American University of Central Asia - AUCA - LAS TEAM & FACULTY

LAS Team & faculty

Saniia Toktogazieva, Associate Professor

Dean of Academic Planning and Strategic Partnerships

President's Office

 

Email: [javascript protected email address]

Associate Professor

Law department

Division of Law

 

Email: [javascript protected email address]

Phone: +996 (312) 915000 ext. 475

Room: 215

 
  • International Human Rights Law (Bachelor, Law Division/LAS-HR)
  • Democracy in Dark Times (Bachelor, Law Division/ICP)
  • Legal Research and Practice I, II (LLM, Law Division)
  • Constitutional Law: rights and freedoms (Bachelor, Law Division)
  • International Criminal law (Bachelor, Law Division)
  • Advanced Issues in Public International law (LLM, Law Division)
  • Comparative Law in a changing world (LLM, Law Division)
  • Human Rights in Armed Conflicts (Bachelor, Law Division)
  • Human Rights in a Changing World (Bachelor, Law Division)
  • Why do Women Kill (Bachelor, Law Division)
  • Central European University (CEU), Hungary-USA, 2020
    • SJD in Comparative Constitutional law,
  • Central European University (CEU), Hungary-USA
    • LLM in Human Rights, Legal Studies Department
  • American University of Central Asia (AUCA)
    • BA in International and Business law with Magna Cum Laude
  • The Hague Academy of International law July 2016
    • Summer school in Public International law session
  • University of Wisconsin-Superior, USA 2008-May 2009
    • Special Certificate of the Recipient of Global Undergraduate Exchange Fellowship, U.S. State Department of State (Global UGRAD, IREX)

Dr. Saniia Toktogazieva is an Associate Professor and Dean of Academic Planning and Strategic Partnerships at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. She holds SJD degree (Doctor of Juridical Science) in Comparative Constitutional Law from Central European University (CEU) with summa cum laude, an LL.M. in Human Rights (CEU), an LLB in International and Business law from the American University of Central Asia. Saniia has an extensive working experience as a short-term consultant and invited expert in international, regional, and local organizations such as the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA, Sweden), OSCE, NDI, IMO, and as an instructor and teaching assistant at Central European University. Saniia is a laureate of the "Honor of the Nation" award dedicated to the memory of Salizhan Zhigitov, for civic activism (2020), laureate of the "Zharan" award for a significant civic contribution to the development of rule of law in Kyrgyzstan (2021). Saniia is also a laureate of the “The Best Teacher Award of AUCA” in recognition of excellence in teaching and dedication to the growth and enrichment of AUCA (2018). She was the convener and organizer of first national moot court competition in Constitutional Law Adilet and national model parliament.

Conferences/seminars/projects/trainings:

  • Speaker, Symposium 75 years UDHR: human rights achievements and challenges in Central Asia, OSCE Academy, September 2023
  • Presenter, international conference on comparative constitutionalism in Asian Countries: establishment, procedures, and mechanism of constitutional review, Nazarbaev University, Astana March 2023.
  • Speaker, Expert roundtable on Semi-Presidential Systems in Constitutional Transitions, International IDEA and NDI, December 13-14, the Netherlands

