Michael Blasi

Michael Blasie

Dean and Professor of Law
J.D., New York University School of Law (USA)

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Michael Blasie is the foremost expert on United States plain language laws. He focuses on laws that regulate legal document design. His research investigates the intersection of linguistics and the law. Professor Blasie presents internationally on designing legal documents, including in Argentina, India, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Indeed, he served as a keynote speaker at the 2024 Plain Language Association International’s conference.

Professor Blasie’s book is the first comprehensive analysis of United States plain language laws. His research appears in journals like the Columbia Business Law Review and Wisconsin Law Review. Westlaw and Wolters Kluwer have published his work.

Professor Blasie served as a writing instructor for the United States’ National Judicial College, where he taught judges from across the world how to improve judicial opinion writing.

He serves as Dean of KIMEP University School of Law. Before that he was a professor at Seattle University and Penn State Dickinson Law School. Earlier he spent ten years serving as a civil and criminal trial lawyer in the United States and as a law clerk to Judge David Richman.

Selected Examples of Where You Can Find Leading Research

Education

  • J.D., New York University School of Law (USA)
  • A., Hamilton College (USA)

How to Find Me

Rustam-A

Rustam Atadjanov

Associate Professor and Associate Dean
Dr. iur., University of Hamburg (Germany)

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Rustam Atadjanov is one of the leading international law scholars in the Central Asian region. His teaching and research interests include a wide variety of public law and international law-related topics such as international criminal law, crimes against humanity, common theory of law, international humanitarian law, diplomatic law and international human rights law. Professor Atadjanov serves as a member of the Editorial Boards in a number of academic journals in Europe and Asia including the Journal of International Peacekeeping and Journal of Humanity, Peace and Justice. He is a member of several academic and professional entities at both international and national levels such as the Asian, European and American Societies of International Law, and the Uzbek Association of International Law. Since 2021, he has been a member of the World Commission on Environmental Law (within the IUCN system).

Professor Atadjanov has been an actively publishing author in some prestigious law and law-related scholarly journals such as the Asian Journal of International Law, Asian Journal of Comparative Law, Asian Yearbook of International Law, Journal of International Criminal Justice, Journal of International Peacekeeping, and the Criminal Law Forum. Further, he is a co-editor of a major two-volume book titled “International Conflict and Security Law. A Research Handbook” published by T.M.C. Asser Press and Springer in 2022. Professor Atadjanov’s new textbook on common theory of law for the post-Soviet states is expected to be published in 2025, while the second edition of his major monograph of 2019 called “Humanness as a Protected Legal Interest of Crimes against Humanity. Conceptual and Normative Aspects” will be published in 2026 (both by T.M.C. Asser Press and Springer).

Professor Atadjanov has been serving as a member of the Scientific Advisory Council under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan since 2023, and as an international expert for the Institute of Legislation and Legal Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan since 2021. He is also currently a member of the Governing Board of the Chamber of Legal Consultants IUSTUS, Kazakhstan.

From 2007 to 2014, Dr. Atadjanov worked as a Legal Adviser at the Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Central Asia, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. During his work with the ICRC, he contributed to the negotiation of treaties in the area of international humanitarian law (IHL) and consulted the Central Asian states on issues of IHL and public international law. He assisted those states in the drafting of domestic legislation on crimes under international law, on Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems as well as on the legal status of the national Red Crescent Societies in Central Asian countries. Finally, in the same capacity he organized and/or helped organize multiple academic and professional legal events on international law including round tables, seminars, workshops, conferences, guest lectures, essay contests and moot court competitions for university students, professors, state representatives, diplomats, and general audiences.

Selected Recent Scholarship

“Individual Criminal Responsibility of the Russian State Representatives for Their War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity in Ukraine”, in Pravo Ukraїni [“Law of Ukraine”], Vol. 2 (2024), published April 2024 [in English]

“Human Rights as a Concept of Public Law: Challenges for Central Asian Higher Education Systems”, in Human Rights Dissemination in Central Asia: Human Rights Education and Capacity Building in the Post-Soviet Space, Mihr and Wittke (eds.) (Springer), pp. 47-60 [in English], May 2023

“Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities: Central Asian Law and Practice”, in Asian Yearbook of International Law, Cambridge University Press, Vol. 27 (2021), published 20 November 2023 [in English]

“Teaching Public International Law in Central Asia: Major Challenges, Problematic Issues, Coping Strategies and Useful Methods”, in Indonesian Journal of International Law, Vol. 20, Number #1, Article 1 (2022), December 2022 [in English]

