MIRS-Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies Student
bchyny@umich.edu
Center for Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies;
MIRS Students
Education/Degree:
BA, International Communications, Bishkek Humanitarian University, 2003
MA, Social Studies, Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, 2005
About
Baktygul Chynybaeva is a seasoned journalist from Kyrgyzstan and a master’s student in International and Regional Studies at the University of Michigan, specializing in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. With over 20 years of experience reporting on human rights, health, climate change in Central Asia. Before joining U-M, she worked as a correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Central Newsroom in Prague. Her investigative work on human rights and healthcare services in the country led to tangible policy changes in Kyrgyzstan. A 2024–2025 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow, she is fluent in five languages and passionate about connecting local narratives with global scholarship to support democratic resilience and media freedom.