  • Speaker, International conference Constitutionalism in Europe: Current Challenges and Prospects for the Future, Vytautas Magnus University, International IDEA, November 25, Lithuania
  • Keynote speaker, international conference on Adaptation and Transformation in Central Asia, OSCE Academy, September 24-25, Bishkek
  • Speaker, Workshop on Cooperative Democracy, International IDEA, July 11-12, The Netherlands
  • Speaker, Is Kyrgyzstan still a democracy? virtual roundtable, Atlantic Council, Washington DC, November 2021
  • Speaker, The Political Economy of Kyrgyzstan’s Revolutions: Kleptocracy Before and After October 2020, Oxus Society and the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence, September 2021
  • Panelist, OSCE PA Parliamentary Briefing, organized for OSCE PA Parliamentarians ahead of Parliamentary Elections, Bishkek, October
  • Speaker, Glocal Transformation in Central Asia, OSCE Academy and Friedrich Ebert Foundation: 3rd Interdisciplinary Conference, Bishkek September 2021
  • Panelist, A clash of legal cultures? The constitutional process in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia Expert Talk, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, April 2021
  • Panelist, Kyrgyzstan’s Constitutional Referendum: Another Step Backward? Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, April 2021.
  • Invited keynote speaker, Kyrgyzstan after the elections, Young Professionals Network program, Eurasian Foundation, January 2021
  • Panelist, OSCE PA Parliamentary Briefing, organized for OSCE PA Parliamentarians ahead of Early Presidential Elections, Bishkek, January 2021.
  • Panelist, Law and Order in Kyrgyzstan: Between Yesterday and Tomorrow, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian studies, Harvard University, December
  • Panelist, Kyrgyzstan at the tipping point? How political and constitutional crises reinforce uncertainties, German Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung's offices in Central Asia, December 2020
  • Panelist, CWRD Brown Bag on Recent Developments in the Kyrgyz Republic, Asian Development Bank, October 2020
  • Panelist, The State of Affairs in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, Open Society University Network, October 2020
  • Participant, international conference on “Transforming Higher Education for the Future”, International Association of Universities, 2019, Puebla, Mexico.
  • Presenter, the 3rd Indonesian Constitutional Court International Symposium on “Constitutional Courts and Protection of Social and Economic Rights”, Nov. 2019, Bali, Indonesia
  • Presenter, CESS 2019, George Washington University, October
  • Presenter, the 2nd Indonesian Constitutional Court International Symposium on “Constitutional Court and Constitutionalism in Political Dynamics”, 2018, Yogyakarta
  • Presenter, Xth World Congress of the International Association of Constitutional Law (IACL), "Violent Conflicts, Peace-Building and Constitutional Law", June 2018, Seoul,
  • Presenter, International Conference organized by the Constitutional Chamber of the KR “The supremacy of the Constitution and its direct effect: the issues of ensuring the legal protection of the Constitution”, April 19,20 Bishkek, 2018
  • Presenter, the second Melbourne Forum on Constitution Building in Asia and the Pacific “From big bang to incrementalism: choices and challenges in constitution building”, Manila, Philippines, October 2017
  • Member of the faculty conducted lectures in Summer Seminar on Human Rights, Faculty of law, University of Zagreb, Croatia, June 2017
  • Participant, presenter IGLP Asian Regional Workshop, Institute of Global law and Policy, Harvard Law School, Bangkok Thailand, January 2017

 

