Dilrabo Tursunova

Dilrabo Tursunova is an MA student in Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington. With previous professional experience in the international aid sector and having lived and worked across multiple regions, she developed a keen interest in understanding the historical roots of economic development across societies. Her current research examines the political and economic history of Central Asia, focusing on local merchant-industrialists as imperial intermediaries between local society and Russian colonial rule. A recipient of the Titus Ellison Fellowship and the Naficy Award in Persian Studies, she works across Uzbek, Russian, Turkish, Persian, and Chaghatay sources, integrating archival research with historical political economy approaches.

Research Interests: Empire and Colonialism, Economic History, Historical Political Economy, Central Asian Studies.