This article introduces the special issue by going beyond the traditional debates about geopolitics and great power rivalry. Instead, it examines the emergent and highly complex world of Central Eurasia, in its transformative effort to reorder itself in response to both global and local change. In particular, the paper (and the volume) focuses on two interrelated themes: one of a changing Russia, that is anxiously trying to adapt to the uncertain dynamics within and beyond the wider Eurasian space; and the other—of an emerging complexity of new order-making regional (integration) initiatives that are poised to reshape the future of international and global order. The overarching intention of this paper and the volume is to advance the need to focus on ‘the local’, to gain a more holistic understanding of the present-day challenges and the kind of global response needed to stay attuned to the increasingly complex world.

本文超越了关于地缘政治和大国竞争的传统辩论，介绍了这一特刊。相反，它考察了中欧亚大陆新兴且高度复杂的世界，以应对全球和地方变化进行自我重组的变革性努力。特别是，这篇论文（和卷）侧重于两个相互关联的主题：一个是不断变化的俄罗斯，它正焦急地试图适应更广阔的欧亚空间内外的不确定动态；另一个是新秩序制定区域（整合）举措的新出现的复杂性，这些举措有望重塑国际和全球秩序的未来。这篇论文和本书的总体意图是推动关注“本地”的需要，以更全面地了解当今的挑战以及适应日益复杂的世界所需的全球响应类型。