“Holding the Aggressor Accountable”, in Journal of International Peacekeeping, BRILL, issue #2, vol. 25 (2022), August 2022 [in English]

“Domestic Implementation of Crimes against Humanity in Central Asia”, in Asian Journal of Comparative Law, Cambridge University Press, issue #2, vol. 17 (2022), published August 2022 [in English]

“The Concept of Humanity in International Criminal Law”, in Central Asian Yearbook of International Law and International Relations, Sayapin et al. (ed.) (Eleven International Publishing), Vol. I [in English], August 2022

“Humanity”, in International Conflict and Security Law, Sayapin, Atadjanov, Kadam, Kemp, Zambrana-Tévar and Quénivet (eds.) (T.M.C. Asser Press / Springer) pp. 3-26 [in English], July 2022

“Crimes against Humanity”, in International Conflict and Security Law, Sayapin, Atadjanov, Kadam, Kemp, Zambrana-Tévar and Quénivet (eds.) (T.M.C. Asser Press / Springer), pp. 1031-1072 [in English], July 2022

“Nuclear Weapons”, in International Conflict and Security Law, Sayapin, Atadjanov, Kadam, Kemp, Zambrana-Tévar and Quénivet (eds.) (T.M.C. Asser Press / Springer) pp. 337-365 [in English], July 2022

Education

  • Dr. iur., University of Hamburg (Germany)
  • LLM in US Legal Studies, Certificate in International Human Rights Law, University of Connecticut School of Law (United States)
  • Bachelor in Jurisprudence, Karakalpak State University, Faculty of Law (Uzbekistan)

How to Find Me

Baideldinova

Maria Baideldinova

Assistant Professor
PhD in Family Law, Scuola Superiore (Italy)

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Dr. Maria Baideldinova is an expert in Kazakhstan’s environmental, land, and animal law. She is particularly interested in questions such as animal subjectivity, agricultural animal welfare, pasture management, sustainable land use and agricultural practices, stray population management, and wildlife protection. Dr. Baideldinova introduced the Animal Law course into the Law School curriculum, making KIMEP a flagship of this rapidly developing branch of law in the region.

Dr. Baideldinova presents the results of her research at national and international conferences and publishes articles in a wide range of journals.

In 2021, Maria, together with Dr. Federico Dalpane (KIMEP) and Dr. Darya Chernyaeva (HSE), published a book titled “Animal Law in Kazakhstan, Russia and Worldwide,” which was the first work of its kind and scope published in the post-Soviet space. In 2024, Dr. Baideldinova co-edited the book “Animal Law Worldwide: Key Issues and Main Trends Across 27 Jurisdictions” by T.M.C. Asser Press.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, she has served as a National Legal Expert for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, where she focused on developing policies for sustainable land use and the development of small family farms. Dr. Baideldinova is also a legal advisor to several Kazakhstani NGOs dedicated to animal welfare and rights. She is a member of the KazBar Chamber of Legal Consultants, where she chairs the Pro Bono committee.

Maria is an expert member of the editorial group of the animal law journal Derecho Animal: Animal Legal and Policy Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and of the Global Animal Law Association (GALA).

Dr. Baideldinova has been an Assistant Professor at KIMEP University since 2006, where she teaches a range of law courses and actively contributes to the development of legal education in Kazakhstan.

Selected Examples of Where You Can Find Leading Research

Education

  • PhD in Private Law, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Italy)
  • LL.M, Christian-Albrechts University (Germany)
  • LL.B., Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Kazakhstan)

How to Find Me

Alina Davar 2

Alina Davar

Assistant Professor of Practice / Director of Experiential Learning
LL.M., KIMEP University (Kazakhstan)

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Mrs. Alina Davar, the first ever Assistant Professor of Practice at the KIMEP Law School, is a distinguished member of the Law School faculty, bringing a wealth of experience from her successful career in the legal industry. A co-founder of the Legal Clinic, she initially studied on a scholarship at the KIMEP Law School, which fueled her commitment to practical legal education. Recognized as an outstanding graduate for her highly practical dissertation, she was invited to transition into academia, where her passion for teaching and mentorship flourished.

Balancing her industry work with her academic role, she initially contributed to the impactful Mentorship and “Ask a Lawyer” projects as a Deputy Director, eventually stepping into leadership positions to drive their success. Her commitment to bridging the gap between theory and practice led her to develop a comprehensive Experiential Learning Program in 2022, which she successfully presented at the Law School.

Due to her innovative approach and dedication, she was invited to lead and implement this program. Professor Davar continues to inspire the next generation of lawyers through her unique blend of real-world expertise and academic excellence. As part of the Experiential Learning Program, she has championed projects such as Professional Seminars, Mooting, “Ask a Lawyer”, the Legal Clinic, Mentorship and the Alumni Association.

