Dr. Saniia Toktogazieva is the Dean for Academic Planning and Strategic Partnerships and an Associate Professor in the International and Business Law department at the American University of Central Asia. She holds her SJD degree (Doctor of Juridical Science) in Comparative Constitutional Law from Central European University (summa cum laude) (2019, Hungary), an LL.M. in Human Rights in the Legal Studies department from Central European University (2012, Hungary), and an LL.B. degree in International and Business Law (magna cum laude) from the American University of Central Asia (2011, Kyrgyzstan).
Dr. Toktogazieva joined AUCA in 2012 as an Instructor in the IBL department and became an Assistant Professor in 2015. She has extensive experience working 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, and IMO, and as an instructor and teaching assistant at Central European University. She served as the deputy chair of the Academic Senate of AUCA (2019-2021), the chair of the Academic Senate (2021-2023), and the Human Rights concentration Coordinator in the Liberal Arts and Sciences department at AUCA. Dr. Toktogazieva has demonstrated a collaborative leadership style and a focused commitment to academic excellence, research, diversity, and inclusion.
- 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 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 Kyrgyz Republic 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, 2011-2012
- Recipient of Global Undergraduate Exchange Fellowship, U.S. Department of State, University of Wisconsin Superior, Aug. 2008- May 2009
- Comparative Constitutional law
- Constitutionalism and democratization
- Human Rights
- International Criminal law
- Public International law
- Public International law
- 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
- Advanced Issues in Public International Law (LLM, Law Division)
- Comparative Law in a Changing World (LLM, Law Division)
- Constitutional Law: rights and freedoms (Bachelor, Law Division)
- Democracy in Dark Times (Bachelor, Law Division/ICP)
- Human Rights in Armed Conflicts (Bachelor, Law Division)
- Human Rights in a Changing World (Bachelor, Law Division)
- International Human Rights Law (Bachelor, Law Division/LAS-HR)
- International Criminal Law (Bachelor, Law Division)
- Legal Research and Practice I, II (LLM, Law Division)
- Why do Women Kill (Bachelor, Law Division)