courses should be assigned a 400 number).
Describe graduate increment - see procedure 301.30
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
Complete for Co-convened courses
Companion course number, title, and description (include syllabus of companion course in section V)
See procedure 301.20 http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
New fees and changes to existing fees are only approved once each biennium by the
Board of Regents. The coordination of fee submission is administered by
Administration and Finance. Fees may be requested only for courses meeting specific
conditions according to Policy 940.12.1 http://mus.edu/borpol/bor900/940-12-1.pdf .
Please indicate whether this course will be considered for a fee.
If YES, what is the proposed amount of the fee?
Justification:
V. Change an Existing Course
1. Current course information at it appears in catalog
(http://www.umt.edu/catalog) 
NO
X
2. Full and exact entry (as proposed) 
3. If cross-listed course: secondary program & course
number
4. Is this a course with MUS Common Course Numbering?
http://www.mus.edu/Qtools/CCN/ccn_default.asp
If yes, please explain below whether the change will eliminate the common course status.
5. If co-convened course: companion course number, title, and description
(include syllabus of companion course in section V) See procedure 301.20
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
YES
YES NO
6. Graduate increment if level of course is changed to UG.
Reference procedure 301.30:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
Have you reviewed the graduate
increment guidelines? Please check (X)
space provided.
(syllabus must be attached)
7. Other programs affected by the change
8. Is there a fee associated with the course?
VI Department Summary (Required if several forms are submitted) In a separate document list course
number, title, and proposed change for all proposals.
See attached.
VII Copies and Electronic Submission. After approval, submit original, one copy, summary of
proposals and electronic file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu.
London School in Bishkek
Class Syllabus – Fall Semester 2012
Course:
RUSS 371:
The New Great Game
Time:
See Schedule
Location: London School in Bishkek
Instructor: Cholpon Turdalieva
Professor of AUCA, Doctor of Historical Sciences
Phone:
Email:
0550311167
turdalieva@gmail.com
Course Description__________________________________________________________________
This course offers an overview of the New Great Game as a renewed struggle for hegemony and control
over natural resources in Central Asia between competing global powers, the Central Asian republics
themselves, and neighboring states.
The course begins with a brief history of the first Great Game as well as an introduction to the New Great
Game. In order to provide the foundation for an understanding of the internal factors influencing the
New Great Game, the economic and socio-political spectrums of each Central Asian republic (Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan) will be analyzed. Also an examination
and consideration will be made to the external forces influencing the New Great Game including external
agencies such as NATO, IMF, the European Union, and the United Nations, competing global powers
(Russia, China, the United States) and neighboring states (Turkey, Iran, India, and Japan).
The course material includes current research from various scholarly journals, political commentators, as
well as historical perspectives. Additionally, throughout the course current events will be analyzed within
the topical discussions of the course; therefore, students will be expected to keep abreast of current
events in Central Asia to enhance their understanding of the region.
Extensive use of audio-visual materials, including videos and other illustrated materials, guest speakers
and visits to the museums will be incorporated into the course.
Learning Goals and Outcomes__________________________________________________
This course will:
 define the concept of the New Great Game
 introduce students to contemporary research on the New Great Game
 consider the role of Russia/USSR in the original Great Game, through Soviet internationalization of
the region, and continuing today
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encourage critically formed opinions
enable analytical and critical thinking skills by exploring these issues in class discussion and the
policy paper
develop individual communication and presentation skills through discussion and debate of these
issues
foster independent learning
Required Texts__________________________________________________________
Martha Brill Olcott, Central Asia’s Second Chance (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2005).
Kavalski Emilian, The New Central Asia: The Regional Impact of International Actors (World Scientific
Publishing Company, 2010).
Peter Hopkirk, Great Game. Struggle for Empire in Central Asia (New York & London: Kodansha
International) 1994.
Soucek Svat, A History of Inner Asia (Cambridge, 2000).
Seminar Outline_________________________________________________________
Each class/topic is two (60-minute) hours in duration and standard format is
for each hour to be divided into two sections.
.
.
Lecture on the Topic (15 Minutes)
Presentation / Article Readings / Discussion (45 Minutes)
Attendance is also required for Guest Speaker, Discussion Panel, and News
Reading sessions as scheduled for this course.
Grading_________________________________________________________________
The final course grade will be determined based on the following distribution:



Participation: 20%
o Attended and on time for classes: 5%
o Polite, active participation in class discussions: 10%
o Polite, active participation in Q&A for other students' presentations: 5%
Mid-term presentation: 30%
Final draft of policy paper: 50% (See separate handout.)