Education

  • LLM, KIMEP University (Kazakhstan)
  • BIR, KIMEP University (Kazakhstan )

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Aigerim Mussabalinova

Aigerim Mussabalinova

Assistant Professor
PhD in Law / Children’s Rights (The United Kingdom)

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Dr. Aigerim Mussabalinova is a national expert on children’s rights. She introduced the Children’s Rights course into the Law School curriculum. Her research and teaching interests focus on the study of children’s rights and encompass related areas such as inclusive education, social work, early intervention, early childhood development, and family support. Aigerim serves as a consultant for UNICEF, UNDP, UN Women, the Government of Kazakhstan, and various local non-governmental organizations advocating for children’s rights and interests. In addition to the Children’s Rights course, Aigerim’s extensive corporate experience, participation in major state reforms, and teaching experience enabled to teach the Business Law and Company Law courses at KIMEP University.

Aigerim has contributed to several notable publications, including The Development of Child Protection Systems in the Post-Soviet States: A Twenty-Five Year Perspective, published by Springer International Publishing, and The Political Economy of Education in Central Asia: Evidence from the Field, published by Springer Nature Singapore. In addition to these books, Aigerim regularly publishes academic papers in national and international scholarly journals. Her analytical articles can also be found on the Central Asian Bureau for Analytical Reporting website.

Having been personally affected by the Cold War nuclear testing at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (1949-1989), Aigerim conducted two key research projects: one on the rights of children affected by the nuclear legacy, particularly in the area of education, and another on the socio-economic development of the affected region. The latter project was carried out in 2024 in collaboration with three undergraduate students and a local non-governmental organization from the Abay region.

From 2017 to 2023, Aigerim, as a national expert for UNICEF on children’s rights, played an active role in state reforms concerning alternative care for children deprived of parental care, including children with disabilities. Her work included drafting legal amendments and participating in parliamentary working groups, where she advocated for professional foster care, family support, and family-based care. In 2024, Aigerim further contributed to the development of family support services introduced in June 2024 by providing consultancy on the drafting of secondary legislation and creating training materials for the capacity building of Family Support Center staff.

Before pursuing her doctoral studies, from 2003 to 2016, Aigerim worked as a corporate lawyer in state, quasi-state, and private organizations in Astana, Kazakhstan. She was involved in various major reforms, including tax reforms and e-government development (2003-2007), innovation in agriculture (2010), tele-radio broadcasting reforms (2010-2012), and healthcare reforms (2013-2016). Her last corporate position was as Director of the Department of Transformation at the National Medical Holding. Aigerim continues to offer consultancy services, being a member of the Governing Board of the Chamber of Legal Consultants IUSTUS, Kazakhstan.

Selected Recent Scholarship

Kazakhstan. The Development of Child Protection Systems in the Post-Soviet States: A Twenty Five Years Perspective, 65-90. published April 2021 [in English]

Factors affecting multi-stakeholders perspectives towards inclusive early childhood education (IECE) in Kazakhstan. Children and Youth Services Review, 155, 107224 (2023) [in English]

Children and institutional care in Kazakhstan: a cultural and historical background. Научно-педагогический журнал «Білім-Образование» Национальной академии образования имени И. Алтынсарина, 106(3), 168-181 (2023). [in English]

Контекстуализация инклюзивного дошкольного образования в образовательной политике Казахстана. Bulletin of the Karaganda University Pedagogy series, 109(1), 32-44. (2023) [in Russian]

The Right to Education of Children Affected by Nuclear Tests in the Semipalatinsk Region, Kazakhstan (1991–2021). In The Political Economy of Education in Central Asia: Evidence from the Field (pp. 37-55). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. (2024) [in English]

Политико-экономический анализ образования в Семипалатинском регионе: вопросы образования детей с особыми потребностями. Central Asian Economic Review, (6), 39-52. (2024). [in Kazakh]

Профиль Инклюзивного Класса: культурная валидация оценочного инструмента и его применимость в контексте дошкольного образования в Казахстане, Абай Атындағы Қазұпу-Ң Хабаршысы «Педагогика Ғылымдары» Сериясы, No3(83) (2024) [in Russian]

Semipalatinsk test site: the legacy of the past, hopes for the future?, 08.07.2024, [in Kazakh, Russian and English]

https://cabar.asia/en/semipalatinsk-test-site-the-legacy-of-the-past-hopes-for-the-future

