BECOME A CONTRIBUTOR
OCA Magazine welcomes articles from your region. In order to publish an article, contributors should submit their work with a maximum of 1000-words in length and written in English. Topics of interest include political affairs, tourism, art, economic, environmental trends and other news from of Eurasian Region. All articles should follow the Contributor Guidelines.
Send articles to: publisher@ocamagazine.com
Topics – We look for articles that:
- describe news and events related to the Central Asian (“CA”) community in Europe or CA
- have reasoned debate on subjects directly or indirectly affecting CA or CA community
- provide balanced opinion that interweaves experience and new ideas
- give program descriptions (district, state or international)
- promote interviews with key figures of connection with CA
- are articles on other topics by prior agreement with the OCA editorial team
Articles should not advertise a specific product or service unless this has been agreed with OCA in advance. We reserve all rights with regards to our editing of articles to make them comply with these guidelines.
Important points
News Articles: 250 words; Analysis, Opinion & Reports: 1000 words maximum (unless otherwise agreed in advance).
A suitable title must be provided to accompany the article. Please note we reserve the right to change this in full.
English that flows well. It should be proofread by a native speaker and contain minimal errors or omissions. An article may be sent back for correction if it does not meet this criterion.
Font should be 11- or 12-point Arial, whether in normal, bold, or italic, including endnotes. Please do not insert line breaks in the text or special spacing for formatting.
All citations should be in endnotes and not in the text.
Articles for submission must be previously unpublished (unless otherwise agreed).
A small biography (maximum 100 words) and author photo (of good quality resolution) should be attached
At least 2 good quality photos would be preferred to accompany article (plus accreditation), minimum of 300 dpi.
It is the responsibility of the author to obtain permission for the use of any copyrighted material, including images, sound, and video files. The author grants OCA the rights publish and reprint some or all of the article at its sole discretion.
OCA is a not-for-profit magazine and as such we rely solely on the generosity of our contributors. OCA may, at its sole discretion, offer a 1-year complimentary subscription to regular contributors. Upon request, all published authors shall receive a complimentary copy of the magazine in which their article is published.
Statements of fact and opinion in the articles in OCA magazine are those of the respective authors and contributors and not of the editors or sponsors of OCA magazine. No representation, express or implied, is made of the accuracy of the material in this journal and OCA cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. The author should make his or her own evaluation of the accuracy and appropriateness of those materials.
OCA magazine contributors and interviews (selected)
(2009-2025)
Editor in chief: Nick Rowan
Guest Editors: Francesca Mepham, Stephen M. Bland, Gareth Stamp, Matthew Traver, Jack Hemsley
UK
Baroness Alison Suttie (House of Lords, Liberal Democrat)
Baroness Stern, of Vauxhall (House of Lords)
Dame Margaret Hodge (MP, Labour)
Lady Judge (Chairwoman, UK Atomic Energy Authority)
Baron Laird (House of Lords, Ulster Unionist Party)
The Viscount Waverley (House of Lords)
Wendy Morton (MP, Conservative)
Nigel Mills (MP, Conservative)
Charles Hendry (Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, MP)
HE Robin Ord-Smith (British Ambassador to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan)
HE Tim Torlot (British Ambassador to Uzbekistan)
HE George Edgar (British Ambassador to Uzbekistan)
HE Thorda Abbott-Watt (British Ambassador to Turkmenistan)
HE Fionna Gibb (British Ambassador to Belarus)
HE Kathy Leach (British Ambassador to Kazakhstan)
HE Mike Gifford (British Ambassador to Kazakhstan)
HE David Moran (British Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia )
Prof. Luca Anceschi (University of Glasgow )
Nandita Parshad (Director Sustainable Infrastructure Group, EBRD)
Peter Bonfield (Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Westminster)
