Social and political reorganization in Central Asia - transition from pre-colonial to post-colonial society, Shirin Akiner; the impediments to the development of civil societies in Central Asia, Touraj Atabaki; Russia and former Soviet Central Asia - the attitude towards regional integrity, Vyacheslav Ya Belokrenitsky; foreign policy perspectives of the Central Asian states, Tatian Shaumian; Iran and Central Asia, Tchangiz Pahlevan; Turkish policy in Central Asia, Gareth M. Winrow; towards better mutual comprehension among Turkic-speakers, Edward Tryjarski; the politics of oil and the quest for stability - the Caspian Sea, Tadeusz Swietochowski; literature and the nation in contemporary Uzbekistan, Roberta M. Micallef; the assertion of Uzbek national identity - nativization or state-building process? Victoria Koroteyeva, Ekaterina Makarova; language and culture in transition in Uzbekistan, Cay Dollerup; Turmenistan's place in Central Asia and the world, Rainer Freitag-Wirminghaus; the Hazara of Afghanistan - the thorny path towards political unity, 1978-1002, Kristian Berg Harpviken; ethnic identity versus nationalism - the Uzbeks of northeastern Afghanistan and the Afghan state, Gabriele Rasuly-Paleczek; Nawruz in Tajikistan - ritual or politics? Ali Attar; the early 20th century Kazakh intelligentsia - in search of national identity, Gulnar Kendirbaeva; ethnic religious resurgence in Xinjiang, Kulbhushan Warikoo; a Central Asian-Chinese ethnic melting pot - the case of the Gansu corridor, Sabira Stalberg; nations transgressing nation-state - constructing Dungan, Uygur and Kazakh identities across China, Central Asia and Turkey, Dru C. Gladney; past and present of a Manchu tribe - the Sibe, Liliya Gorelova; the Tuvans in China - ethnic identity and language, Mariana Mongush; Central asia in the minds of the Mughals, Richard Foltz; Russian slaves in 17th century Bukhara, Audrey Burton; the royal clan of the Turks and the problem of its designation, Sergey, G. Kljyashtorny; burial sites in Hexi, Susanne Juhl.