Formalism, Tribalism, and Nationalism in the Protection of Children’s Rights in Kazakhstan , 26.11.2020, [in Russian and English]

https://cabar.asia/en/formalism-tribalism-and-nationalism-in-the-protection-of-children-s-rights-in-kazakhstan

Education

  • D in Law, University of Sussex (UK), 2016
  • LLM in Jurisprudence, Kazakh Humanities and Law University (Kazakhstan), 2006
  • Bachelor in Jurisprudence, Kazakh Humanities and Law University (Kazakhstan), 2003
  • Professional training, Children’s Rights, University of Geneva, Switzerland, 2017
  • Professional training, European Law and Economics, Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL), Latvia, 2022

How to Find Me

  • SCOPUS – Aigerim Mussabalinova
  • WebOfScience – Aigerim Mussabalinova
  • ORCiD – Aigerim Mussabalinova
  • Google Scholar – AIGERIM MUSSABALINOVA
  • ResearchGate – Aigerim Mussabalinova
  • LinkedIn – Aigerim Mussabalinova
  • Facebook- Aigerim Mussabalinova
  • Email – a.mussabalinova@kimep.kz
SultanS

Sultan Sakhariyev

Assistant Professor of Practice
LLM (Cum Laude), KIMEP University (Kazakhstan)

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Sultan Sakhariyev is a Kazakhstan-qualified lawyer with extensive experience in international legal consulting. His areas of specialization include corporate, contract, general commercial, and employment law. Sultan also provides expertise in personal data protection and e-commerce, offering strategic advice in these growing areas. He has played a key role in conducting legal due diligence for major projects in sectors such as telecommunications, automotive distribution, and banking. In addition, Sultan has significant experience supporting M&A projects and representing clients in civil disputes and criminal proceedings.

Sultan’s research interests focus on anti-corruption law, human rights, and the legal regulation of IT technologies and the Internet. His work emphasizes the evolving regulatory frameworks around digital transformations and the protection of individual rights in a digital age. He is committed to bridging legal theory and practice, ensuring that his research contributes to the practical needs of the legal profession and businesses alike.

In addition to his research, Sultan holds several professional certifications, including a state license for advocacy activity, a certificate of a legal advisor, and registration as a legal advisor at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). He is also an active member of the management bodies of the “Iustus” Chamber of Legal Advisors, where he participates in legislative efforts to improve the regulation of the legal profession. His contributions to the development of ethical standards and rules for lawyers, along with his role as chairperson of a disciplinary commission, demonstrate his dedication to the legal community in Kazakhstan.

Sultan’s career spans both legal practice and academia. He has lectured at KIMEP University, Maqsut Narikbayev University, and delivered certification courses in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. His international teaching and legal advisory experience, coupled with his ongoing research in public international law, positions him as a respected authority within the legal profession.

Selected Examples of Where You Can Find Leading Research:

Education:

  • LLM (Cum Laude), KIMEP University (Kazakhstan)

How to Find Me:

Sergey Sayapin (1)

Sergey Sayapin

Professor and Research Director
Dr. iur., Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany)

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Sergey Sayapin is among Central Asia’s foremost international law academics. His research and teaching focus on Central Asian and post-Soviet approaches to international institutions and law, international and comparative criminal law, criminology as well as law and society. He serves as sub-editor for Central Asia of the Encyclopedia of Public International Law in Asia (Brill), and sits on several academic journals’ Editorial Boards in Asia and Europe. Professor Sayapin is a member of the Executive Council of the Asian Society of International Law (2021 – 2025). In 2024, he received the inaugural Chevening Alumni of the Year Award as Central Asia’s most cited international criminal law scholar of his generation.

Professor Sayapin has published in some of the leading law journals – such as the European Journal of International Law, Human Rights Law Review, Review of Central and East European Law, Journal of International Criminal Justice, and the Asian Journal of International Law – and excellent generalist journals such as Nature Human Behaviour. In July 2022, T.M.C. Asser Press and Springer published a two-volume research handbook on international law and security, of which Professor Sayapin is the lead co-editor, with a Foreword by Professor Simon Chesterman (NUS). In 2023, Professor Sayapin contributed a chapter on the Eurasian Economic Union in The Oxford Handbook of International Law in Europe. In 2025, his textbook on Central Asia and international law – the first international law treatise written in English and based on the Central Asian material – will be published by Hart.