AWARDS/GRANTS/ FELLOWSHIPS

  • Recipient of research grant, Academics Facing Autocracy 2nd phase/TURNING “SCHOLARS AT RISK” PROGRAMS INTO A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE/TRACK 2 TOWARDS A PEDAGOGICAL ALTERNATIVE/Democratic Resilience, Democracy Institute, Central European University, Sep.-Dec. 2023
  • Fellow, Future Leaders Invitation Programme (PIPA), Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, July 2022
  • The Matthew Nimetz Award for research excellence, AUCA, June 2022
  • Eurasia Center’s six-month fellowship focused on communicating with policymakers, Atlantic Council, Washington DC, June-October 2021.
  • Laureate of the "Zharan" award for a significant civic contribution to the development of rule of law in Kyrgyzstan (2021)
  • Laureate of the "Honor of the Nation" award dedicated to the memory of Salizhan Zhigitov, for civic activism that speaks the language of truth and touches the consciousness of the nation, December
  • Laureate of the “The Best Teacher Award of AUCA” in recognition of Excellence in teaching and dedication to the growth and enrichment of AUCA, June 2018
  • Recipient of the Certificate of Honor from the Chairman of the Constitutional Chamber of the KR for the “productive cooperation directed towards the development of the constitutional justice and rule of law in the KR”, May 2019
  • Recipient of the grant by Korean government on Global Youth Intensive Program of young constitutional law scholars 2018, Seoul, Korea
  • USAID Building the Future research grant, title: Fair Trial Standards and Meaning in Local Context, 2017
  • Recipient of The Hague Academy Summer School scholarship grant, July 2016
  • Research grant “Beyond the Ivory Tower”, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jan. 2013- 2014
  • Modular Doctoral CEU full fellowship Grant, International Higher Education Support Program, Open Society Institute and Central European University 2013- Sep.2019
  • Returning scholar, Academic Fellowship Program, Open Society Foundations Aug. 2012- June 2015
  • OSI Masters Full Fellowship scholarship to pursue LLM studies in Human Rights, Central European University, August 2011-June 2012
  • Recipient of Global Undergraduate Exchange Fellowship, U.S. Department of State, University of Wisconsin Superior, Aug. 2008- May 2009
  • Comparative Constitutional law
  • Human Rights
  • Public International law
  • International Criminal law
  • Constitutionalism and democratization
  • Human Rights Adjudication in Central Asia in (chapter 7) in Transformation and Development in the OSCE Region’ Springer, December 2023
  • Socio-economic origins of constitutional courts: political economy and politico-historical context as the defining factor of the establishment of constitutional courts in Central Asia, Constitutional Review (December 2021). pp.300-325
  • Constitutions without Constitutionalism? Challenges to Constitutionalism in the Kyrgyz Republic, 5.2. Constitutional Review (2019), pp. 275-293.
  • Fair trial standards and legitimacy of criminal justice actors in Kyrgyzstan – a research note, International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, co-authored, (2019).
  • The Law and Politics of Keeping a Constitutional Order: Kyrgyzstan’s Cautionary Story, Hague Journal on the Rule of Law, co-authored, 7/2 (2015).
  • The Global State of Democracy: Addressing the Ills, reviving the promise, International Idea, report, background author on sub regional case studies (Central Asia), (2019).
  • Basics of Law: Selected Issues, American University of Central Asia Law, contributed to two book chapters, (Bishkek 2019).
  • За пределами контрмажоритарной дилеммы: конституционный контроль как гарантия стабильности и постоянства конституции, Beyond counter-majoritarian difficulty: constitutional review as a guarantee of constitutional stability. Special issue of the International Conference Organized by the Constitutional Chamber of the KR, (2018).
  • Free legal aid in the Kyrgyz Republic - legal framework, policies and practices in rendering legal assistance for vulnerable groups, co-authored, (2017) http://www.acted.org/en/facilitating-access-justice-and-strengthening-rule-law-kyrgyzstan
  • Country Assessment for the Kyrgyz Republic: Fair Trial Standards and Meaning in Local Context, USAID Project, 2017
  • Melbourne Forum Interim Report: Moving between a parliamentary and a presidential system, Kyrgyzstan, 2017 https://law.unimelb.edu.au/constitutional-transformations/MF/melbourne- forum-2017/interim-report#moving-between-a-parliamentary-and-a-presidential-system
  • «Закон и политика сохранения конституционного порядка: предостерегающая история Кыргызстана» Гаагский журнал о верховенстве права, декабрь 2015 г., том 7, выпуск 2, стр. 263-282
  • Пособие о верховенстве права в Кыргызстане, предстоящая публикация
  • «Бесплатная юридическая помощь в Кыргызской Республике - правовая основа, политика и практика оказания юридической помощи уязвимым группам», предстоящая публикация
  • “Оценка страны для Кыргызской Республики: Справедливые Судебные Стандарты и их значение в местном контексте” Август 2017
  • Chair of the AUCA Academic Senate (2021-2023)
  • Deputy chair of the AUCA Academic Senate (2019-2021)
  • Alumni of the Academic Fellowship program, Open Society Foundation
  • Alumni of the Global UGRAD program, US Department of State
  • Member of association for protection of human rights in the criminal proceedings “ARTICLE 9”

 

American University of Central Asia
7/6 Aaly Tokombaev Street
Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic 720060

Tel.: +996 (312) 915000 + Еxt.
Fax: +996 (312) 915 028
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