Gulzeyin Sharipova-Khalibaeva is originally from Osh, Kyrgyzstan. She graduated with a B.A. in International and Comparative Politics from the American University of Central Asia and a M.A. in Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame. She has over a decade of experience working for international organizations, diplomatic corps, and the private sector. At Georgetown, she continues to build expertise in political activism in conflict resolution and grassroots organizations’ role in the democratization and promotion of human rights in Russia and Central Asian countries. In addition, she focuses her research on migration processes and their implications on the political, social, and economic environment in countries on the Eurasian continent.