Personal information

Russia China authoritarianism civic participation Eurasia illiberalism
United Kingdom

Biography

Catherine Owen is Associate Professor of International Relations in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (Cornwall) at the University of Exeter. Previously, she was British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Politics, University of Exeter (2017-2021). She completed her PhD in October 2014 at the University of Exeter. The project was entitled 'Obshchestvennyi Kontrol'' (Public Scrutiny) from Discourse to Action in Contemporary Russia: The Emergence of Authoritarian Neoliberal Governance' and examined discourses and practices of civic engagement in governance during the Putin era.

Between 2013 and 2015, Catherine worked on the ESRC-funded project at Exeter, 'Rising Powers and Conflict Management in Central Asia' as Associate Research Fellow. This enabled her to cultivate an interest in the international politics of Central Asia, with a focus on local engagements between Central Asian and Chinese actors through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Following her PhD, she spent two years as a Lecturer of Central Asian Studies in the Department of History and Civilization at Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China, where she remains affiliated as Visiting Professor.

Catherine has held Visiting Fellowships at the European University at St Petersburg (2011-2012), Fudan University Shanghai (2017), the St Petersburg branch of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (2018), and the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki (2019).

In 2023, she was appointed Visiting Professor at the Institute of International and Area Studies, Tsinghua University, where she currently spends the Autumn semester, teaching the foundational PhD-level course, 'Introduction to Area Studies'.

Catherine has published over 20 peer reviewed journal articles in a variety of leading Area Studies, Comparative Politics and International Relations journals, including Slavic Review, Government and Opposition, China Quarterly, Review of International Studies, European Journal of International Relations, Third World Quarterly and British Journal of Politics and International Relations. She has co-edited one volume, 'Interrogating Illiberal Peace in Eurasia' (Rowman and Littlefield 2018), and has published numerous policy papers, commentaries and book reviews.

In January 2020, she became a Fellow of the UK's Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

She speaks fluent French, German and Russian, and conversational Chinese.

Activities

Employment (3)

University of Exeter: Exeter, Devon, GB

2017-09-04 to present | British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow (Politics)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen

Shaanxi Normal University: Xi'an, Shaanxi, CN

2015-08-30 to 2017-01-02 | Lecturer (History and Civilization)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen

University of Exeter: Exeter, Devon, GB

2013-09-12 to 2015-07-14 | Associate Research Fellow (Politics)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen

Works (22)

A contextual approach to decolonising IR: Interrogating knowledge production hierarchies

Review of International Studies
2024-10-07 | Journal article | Author
Part of ISSN: 0260-2105
Part of ISSN: 1469-9044
Contributors: Beverley Loke; Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen

The CCP, Campaign Governance and COVID-19: Evidence from Shanghai

Journal of Chinese Political Science
2023-12 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1080-6954
Part of ISSN: 1874-6357
Contributors: Xuan Qin; Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen

Mapping practices and spatiality in IR knowledge production: from detachment to emancipation

European Journal of International Relations
2022-03 | Journal article | Author
Part of ISSN: 1354-0661
Part of ISSN: 1460-3713
Contributors: Beverley Loke; Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen

Social Forces and Street-level Governance in Shanghai: From Compliance to Participation in Recycling Regulations

The China Quarterly
2021-12 | Journal article | Author
Part of ISSN: 0305-7410
Part of ISSN: 1468-2648
Contributors: Xuan Qin; Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen

Governance and order-making in Central Asia: from illiberalism to post-liberalism?

Central Asian Survey
2020-08 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0263-4937
Contributors: Philipp Lottholz; John Heathershaw; Aksana Ismailbekova; Janyl Moldalieva; Eric McGlinchey; Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Active Citizens in a Weak State: ‘Self-Help’ Groups and the Post-Soviet Neoliberal Subject in Contemporary Kyrgyzstan

Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
2020-08-06 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2576-5949
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Participatory authoritarianism: From bureaucratic transformation to civic participation in Russia and China

Review of International Studies
2020-07-07 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0260-2105
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Centred discourse, decentred practice: the relational production of Russian and Chinese ‘rising’ power in Central Asia

Third World Quarterly
2019-07-01 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0143-6597
Contributors: John Heathershaw; Catherine Owen; Alexander Cooley
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Populist Authoritarianism. Chinese Political Culture and Regime Sustainability

Europe-Asia Studies
2018-10-08 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0966-8136
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

How postcolonial is post-Western IR? Mimicry and mētis in the international politics of Russia and Central Asia

Review of International Studies
2017-10 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0260-2105
Contributors: Catherine Owen; John Heathershaw; Igor Savin
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Civic Participation in a Hybrid Regime: Limited Pluralism in Policymaking and Delivery in Contemporary Russia

Government and Opposition
2017-06-06 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen; Eleanor Bindman
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

‘The Struggle for Meaning of Obshchestvennyi Kontrol’ in Contemporary Russia:

Europe-Asia Studies
2017-04-18 | Journal article
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen

Theorizing Chinese Citizenship

Europe-Asia Studies
2017-02-07 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

“The Sleeping Dragon Is Gathering Strength”: Causes of Sinophobia in Central Asia

China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies
2017-01 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

A Genealogy of Kontrol’ in Russia: From Leninist to Neoliberal Governance

Slavic Review
2016 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Conflict and peace in Eurasia

Central Asian Survey
2015-09-10 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

“Consentful contention” in a corporate state: human rights activists and public monitoring commissions in Russia

East European Politics
2015-07-03 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Civil Society in Putin's Russia

Europe-Asia Studies
2015-04 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Liberals under Autocracy. Modernization and Civil Society in Russia, 1866–1904

Europe-Asia Studies
2014-05 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

The History of Liberalism in Russia

Europe-Asia Studies
2014-02-07 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Political Theory and Community Building in Post-Soviet Russia

Europe-Asia Studies
2012-08 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Russia as a Network State: What Works in Russia When State Institutions Do Not?

Europe-Asia Studies
2012-07 | Journal article
Contributors: Catherine Owen
Source: Self-asserted source
Catherine Owen via Crossref Metadata Search

Peer review (1 review for 1 publication/grant)

Review activity for Higher education. (1)