Dr. Roza Otunbayeva will speak on September 19, 12:15 PM – 1:50 PM, in Irvine Auditorium  on the topic,“Obstacles to and Opportunities for Modernization in Central Asia.”

Dr. Otunbayeva served as President of the Kyrgyz Republic from July 2010 until December 2011, leading the first peaceful transition from an authoritarian to a parliamentary democracy in Central Asia. In 2007 she was elected to the Kyrgyz Parliament and led the opposition faction until April 2010. She then became the head of the Interim Government of the Kyrgyz Republic. During 2002-2004 she served as Deputy Head of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in peacekeeping mission to Georgia before returning to Kyrgyzstan to take an active role in democratic changes of the country. She served as the Deputy Head of Government and Foreign Minister of the Soviet Kyrgyz Republic before moving to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR in Moscow and later working as President of the Soviet National Commission of UNESCO. After 1991, Roza Otunbayeva served as Vice-Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. She was the first Kyrgyz Ambassador to the United States and Canada, and later to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. During 2002-2004 she worked as Deputy Head of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in peacekeeping mission to Georgia before returning to Kyrgyzstan to take an active role in democratic changes of the country. Roza Otunbayeva currently heads «The Initiative of Roza Otunbayeva” International Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Moscow State University.

Lecture sponsored by: MIIS RUSSIAN STUDIES PROGRAM AND

THE JAMES MARTIN CENTER FOR NONPROLIFERATION STUDIES