The Comparative Regionalism Perspective in the SCO Research
https://doi.org/10.46272/2587-8476-2026-17-1-30-50
Abstract
This article aims to reveal the potential of comparative regionalism to analyzing the effectiveness of regional associations to study and explain the functioning of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which was established during a period of major international political transformations and is now one of the key elements of the Eurasian security architecture. Particular attention is paid to A. Acharya and A. Johnston’s institutional design theory, which facilitates studying the role and place of institutions in structuring the regional space regardless of the region under consideration, and also highlighting the differences between the highly specialized state-centered integration groupings that emerged in Europe in the second half of the 20th century, and regional initiatives that took shape in accordance with the logic of “new regionalism” – an international phenomenon that emerged during the collapse of the bipolar system. This theory’s take on the SCO suggests that its institutional design (i.e. structure, ideological basis, decision-making and membership procedures) meets the interests and needs of the member states and is the result of the influence of both exogenous and endogenous factors. Proceeding from this, and in terms of its effectiveness in establishing multilateral regional cooperation between states with fundamentally different historical and cultural backgrounds, and sometimes even bilateral conflicts, one can conclude that the organization meets its objectives and is therefore successful.
About the Author
N. Ya. Gulam
MGIMO University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Ninel Ya. Gulam – PhD student, Institute for International Studies
76, Vernadsky avenue, Moscow, 119454
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Review
For citations:
Gulam N.Ya. The Comparative Regionalism Perspective in the SCO Research. Journal of International Analytics. 2026;17(1):30-50. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.46272/2587-8476-2026-17-1-30-50
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