The grading scale is as follows:
93-100 A
90-92 A-
88-89 B+
83-87 B
80-82 B-
78-79 C+
73-77 C
70-72 C-
68-69 D+
65-67 D
64 & below F
Mid-term presentation and Policy Recommendation Paper _________________
See separate Policy Recommendation Papers: Writing Guide for SRAS Courses.
Academic Honesty______________________________________________________
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated at the London School in Bishkek. Each of the following will be
considered as plagiarism:
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



Copying directly from a source without quotations and source citation;
Paraphrasing or summarizing another’s idea without attribution;
Changing a sentence’s structure but copying words;
Changing a sentence’s words but copying its basic structure;
Using media sources without acknowledgement;
Submitting a paper written by another student and claiming it as your own;
Using information obtained through interviewing an expert without attribution;
Purchasing or downloading a paper and claiming it as your own;
Collaborating excessively on an essay with another person;
Submitting an essay that was previously written for another class.
The consequence of students found guilty of plagiarism will vary, depending on the severity of the
offense. However; blatant plagiarism, will not be tolerated and will result in immediate failure of the
course.
Course and Topical Outline______________________________________________
Class 1 – Topic:
Introduction: Syllabus
Student introductions, overview of the course, expectations and requirements.
Assigned Readings:
Class 2 – Topic:
N/A
The Great Game in the 19th Century: the Crossroad of Interests
A history of the Great Game in the 19th century, the economic and political
interests of Russia and Great Britain in the region, faces of colonialism, the imperial
hegemony of Russia in Central Asia and its economic and political consequences.
Assigned Readings:
Peter Hopkirk, Great Game. Struggle for Empire in Central Asia (New York &
London: Kodansha International 1994), pg. 11-36,.57-68, 77-88.
Class 3 – Topic:
The Great Game and Travelogues on Central Asia
The exploration of Central Asia by the travelers, diplomats and pundits; formation
and development of Central Asian studies; scholarly and humanitarian
consequences of explorations.
Assigned Readings:
Edward W. Said, Orientalism (Vıntage Books, 1979) рg. 1-28
Pratt Mary L., Imperial Eyes. Travel Writing and Transculturation (New York &
London, Routledge, 1992), Ch.2.
Visual materials: images of Central Asians in Turkestan Album, Part 2 Ethnographic
Album, at http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/287_turkestan.html
Class 4 - Topic:
International Rivalry in Soviet Central Asia
The delimitation of Central Asia and formation of soviet statehoods, economic
development, the relationship between center and Central Asian periphery,
language and culture policy of communist leaders, ethnic nationalism vs. soviet
internationalism. Basmachi movement as a form of Great Game in the region.
Assigned Readings:
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia, pg. 209-224.
Paksoy H.B. “Basmachi”: Turkistan national Liberation 1916-1930s at
http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/paksoy-6/cae12.html
Bergne, Paul. “The Kokand Autonomy 1917-18”. Central Asia. Aspects of Transition
(London: Routledge, 2003), pg. 30-44.
Class 5 - Topic:
Central Asia during the Great Patriotic War 1941-45
Participation of Central-Asians in WW II and the Great Patriotic War, Central Asia as
an economic supply of the war, industrialization process and formation of the
national science.
Assigned Readings:
Aitmatov Chinghiz, Djamilya, pg. 4-58, (in the folder).
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia, pg. 225-253.
Class 6 - Topic:
The Cold War and Central Asia
Stalinism and the fight against the cult of personality, building socialism and soviet
internationalism, regional economic specialization, virgin land reforms, language
and culture policy, the relationship between center and Central Asian periphery.
Assigned Readings:
Bacon, Elizabeth, Central Asians under Russian Rule. A Study in Culture Change
(Cornwell, 1996) pg. 189-217.
Rumer Boris, Soviet Central Asia (New York, 2000) pg. 126-180.
Class 7 - Topic:
Gorbachev’s Perestroika and its Influence on Central Asia
Economic stagnation and deficiency of the soviet economy, M.S. Gorbachev and
Perestroika, its effect on the region, the soviet nepotism and Osh event of 1990 in
Kyrgyzstan.
