CAPS Unlock Monthly Brief (2026 Edition)

CAPS Unlock is launching a new analytical series: the CAPS Unlock Policy Brief, a platform for sharp, argument-driven policy analysis on Central Asia, written primarily from within the region. We invite pitches for the 2026 cycle.

What we’re looking for:

• Strong, evidence-based arguments (1,500–1,800 words)
• Clear positions, not advocacy or campaigning
• Policy-relevant analysis grounded in regional expertise
• Engagement with local languages, sources, and lived experience
• Authors from Central Asia (all career stages strongly encouraged)

Themes may include (but are not limited to):

Domestic politics and governance; state capacity and public institutions; social change, identity, and inequality; economic transformation; energy, water, and climate pressures; digital governance and infrastructure; regional integration and connectivity; critical minerals and industrial policy; and Central Asia’s engagement with international partners. We also welcome pitches on other issues you consider pressing or underexplored.

How to apply

• Submit a maximum 250-word pitch outlining your topic and, importantly, an argument
• Pitches must be written in English.
• Final pieces will be published in English, with CAPS Unlock working with authors on translation where needed.

Timeline

• Pitch submission deadline: 31 January 2026
• Authors will be notified in February 2026
• First briefs will be published from April 2026, with subsequent releases throughout the year

Publication & rights

• Articles published in English; CAPS Unlock provides Kazakh and Russian translations
• Authors retain copyright
• CAPS Unlock receives first-publication and distribution rights
• Briefs may not be republished elsewhere

Compensation

CAPS Unlock offers paid commissions. Honoraria will be determined based on scope and final agreement and confirmed with authors at the acceptance stage.

If you want to help shape how the region understands itself and how others understand it, we want to hear from you.

📩 Submit your pitch: CAPS Monthly Bulletin: Application form

Link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=uSGnGcpBWkSIclzysFwLr-7gB3JYs2NKo1881ivweAhUM083RThTRFJVVkQ2MzlWQTY3N0FBV0o2RSQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

For any questions, please contact us at info@capsunlock.org.