Biography:
Dr Gerald Mako is a Research Affiliate of the Cambridge Central Asia Forum. He obtained a PhD in Development Studies at Cambridge and is blessed (or cursed) with a deep ambivalence to specialization. Among other topics his research interests span from conversion to Islam to Russian nation building, from questions concerning the future of energy sector in the Commonwealth of Independent Countries and the Middle East to matters of policymaking and the effects of economic sanctions, with his research yielding several dozen articles to date. Gerald served as a fellow at universities like Harvard, Yale and Stanford and delivered guest lectures on four continents. Aside from his academic work Gerald has worked extensively with international organizations like UNDP, the Gates Foundation, WHO, or the Commonwealth Secretariat, spearheaded cross-border educational initiatives supporting Syrian and Afghan refugees for example, and has been advising various governments in Europe and Asia on matters of sustainability, education, and governance.