Assigned Readings:
Film about the Soviet Kyrgyzstan (AUCA Film Collection)
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia, pg. 254-262
Tishkov, Valery “Don't Kill Me I'm Kyrgyz” An Anthropological Analysis of Violence
in the Osh Ethnic” (Journal of Peace Research, May 1995) pg. 133 –149
Class 8 -Topic:
“Catapult to Independence”
The formation of new statehood and nationhood in Central Asia, building
parliament system and state power, clan politics, nepotism, the “democratization”
process and market economy, in and out migration.
Assigned Readings:
Olcott, Martha Brill, “Central Asia’s Second Chance”, pg. 41-44, 105-113, 129-138.
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia, pg. 275-295.
Anderson, John. Kyrgyzstan. Central Asia’s Island of Democracy? (Harwood, 1999),
pg. 23-63.
Class 9 – Topic:
Tribalism and clanship in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia
The history of kin-tribal system of Kyrgyz people and its characteristics, ‘adat’, the
people law and its role in the society, tribal solidarity in present politics and
economy of country.
Assigned Readings:
Mokeev, Anvar Tribalism a lecture given at Harvard University, 2006. (in the folder)
Collins, Kathleen, The Political Role of Clans in Central Asia in Comparative Politics,
Vol. 35, No. (Jan., 2003), pp. 171-190 at
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4150150Accessed: 24/08/2010.
Visit to the Kyrgyz State Historical Museum, 3rd floor.
Class 10 – Topic:
The Paternalist Role of Kazakhstan in Central Asia
The political history of Kazakhstan, the rule of President Nazarbayev (and his
“immortality”), nepotism, the “democratization” of Kazakhstan, corruption,
international institutions, women in politics, vibrant economy, and the reverse
brain drain and simultaneous Russian migration.
Assigned Readings:
Olcott, Martha Brill, “Central Asia’s Second Chance” (Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, 2006) pg. 30 – 36, 86 – 98, 138 – 147.
Class – 11:
Uzbekistan’s Politics and Economic Environment
An overview of the political history of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Karimov’s Sovietstyle strong centralized leadership, economic reform without political reform, track
record of human rights violations and torture, the Andjian massacre, secular
crackdown on radical Islam – religious persecutions, show institutions, economic
trends, corruption, protectionism, environmental disasters, and economic history
and trends.
Assigned Readings:
Olcott, Martha Brill, “Central Asia’s Second Chance” (Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, 2006) pg.47-51, 117-123, 148-157.
Class 12 – Topic:
Turkmenistan: Totalitarian Rule vs. Democracy?
Modern history of Turkmenistan, the personality cult of former president
Turkmanbashi, the former president’s Ruxnama (Book of the Soul) and its mandate
use in society, civil liberties, elections, military, international relations, pipelines,
media control and censorship, the monopolization of the political process and the
consolidation of power.
Assigned Readings:
Olcott, Martha Brill, “Central Asia’s Second Chance” (Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, 2006) pg. 37-41, 98-105, 157-165
Class 13 – Topic:
Tajikistan’s Political and Economic Environment
The turbulent political history of Tajikistan including its civil war and current power
sharing arrangement, governmental corruption due to the drug trade and revenue
abuse, radical Islam, lack of democratic reforms, cotton and teresken’s role in
environmental depletion and desertification, indentured labor, the influx of Afghan
refugees, the importance of remittance, failures of the command economy, and
declining educational systems.
Assigned Readings:
Olcott, Martha Brill, “Central Asia’s Second Chance” (Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, 2006) pg. 44-47, 113-117, 165-170
Class 14 – Topic:
A “Greater Central Asia Partnership” for Afghanistan
The ever changing political landscape of Afghanistan and its history, past systems of
government, current form of government, U.S. led coalition intervention,
constitution formation and controversial elections, economic hardships as a result
of prolonged conflict, international aid, “democratization” of Afghanistan, the
opium trade, corruption, the Taliban, and troop surges.
Assigned Readings:
Rashid, Ahmad “From Great Game to Grand Bargain” (Foreign Affairs; Nov/Dec
2008, Vol. 87 Issue 6) pg. 30-44
S. Frederick Starr, A “Greater Central Asia Partnership” for Afghanistan and Its
Neighbors (Washington, D.C.: Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies
Program, 2005).
Class 15 – Topic:
Russia and Central Asia
Russia as the former colonizer of Central Asia with its strong cultural and economic
ties, its evolving influence in the region and attempts at reasserting its regional
dominance and desire for hegemony trough use of “hard ball tactics,” Russia’s
importance in regionalization and state building in Central Asia, and the future of
the Ruso-Central Asian relationship as well as Russia’s possible influences on the
New Great Game.