Denise Waddingham (Director, British Council Uzbekistan)
Robert Taylor (Director, British Council Kazakhstan)
Richard Everitt ( British Council, Imperial College London)
Prof. Saxena (Cambridge University)
Dr. St John Simpson (British Museum )
Dr. Michael Erdman (British Library)
Dr. Anna Matveeva (SOAS)
Dr. Razia Sultanova (Cambridge University)
Dr. Jonathan Fryer ( Liberal Democrat Party, SOAS)
Dr. Dababrata Chowdhury ( Canterbury Christ University)
Hamid Ismailov (Head of BBC Central Asia)
Prof. Shirin Akiner (SOAS)
Peter Lindsay (President CATBG/ British Expertise)
Dr. Robert Mead (Slade School of Fine Art /UCL)
Nick Kochan (Cosmos Communications)
Nicholas Rutherford (AIDEX)
Stefan Strausfeld-Perry (Shell)
Beatrice Teissier (Oxford University)
Robert Chenciner (Oxford University)
Carl Woolf (UKTI)
Tom Stacey (Stacey International)
Uzbekistan
HE Said Rustamov (Uzbek Ambassador to UK)
HE Gairat Fazilov (Deputy Foreign minister, Uzbek Ambassador to Belgium)
Prof. Akmal Saidov ( MP, First Deputy Speaker)
Prof. Iskandar Abdullaev (Justus Liebig University Giessen)
Dr. Saidakbar Rizaev (Sharaf Rashidov fund)
Prof. Gulchekhra Rikshieva (rector Tashkent university of Oriental studies)
Dr. Bakhtyor Makhkamov (rector of TUIT)
Dr. Iskandar Muminov (Sharaf Rashidov fund)
Dr Beruniy Alimov (Director, NGO New Media Education Center)
Dr. Farkhad Tolipov (National University of Uzbekistan)
Eldor Tulyakov (former MP, Director at Development Strategy Center)
Akmal Burkhanov (former MP, Director State Anti-corruption Agency)
Odilbek Isakov (Deputy Finance Minister)
Akmalkhon Ortikov (STATE ASSETS MANAGEMENT AGENCY)
Sherzod Shermatov (Minister of Public Education)
Gayane Umerova (Director of the Art and Culture Development Foundation)
Aktam Khaitov (MP, Leader of Liberal Democrat Party)
Dr. Matluba Kakharova ( Nizamy University)
Elyor Ganiev ( Former Trade Minister)
Gulchekhra Begim-Makhmudova (business woman)
Maria Shevel (public figure)
Akhror Burkhanov ( Press secretary MFA)
Dr. Shukrat Isakulov (Ministry of culture and tourism)
Kazakhstan
HE Erzhan Kazykhanov (Kazakh Foreign minister & Ambassador to UK, USA)
HE Erlan Idrissov (Kazakh Foreign minister & Ambassador to UK, USA)
HE Kairat Abusseitov (Kazakh Ambassador to UK)
HE Mr Magzhan Ilyassov (Kazakh Ambassador to UK, UN, USA)
HE Roman Vasilenko (Deputy Foreign minister & Ambassador to Belgium)
HE Zhanseit Tuimebayev (Ambassador to Russia, Rector al-Farabi Kazakh National University)
MP Aidos Sarym
Rapil Zhoshybaev (Deputy Foreign Minister)
Prof. Yerlan Sydykov (rector Eurasian National University)
Prof. Tlektles Yespolov (rector Agrarian National Research University)
Prof. Orazaly Sabden (former MP, rector of Turkistan University, president of Kazakhstan Scientists union)
Prof. Salima Kunanbaeva (rector of Ablai Khan University)
Prof. Muratbek Kassenov (Taraz University)
Prof. Chokan Laumulin (The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan)
Dr. Zarema Akhmadiyeva (Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies)
Dr. Abduali Kaydar (Turkic Academy)
Dr. Tursynbek Kakishev (Karaganda University)
Eleonora Bekova, pianist
Denis Ten, Olympian
Dulat Issabekov (National Kazakh writer)
Murat Auezov (National Kazakh writer)
Kyrgyzstan
Almazbek Atambaev (President of Kyrgyzstan)
Kazat Akmatov (National Writer, former MP)
Bolot Shamshiev (Film director)
Sultan Raev (Chairman Turksoy, Former Culture minister)
HE Ulan Djusupov (Kyrgyz Ambassador to UK)
HE Kuban Mambetaliev (Kyrgyz Ambassador to UK)
HE Taalay Bazarbaev (Kyrgyz Ambassador to Italy)
MP Dastan Bekeshev (Jogorku Kenesh)
Elena Kalashnikova (director, Kyrgyz tourism fund, founder Ak Sai travel)
Prof. Raisa Abdrakhmanova (IUCA, Kyrgyzstan)
Prof. Nargiza Muratalieva (AUCA)
Prof. Zina Karaeva (IUK)
Prof. Bakyt Kakchekeev (Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University)
Prof. Alexander Katsev (Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University)
Dr. Asylai Akisheva (Koç Üniversitesi)
Belek Sarymsakov ( Deputy Chairman of the Union of Architects )
Dr. Jamilia Jeenbaeva (University of Trento, Italy)
Nigel Browne, University of Management & Design
Djumash Poulsen, musician
Kochi Okada, artist
Moldova
Lucia Tăut (Telefilm Chisinau)
Evgenii Doga (Composer)
Dr. Andrey Zapsha
Ludmila Dubkovetskaya (writer)
Belarus:
HE Sergei Aleinik (Foreign Minister, Belarus ambassador to UK)
HE Vladimir Schastny (Belarus ambassador to UK, UN)