Professor Sayapin contributed to the revised edition of the Republic of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, advised the ICRC, UNODC, several governments, think tanks and NGOs, and is a member of the International Law Council under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In 2000 – 2014, Sergey Sayapin worked as a Legal Adviser at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Central Asia. During that time, he negotiated humanitarian treaties with the Central Asian States, drafted domestic legislation on crimes under international law, and organised numerous academic events – such as workshops, conferences, and moot court competitions – for law students and professionals. Since 2014, Professor Sayapin has held visiting fellowships or professorships at the University of Leicester (United Kingdom), Taylor’s University (Malaysia), the OSCE Academy (Kyrgyzstan), and the Ukrainian Catholic University, and has been the first visiting fellow from Central Asia at NUS Law (2022).

Recent Research Highlights

Education

  • Dr. iur., Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany)
  • Democracy, the Rule of Law and Security (Chevening Fellowship), University of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
  • LLM in International Human Rights Law, University of Essex (United Kingdom)
  • LLB in International Law, University of World Economy and Diplomacy (Uzbekistan)

How to Find Me

Zambrana-Tevar

Nicolás Zambrana-Tévar

Associate Professor
PhD (University of Navarra, Spain)

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Nicolás’ main courses at KIMEP University School of Law are Private International Law, International Commercial Law and International Commercial Arbitration. In these fields, he has published and done research about the Astana International Financial Centre, International Commercial Litigation and Business & Human Rights. In recent years he has also done research and published in the area of Law & Religion, where he has published on several topics dealing with the liability of religious organizations for acts of their members and recent reforms in canon law. At KIMEP, Nicolás has also been the coach of student teams which participated in the AIFC Moot Court Competition and the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot.

Nicolás was a member of the Academic Committee which advised in the design and implementation of the Spanish plan on Business & Human Rights.

Prior to entering academia, Nicolás worked as a lawyer in several national and international law firms such as Schlüter, Garrigues Abogados and Freshfields, where he specialized in international commercial litigation and arbitration, having participated in several arbitrations under the ICC rules involving distribution agreements and construction contracts, as well as several other major civil proceedings.

Before joining KIMEP, Nicolás was Assistant Professor at the University of Navarra, where he was also Executive Director of International Programs and coach of the Vis Moot team. Nicolás was instrumental in introducing several programs on comparative law and international business law for undergraduate students.

Research Highlights

  • The New Reform of the Vatican Curia and a New Style of Papal Leadership (forthcoming in Journal of Law and Religion, Cambridge University Press).
  • Bienes culturales e “interest analysis”: una victoria para España ante los tribunales de California (Cassirer v Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Fund), Cuadernos de Derecho Transnacional, vol. 16, n. 1, March 2024, pp. 962-972 (DOI: 10.20318/cdt.2024.8459)
  • Some transnational aspects of environmental disputes in Kazakhstan and its new Environmental Code, International Relations and International Law Journal, Kazakh National University, vol. 99 n. 3, 2022, 65-73, (https://doi.org/10.26577/IRIJ.2022.v99.i3.06).
  • The International Responsibility of the Holy See for Human Rights Violations Religions 13(6): 520, 2022 (https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13060520).
  • The new reform of the penal law of the Catholic Church: resuscitating a forgotten pastoral instrument? Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, 2021, pp. 270-298 (DOI: 0.1163/22124810-2021J006).
  • Civil liability for sex abuse by Muslim clergy in Spain, Journal of Law, Religion and State, 9 (2021), 270-298 (doi: 0.1163/22124810-2021J006).
  • Head of a Young Woman: The Thrilling Recovery of a Flying Picasso, International Journal of Cultural Property, 2021, 28, 175-190 (DOI:10.1017/S0940739121000138).
  • La Franja d’Aragó and Sigena: Ecclesiastical Property Disputes in Spain, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, Volume 9, Issue 3, October 2020, pp. 529–551 (https://doi.org/10.1093/ojlr/rwaa031).
  • Reassessing the Immunity and Accountability of the Holy See in Clergy Sex Abuse Litigation, Journal of Church and State, vol. 62, issue 1, Winter 2020 (https://doi.org/10.1093/jcs/csz090).
  • The Court of the Astana International Financial Center in the Wake of its Predecessors, Erasmus Law Review, Issue 1, 2019 (http://www.erasmuslawreview.nl/tijdschrift/ELR/2019/1/ELR-D-18-00027). Indexed in DOAJ, Directory of Open Access Journals.
  • The New Court of the Astana International Financial Centre: Promoting the Rule of Law or Giving up on the Rule of Law?, The Central Asia Business Journal, Fall 2019 (https://kimep.kz/bang-college-of-business/files/2018/03/CABJ-Fall-2019.pdf).

 Education

  • PhD (University of Navarra, Spain)
  • LLM (London School of Economics and Political Science, UK)
  • LLB (Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain)

How to Find Me