Assigned Readings:
Olcott, Martha Brill, “Central Asia’s Second Chance” (Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, 2006) pg. 54 – 61
Kavalski, Emilian, The New Central Asia: The Regional Impact of International Actors
(World Scientific Publishing Company, 2010) pg. 149-176
Tang, Shiping “Economic Integration in Central Asia: The Russian and Chinese
Relationship” (Asian Survey, Vol. 40, No. 2, Mar.-Apr., 2000) pg. 360-376.
Class 16 – Topic:
The US and Central Asia: Partnership or Dominance?
The ebbing of U.S. presence and diplomatic influence in Central Asia, the U.S.’s
interests in Central Asia including its military presence, concerns over regional
stability, the necessity of reassessing the U.S.’s foreign policy to match the everchanging political landscape in Central Asia, and the advantages and shortcomings
of a regional based approach, and the future potential for increased U.S.-Central
Asian relations as well as its possible influences on the New Great Game.
Assigned Readings:
Olcott, Martha Brill, “Central Asia’s Second Chance” (Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace, 2006) pg. 66-72
Kavalski, Emilian, The New Central Asia: The Regional Impact of
International Actors (World Scientific Publishing Company, 2010). pg.
177-190
Nikolaev, Sergei “Central Asia in Geopolitics: The American Vector” (International
Affairs, No. 2, 2011) pg. 1 – 12.
Visiting lecturer
Class 17 – Topic:
Mid-Term Presentations
Assigned Readings:
Class 18 – Topic:
N/A
Partnership within the Global Institutional Frameworks
UN, NATO and OSCE as a means for international order, their historic role in Central
Asia and encouragement of Central Asian republics to be more “democratic” in
terms of transparency, openness, and equity, and their possible influences on the
New Great Game.
Assigned Readings:
Hale, Henry E. Interpreting the Color Revolutions and Prospects for post-Soviet
Democratization,
PONARS
Policy
Memo
No.
373,
at
http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/pm_0373.pdf
Kobrinskaya, Irina Russia – NIS Relations Beyond the Color Revolutions, PONARS
Policy Memo No. 373, at http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/pm_0375.pdf
Kavalski, Emilian, The New Central Asia: The Regional Impact of International Actors
(World Scientific Publishing Company, 2010) pg. 29- 48, 49-20, 89-114, 213-230.
Class 19 – Topic:
The European Union’s New Central Asian Strategy
The European Union (EU) as a source of foreign direct investment, its relatively
slow development of policies towards Central Asia, its assistance for economic and
commercial reforms as well as state-building under the auspices of the Partnership
and Cooperation Agreements (PCA), its new adoption of a regional strategy for
Central Asia in 2006, the EU’s historic role in Central Asia, and its possible
influences on the New Great Game.
Assigned Readings:
Kavalski, Emilian, The New Central Asia: The Regional Impact of International Actors
(World Scientific Publishing Company, 2010) pg. 71-88.
Class 20 – Topic:
China and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a counterbalance to NATO and its
influence in Central Asia, China’s drive for “new regionalism” in Central Asia and its
desire for “peaceful rise”, China’s regional security issues and vested economic
interests in the Xinjiang-Uigher Autonomous Region (XUAR), and the goal of China
to maintain political stability through economic development, and China and the
SCO’s possible influences on the New Great Game.
Assigned Readings:
Olcott, Martha Brill, “Central Asia’s Second Chance” (Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, 2006) pg. 117-148
Rhett “New Rules to the Old Great Game: An Assessment of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization’s Proposed Free Trade Zone” (Maryland Series in
Contemporary Asian Studies, Number 3 – 2003) pg. 1-25.
Class 21 – Topic:
Other Players of New Great Game in Central Asia
A historical perspective of Turkey, Iran, India and Japan in Central Asia, the
economic interests and increasing business, linguistic, religious relations and ethnic
kinship with Central Asia, their desire of a “new foreign policy pole” in the region
and possible influences on the New Great Game in Central Asia.
Assigned Readings:
Olcott, Martha Brill, “Central Asia’s Second Chance” (Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, 2006) pg. 73-76
Kavalski, Emilian, The New Central Asia: The Regional Impact of International Actors
(World Scientific Publishing Company, 2010) pg. 191-214, 239-260, 261-278.
Anita Singh, "India's Relations with Russia and Central Asia," International Affairs,
Vol. 71, No. 1, 1995, pg. 79-90.