This book focuses on Central Asia's place in world affairs and how international politics of state-building has affected the Asian region, thus filling the gaps in ongoing discussions on the rise of Asia in global governance. It also attempts to generalize and contextualize the “Central Asian experience” and re-evaluate its comparative relevance, by explaining the complex dynamics of Central Asian politics through a detailed analysis of the effects of major international actors — both international organizations as well as current and rising great powers. Contents:Uncovering the “New” Central Asia: The Dynamics of External Agency in a Turbulent Region (E Kavalski)NATO's Partnership with Central Asia: Cooperation à la carte (S J Smith & E Kavalski)The OSCE in the New Central Asia (M R Freire)The European Union's New Central Asian Strategy (E Efegil)The United Nations and Central Asia (W A Knight & V Bhatia)China and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: The Dynamics of “New Regionalism”, “Vassalization”, and Geopolitics in Central Asia (M Clarke)Russia and Central Asia (M Laruelle)The United States and Central Asia (M Fumagalli)Turkey in Central Asia: Turkish Identity as Enabler or Impediment (B E Sasley)Iran and Central Asia: The Smart Politics of Prudent Pragmatism (P Pahlavi & A Hojati)India and Central Asia: The No Influence of the “Look North” Policy (E Kavalski)Japan and Central Asia (D Walton)The Influence of External Actors in Central Asia (S Blank)Readership: Undergraduates, post-graduates, research fellows and academics in the business management field; risk managers and individuals interested in this topic.