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Profiting from prestige: the political economy of mega-events in Azerbaijan
*NB Tonight's talk takes place not in the usual venue but in the Investcorp Auditorium*
Why do rentier states seek out hosting rights for major international events? This talk investigates this question through a qualitative case study of mega-events programs in Azerbaijan. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, hydrocarbon exports have formed the backbone of the country’s economy and the main source of rents for ruling elites. Focusing on the development of Azerbaijan’s events industry in the 2000s and 2010s, the talk uses available evidence and process tracing techniques to develop the hypothesis that Azerbaijan’s elites sought out hosting rights, at least in part, to diversify their sources of private rents. By problematising the direction of causality between mega-events and rent-seeking behaviour, this analysis expands current theories on states’ motivations for hosting these events and contributes to existing understandings about how these proceedings serve to support and sustain rentier regimes.
Date:
3 February 2025, 17:00
Venue:
St Antony's College, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
Venue Details:
Investcorp Auditorium
Speaker:
Dr Jody LaPorte (Lincoln College, Oxford)
Organising department:
Russian and Eurasian Studies Centre
Organisers:
Professor Roy Allison (St Antony's College),
Dr Michael Rochlitz (St Antony's College),
Dr Marnie Howlett (DPIR, University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
richard.ramage@sant.ox.ac.uk
Part of:
RESC Monday Seminar
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Public
Editor:
Richard Ramage
