Misha Monteiro-Benson is a Research Assistant and Central Asia analyst at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore. His focus is the political economy of the Central Asian Republics as they chart a course through an evolving geopolitical landscape which is multipolar and increasingly tied to the geopolitics of the Middle East. With a background in criminology and maritime security, Misha is interested in political and social reform, economic development, and agency of small states during geopolitical tension.