Kazakhstan Beyond Economic Success. Exploring Social and Cultural Changes in Eurasia (conference)

Project leader

Johan Engvall

Conference dates

13-14 June 2014

Project description

In a single decade, Kazakhstan has become one of the showcases of Central Asia, sometimes even of the entire Eurasian space. The country’s burgeoning economy is impressive; it produces two-thirds of the GDP of all of Central Asia, is not far behind Russia in terms of GDP per inhabitant, and has successfully branded itself on the international arena. The country has adopted a so-called multi-vectorial foreign policy, including a strategic alliance with Russia, a growing partnership with China, and good relations with the United States and Europe. Paradoxically, whereas Kazakhstan is enjoying time in the limelight on the international stage and arouses the interest of business communities in Europe and the United States, scholarly research on Kazakhstan remains less visible than that existing on some other Central Asian countries, such as Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan. No conference has ever been organized in order to update the state of research on Kazakhstan, and scholars have no platform on which to exchange their ideas and hypotheses. This conference will fill this gap by providing a space for peer-discussion, and consolidate a cohort of young and mid-career experts who have the capacity and intellectual networks to renew policy communities and standards of practice, improve training and generate innovative research. 

Major funding source

Riksbankens Jubileumsfond