In this academic article, an attempt is made to present the perception of Chinese scholars on the development of contemporary processes in Central Asia and the policies of foreign states and unions in the region in the context of changing international and regional dynamics. The research results shed light on the existing perceptions within Chinese academic circles regarding the current state and trajectory of Central Asian countries' relations with foreign actors, ongoing geopolitical changes, the process of strengthening intra-regional cooperation, and a significant shift in China's foreign policy in Central Asia.

The article examines the prospects for the development of regional connectivity of the countries of Central and South Asia and analyzes the initiatives and projects being implemented between them in the areas of energy and transit-transport cooperation. Particular attention in the work is paid to understanding the directions in which connectivity of the countries of Central and South Asia will develop in the foreseeable future. The idea of developing regional connectivity is not something new for the two regions. The states and peoples of Central and South Asia historically had extensive trade relations, being an important link in the Silk Road that connected the East with the West. In the Middle Ages, one of the routes of pilgrims from Central Asia to the Hijaz ran through Afghanistan and South Asia, and there were active migration flows and cultural exchange between the peoples of the two regions. Today, the main condition to reconnect Central and South Asia is the establishment of long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan. The situation in Afghanistan, which remains a bridge between these two regions, directly affects the security of neighboring countries and can change the course of global politics in this part of Asia towards positive dynamics.

The article presents an analysis of the current state of gender equality in the countries of the Middle East, as well as the problems of implementing gender policy in the region and the prospects for its development. The main method in this work is the analysis of content data of available electronic resources. The authors analyzed socio-cultural and religious factors in the context of historical development, and also carried out a comparative analysis of the state of gender equality in the countries of the region and ways to resolve problems arising from discrimination based on gender. A analysis of the gender situation in the region is given in order to give a general assessment of the state of gender inequality. In addition, some aspects of gender inequality in the countries of Central Asia are analyzed. In the course of the work done, the need to revise the main provisions of the gender policy of the countries and its modernization was identified in order to achieve sustainable gender development.

The Republic of Korea plays one of the leading roles in the global economy and is a dynamically developing country. As one of the key elements of South Korea's success, many researchers in their works note the so-called concept of "soft power". The strategy of the contemporary notion of "soft power" of the Republic of Korea is based on the dissemination of traditional cultural values and pop culture. South Korea places a great emphasis on the "soft power" of culture, which helped it shape a positive image and create its South Korean attractive brand on the world stage. The main focus of this paper is to examine the essence of the Korean popular culture and its implementation in Central Asian states. Toward this objective, this research first explores the emergence and diffusion of Korean popular culture, especially with regards to globalization, soft power and value change. Further, its impact on CA will be considered in different perspectives. The research concludes that the implementation of Korean popular culture works as an efficient ‘soft power’ policy instrument for South Korea's cultural diplomacy.

The article analyzes some practices of cultural diplomacy development in Kazakhstan and its current challenges. The role and aims of cultural diplomacy carried out by Kazakhstan has been identified and comprehensively analyzed. The challenging factors were defined in the development of Kazakh cultural diplomacy practice. The modern definitions and connotations of cultural diplomacy are listed; the concepts of the main theorists are considered. The connection and differences of cultural diplomacy with the concepts of "public diplomacy" and "soft power" are determined. When writing the article, works and articles on the topic of cultural diplomacy were studied, the method of deductive analysis was used, materials available on the Internet resources were reviewed. As a result of the study, it was determined that despite the existing problems the contribution of the cultural diplomacy of Kazakhstan to the arena of international relations is significant.

As a result of many years of studying "public diplomacy", the term "mediated public diplomacy" appeared in science. After conducting a survey, we found out that there are very few works on public diplomacy of Kazakhstan in the sphere of media communications, and mediated public diplomacy has not been considered by Kazakhstani researchers. Even in the Western world, MPD began to be seriously studied only in 2008. The world of press and TV channels, as well as the Internet are undoubtedly the first means of increasing popularity abroad. Also the urgency of the work is evidenced by the lack of real expert monitoring of the world media, determining the image of Kazakhstan in foreign publications.

Today, digital transformation leads to the acceleration of processes and at the same time to the complication of relations between actors in world politics. The countries of the Central Asian region (CAR) in today's geopolitical realities are faced with a new challenge - the timely introduction of digital solutions to the dynamics of these conditions. In this context, the purpose of this study is to identify the main directions, problems and prospects of digital transformation of the CAR countries in the new geopolitical conditions. In this study, the method of game theory is used in the context of international relations on the example of the interaction of the CAR countries and the EU. The authors have carried out work on finding compromise strategies of interaction between the parties leading to certain Nash equilibrium. The results of the study showed that the implementation of joint projects of the CAR and the EU on digital transformation will make it possible not only to update outdated digital platforms, but also create conditions for increasing the competitiveness of transport hubs on the world market. This is especially relevant in today's unstable political and socio-economic conditions. The results revealed the problems of interregional cooperation based on game theory strategies in the field of digital transformation. The application of the game theory method helped to analyze the possibilities of regulating the state's position in the international arena. As a result, the authors managed to find a solution to the conflict of interests between the players and establish the optimality of their strategies.

The article discusses the state and prospects of practical cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to ensure regional security in the context of the Treaty on Allied Relations (December 22, 2022). It is noted that the observed difficult geopolitical situation in the world and its impact on Central Asia contributes to close interstate cooperation between Astana and Tashkent in the field of security. Thus, unlike the Declaration on Allied Relations (December 6, 2021), the Treaty highlights substantive provisions related to strengthening interaction between states in the areas of defense and security, mutual assistance in the event of direct threats. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that this topic has not yet found a proper comprehensive analysis in the publications of Central Asian and foreign authors.

This academic article delves into the multifaceted aspects of Asia's ascendance as a global economic powerhouse and the pivotal role of Central Asia, with a specific focus on Kazakhstan, in shaping regional logistics and stability. Through an in-depth exploration of economic data, infrastructure development, and geopolitical collaboration, this article analyzes the transformative forces at play in the Eurasian continent.

The study of EU policy towards Central Asia is important for understanding the nature of the integration project itself. The programs implemented by the European Union in Central Asia is very important in terms of developing its potential in the international arena, the ability to turn its «normative power» and economic power into political influence. Central Asian countries’ cooperation with the EU in its development has passed through several phases. The current period seeks to consolidate and expand the EU’s position in Central Asia. The EU as a reliable partner has a strong interest in seeing Central Asia as a stable, rules-based and connected area. According to the new 2019 Strategy, the goal of the EU is foster resilience through knowledge-sharing (training, monitoring, mentoring and advising) and financial aid. Resilience is a main message in this strategy. The EU policy is aimed at transforming Central Asian states in accordance with its own vision and interests. The EU connects this ultimate goal with the democratic and economic development of Central Asia and this indicates that normative component of the EU foreign policy is still crucial one. Such approach implemented within the framework of various formats does not always achieve its goal and faces resistance from national elites.