ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ­´´

Image of Photo of an open road in Central Asia
Photo: Dr Siddharth Saxena

Cambridge Central Asia Forum

The (CCAF) is an interdisciplinary forum which collates Cambridge’s scholarly activities in Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as Russia, the Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in China, Iran and Afghanistan. CCAF affiliated researchers and students have been involved in field-based research in this part of the world since 1996.

CCAF aims to promote research within existing disciplines – in the arts and sciences, social sciences, engineering and medicine – and to encourage new interdisciplinary research on Central Asia and Eurasia. A number of Armenian, Afghan, Azeri, Chinese Uyghur and Kazakhs, Indian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Pakistani and Russian academics have been hosted by CCAF for prolonged periods of research collaboration and public events, covering political, cultural and economic developments in their countries and regions.

Established by academic faculty members of the University of Cambridge in 2001, CCAF is now based at ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ­´´ and is closely linked to the University’s Centre for Development Studies.

CCAF’s management committee is chaired by Professor Lord Robert Mair FRS, and CCAF is directed by Dr Siddharth Saxena, a principal scientist at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge.

Contact us

If you would like to be involved in any aspect of CCAF’s work, please contact , the Research, Administrative and Social Coordinator, or Dr Siddharth Saxena, the Director.

Visit our Data Protection page for further information about how we deal with your data.

Also in this section:

Group of people at an outdoor restaurant in Central Asia, looking at the camera

Events

The Cambridge Central Asia Forum organises seminars, talks and panel discussions, focusing on scholarly activity in Central Asia and the...

Events

Hear from our students

  • Photo of postgraduate student

    Ellie

    Postgraduate

    ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ­´´ has been a great home for me during my PhD. I chose ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ­´´ for a number of reasons – first, the location. We are central enough to be within easy walking distance of most things, but far enough away to avoid the hustle and bustle (and tourists in summer!). The College also has extensive grounds, with amenities like the hockey pitch, football pitch and tennis courts all on site. Secondly, the accommodation is some of the best I’ve seen in Cambridge. My house was newly renovated when...

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  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Matthew

    Postgraduate

    ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ­´´ has been at the heart of my Cambridge experience. I chose the College because I was impressed by its distinctive blend of academic rigour and extracurricular achievement. A College for all-rounders, Jesus is a lively and rewarding place to study. I couldn’t be happier here! Friendly and engaged, the Jesus postgraduate community never ceases to impress me. At ease with themselves and forever curious, my peers go out of their way to cultivate a sense of camaraderie. After a day of leafing through old manuscripts at the National...

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    Tara

    Postgraduate

    ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ­´´ has all the benefits of being large, historical and prestigious college, whilst also retaining fantastic welfare: the staff and other students all care about each other, and will be there to cheer you on when you are thriving, but also there to support you if you need any help. I chose Jesus due to several reasons, including its prime location, where it is very central, and easy to access everywhere, even if you work in one of the institutes further out. I also selected Jesus for its MCR...

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  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Ahsan

    Postgraduate

    It is a well-accepted opinion in Cambridge that ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ­´´ is the best college and no other college even comes a distant second. Its sports grounds are enormous, its buildings are mesmerising, its libraries are rich, its chapel is the oldest, its accommodation is the best value for money, its international community is diverse, its religious circles are the most welcoming, and its members are the smartest, kindest and the friendliest. It is one of the central colleges that aims to offer three years accommodation to postgraduates, and has comparatively...

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  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Alison

    Postgraduate

    What first attracted me to ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ­´´ was its reputation and history, central location without being touristy, and the postgraduate housing options. When I arrived at Jesus I was so pleased to find the partner accommodation was spacious, affordable, and situated very close to the college, allowing us to really take advantage of the facilities. We especially enjoyed The Roost, the nicest of all the college bars, doubling as a café during the day - ideal for studying or meeting up with groups - and a lively pub in the...

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