Dmitry Shepachev (Charge d’affaires of Belarus Embassy in UK)
Pavel Shidlovsky (Charge d’affaires of Belarus Embassy in USA)
Sergey Machekin (Mogilev State University)
Dr. Ludmila Kozhuhovskaya ( vice rector of NIHE)
Mikhail Rybakov (Director, Museum of the History of Belarusian Literature)
Prof. Barys Kit (Maryland University)
Prof. Lidia Shkor (Belarus University of Culture and Arts)
Alexey Talay (Paralympian)
Aleh Andreichyk (Deputy minister of sports and tourism)
USA
HE The Hon Fr. Thomas A. Cellucci (White House advisor)
HE William Moser (US Ambassador to Kazakhstan)
HE Daniel Speckhard (US Ambassador to Belarus)
HE John Mark Pommersheim (US Ambassador to Tajikistan)
Andrew Watchel (president AUCA, Compass College, rector Narhoz Almaty)
Prof. Rafis Abazov (KazNARU)
Dr. Chang Young Bang (president KIMEP)
Dr. Cordelia Buchanan Ponczek (Finnish Institute of International Affairs – FIIA)
Marc David Miller (Kyrgyz-North America Trade Council)
Prof. Baktybek Abdrisaev (Utah Valley University)
Dr. Ross “Rusty” Butler (Russian Academy of Natural Sciences)
Michael Schena (U.S. Department of State)
Robyn Alice McCutcheon (U.S. Department of State)
Prof. Tara Catherine Pandeya (Dominican University)
Prof. Michael P. Goodyear (NYU)
Dr. Leora Eisenberg (Harvard University)
Cyrus Yavneh (film director)
Janet Givens ( author of At Home On the Kazakh Steppe)
Marla Mossman (The Peace Caravan Project)
Luke Coffey (Hudson Institute)
Monty Cox (actor)
David Pearce ( World Bank)
Stiphan Beher (Advisor to the Kyrgyz President on Foreign Direct Investment )
Angela Waldron (Farnsworth Art Museum)
Muhammad Tahir (The Atlantic Council)
Amanda Pope, Film director
Christopher Schwartz (Rochester Institute of Technology)
Japan
Prof. Kazushi Yamamoto (Tashkent Law University)
Marin Ekstrom (Toyo University)
Masaru Honma ( Director Central Asia, EBRD)
Ukraine
HE Ihor Kyzym ( Ukraine Ambassador to Belarus)
Jamala – Susana Alimivna Jamaladinova (Eurovision Song Contest)
Kateryna Koval (Kyiv School of State Management named after Serhii Nyzhny)
Tajikistan
Emomali Rahmon (President of Tajikistan)
Sirojiddin Muhriddin (Foreign Minister)
Tolibkhon Shahidi (Composer)
Gulsifat Shahidi (Award wining writer and journalist)
HE Farhod Salim ( Tajik Ambassador to USA)
HE Erkin Kasymov ( Tajik Ambassador to UK)
Khujanazar Aslamshoev (GRATA International)
Azerbaijan
HE Tahir Taghizade (Azerbaijan Ambassador to UK)
HE Fakhraddin Gurbanov (Azerbaijan Ambassador to UK)
Prof. Adalat Muradov (rector UNEC)
Dr. Taleh Ziyadov (Director-General of Port of Baku)
Sabukhi Akhmedov (Azeri Deplomat)
Dr. Dayanat A. Ahmadov (AMROP)
Gasan Guliev.(Musician)
Dr. Khadija Asadova (Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
Anar Jahangirli (MFA)
Orkhan Ismayilov (Consul at Azerbaijan Embassy in Abu Dhabi)
Albania:
HE Donika Hoxha ( Albanian Ambassador to Moldova, Bulgaria)
Australia:
Dr. Loretta O’Donnell (vice provost, NU, Kazakhstan)
Prof. Richard Pomfret (University of Adelaide)
Paul Wilson (World Tourism Organization (UNWTO))
Warren Wills (Composer)
Lithuania
Tomas Cepatis (MEP)
Italy
Girogio Fiaccone (TCA)
Iceland:
Solvi Fannar (actor)
Russia
Mintimer Shaimiev (President of Tatarstan)
Mikhail Shvydkoi (Former Minister of Culture)
HE Alexander Yakovenko (Russian Ambassador to UK)
Roman Romanov (Director, GULAG museum)
Vladimir Zhirinovsky (Leader Liberal Democratic Party)
Dr. Lenar Shaekh (Tatar Publishing House)
Marsel Salimov (Bashkir national writer)
Prof. Vladimir Remyga (Financial University)
Prof. Viktor Kozlov (Plekhanov Russian University of Economics)
Prof. Artem Klykov (Silk Road International University, Samarkand)
Portugal
Dr. Paulo Afonso Brardo Duarte (Catholic University of Louvain)
Estonia
Ivan Ivoylov (University of Tartu)
Norway
Reidar Braathen (Universitetet i Bergen)
Turkey
Melek Maksudoglu (Kings College)
Germany
Dr. Philipp Lottholz (Justus Liebig University Gießen)
Turkmenistan
Dr. Ajap Bayriyeva (National Turkmen Carpet Museum)
Nazik Avlyakulova (US Embassy)
Ireland
Fiona O’Malley (Senator)
Slovakia
Martin Balaz (Independent Professional Photographer)
Brasil
Marketa Jerabek (UNHCR)
Switzerland
Christian Steiner (Helvetas)
Netherlands
Charles van der Leeuw (TCA)
Georgia
Shalva Natelashvili (Leader of Labour Party)
Pakistan
Shamsh Kassim-Lakha ( Former minister of Education, chairman of UCA)
Canada
Kirsten Koza, Adventure Travel Write