Miras Zhiyenbayev is a leading scholar, author and strategic voice on global affairs, specializing in middle power strategy, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, and the geopolitics of critical minerals.
Zhiyenbayev is the author of the newly released Between Powers, Beyond Dependence: Kazakhstan’s Path to Strategic Resilience (Observer Research Foundation, 2026), which bridges international relations and historical sociology to redefine middle-power agency, demonstrating that strategic resilience is not merely a product of geopolitical balancing, but a deeply rooted "art of managing exposure" that transforms external vulnerability into sovereign maneuverability. His first monograph, Widening the Scope: How Middle Powers are Changing Liberal Institutionalism (Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, 2023), holds the distinction of being the first Kazakh academic book officially presented at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Zhiyenbayev brings a wealth of institutional leadership experience across top-tier academic and policy organizations. He previously served as Advisor to the Chairman of the Board for International Affairs and Initiatives at Maqsut Narikbayev University (2024-2026). Within the MNU ecosystem, he was also the founding Head of the Foreign Policy Analysis and International Studies Program at the Maqsut Narikbayev
Miras Zhiyenbayev is a leading scholar, author and strategic voice on global affairs, specializing in middle power strategy, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, and the geopolitics of critical minerals.
Zhiyenbayev is the author of the newly released Between Powers, Beyond Dependence: Kazakhstan’s Path to Strategic Resilience (Observer Research Foundation, 2026), which bridges international relations and historical sociology to redefine middle-power agency, demonstrating that strategic resilience is not merely a product of geopolitical balancing, but a deeply rooted "art of managing exposure" that transforms external vulnerability into sovereign maneuverability. His first monograph, Widening the Scope: How Middle Powers are Changing Liberal Institutionalism (Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, 2023), holds the distinction of being the first Kazakh academic book officially presented at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Zhiyenbayev brings a wealth of institutional leadership experience across top-tier academic and policy organizations. He previously served as Advisor to the Chairman of the Board for International Affairs and Initiatives at Maqsut Narikbayev University (2024-2026). Within the MNU ecosystem, he was also the founding Head of the Foreign Policy Analysis and International Studies Program at the Maqsut Narikbayev Institute for Networking and Development. Internationally, his policy footprint includes tenures as a Nonresident Executive Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (2025–2026) and a Visiting Fellow at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (2023).
Miras Zhiyenbayev is a leading scholar, author and strategic voice on global affairs, specializing in middle power strategy, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, and the geopolitics of critical minerals.
Zhiyenbayev is the author of the newly released Between Powers, Beyond Dependence: Kazakhstan’s Path to Strategic Resilience (Observer Research Foundation, 2026), which bridges international relations and historical sociology to redefine middle-power agency, demonstrating that strategic resilience is not merely a product of geopolitical balancing, but a deeply rooted "art of managing exposure" that transforms external vulnerability into sovereign maneuverability. His first monograph, Widening the Scope: How Middle Powers are Changing Liberal Institutionalism (Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, 2023), holds the distinction of being the first Kazakh academic book officially presented at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Zhiyenbayev brings a wealth of institutional leadership experience across top-tier academic and policy organizations. He previously served as Advisor to the Chairman of the Board for International Affairs and Initiatives at Maqsut Narikbayev University (2024-2026). Within the MNU ecosystem, he was also the founding Head of the Foreign Policy Analysis and International Studies Program at the Maqsut Narikbayev Institute for Networking and Development. Internationally, his policy footprint includes tenures as a Nonresident Executive Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (2025–2026) and a Visiting Fellow at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (2023).
Institute for Networking and Development. Internationally, his policy footprint includes tenures as a Nonresident Executive Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (2025–2026) and a Visiting Fellow at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (2023).
At the national level, from 2022 to 2024, Zhiyenbayev served as a Leading Expert at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. There, he was part of the founding team for the Department of European and American Studies, contributing significantly to national strategic policy recommendations.
A Raisina Young Fellow (2026) and a trusted convener of Track 1.5 strategic dialogues bridging Kazakhstan and Central Asia with the US, Europe and Asia, Zhiyenbayev’s analysis is regularly featured in The National Interest, Global Asia, The Atlanticist, and on major broadcast networks across 20 countries.
Recognized for his substantial impact on statecraft and practical policy, Zhiyenbayev is a recipient of the Altyn Barys Badge of Honour and a formal Commendation from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. For his significant contributions to the development of national parliamentarianism, he was awarded the Jubilee Medal 30 Years of the Parliament. Concurrently, he served as a Member of the Experts Club under the Senate (2024–2026), advising on legislative strategies until the chamber's dissolution under the historic 2026 Constitutional reforms.
At the national level, from 2022 to 2024, Zhiyenbayev served as a Leading Expert at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. There, he was part of the founding team for the Department of European and American Studies, contributing significantly to national strategic policy recommendations.
A Raisina Young Fellow (2026) and a trusted convener of Track 1.5 strategic dialogues bridging Kazakhstan and Central Asia with the US, Europe and Asia, Zhiyenbayev’s analysis is regularly featured in The National Interest, Global Asia, The Atlanticist, and on major broadcast networks across 20 countries.
Recognized for his substantial impact on statecraft and practical policy, Zhiyenbayev is a recipient of the Altyn Barys Badge of Honour and a formal Commendation from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. For his significant contributions to the development of national parliamentarianism, he was awarded the Jubilee Medal 30 Years of the Parliament. Concurrently, he served as a Member of the Experts Club under the Senate (2024–2026), advising on legislative strategies until the chamber's dissolution under the historic 2026 Constitutional reforms.
Miras Zhiyenbayev
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