Human Development in Post-Conflict Situation: Projects and Institutions of the USA After World War II

Andrey S. Menshikov

doi:10.15826/csp.2026.10.2.384

Andrey S. Menshikov University of Central Asia, Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic/Khorog, Tajikistan http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1070-2551

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2026.10.2.384

Abstract

The project-based activities of U.S. educational, cultural, and research institutions played a crucial role in shaping international knowledge infrastructure during the latter half of the twentieth century. After the end of World War II and during the ensuing Cold War, these projects became instruments for creating networks, norms, and institutional structures that underpinned global human development. Drawing on Petar Bojanić’s theory of institutions, this article examines the institutional logic of U.S. international projects, emphasizing their dynamics and the production of enduring social spaces. Through a critical analysis of historical scholarship and available statistical data, the study highlights the mechanisms of institutional stabilization, including the formation of actors and regulatory frameworks. The findings demonstrate that U.S. organizations such as IIE, USIA, AMIDEAST, and USAID not only executed programs but also actively constructed the scaffolding for global knowledge networks, influencing international mobility, cultural exchange, and the circulation of human capital. This research contributes to scholarship on international education and institutional formation, offering insights into the long-term infrastructural impact of human development projects.

Author Biography

Andrey S. Menshikov, University of Central Asia, Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic/Khorog, Tajikistan

Andrey S. Menshikov is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Asia. His principal research interests include social and political theories of modernity, multidisciplinary approaches to moral reasoning, religion in public space, and inter-confessional relations.

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