May 23, 2025
What if Europe's energy salvation lies not in distant Qatar or Algeria, but in a country it barely considers a strategic partner?
May 23, 2025
From Central Asia's parched steppes to North Africa's desiccated plains, necessity is mothering a remarkable economic reinvention.
May 23, 2025
Digitalisation alone won’t make Kazakhstan a tech powerhouse. But when combined with clear strategy, it can become a blueprint.
March 31, 2025
As the local start-up scene matures, Kazakh investors look to Europe’s tech hubs. Kazakhstan’s venture capitalists are getting restless. A decade ago, Astana and Almaty hardly […]
March 20, 2025
Central Asia’s venture ecosystem is reaching a new level, positioning the region as an increasingly significant player on the global venture map. Central Asia’s tech entrepreneurs […]
March 5, 2025
The states of Central Asia are awash with oil, gas, and precious minerals. Yet in an era of shifting global markets and the inexorable march towards […]
January 22, 2025
Soviet-influenced curricula excelled at producing specialists in subjects that served centrally planned economies. As Central Asia’s economies reinvent themselves, so are their education systems. It is […]
January 15, 2025
Central Asia’s cities remain unique, shaped by histories that link Turkic, Persian, Russian, and Soviet legacies. The question is whether their evolution can be guided in […]
January 3, 2025
Astana has struck a happy medium between neither antagonising nor warming up to an increasingly belligerent Moscow, while simultaneously cultivating stronger commercial and cultural ties with […]
December 27, 2024
From Ukraine’s ongoing resilience in the face of Russia’s brutal aggression to rigged elections in Georgia, political stalemate in Bulgaria, and the shooting of Slovakia’s PM, […]
December 21, 2024
Surprisingly little is known in the West about the role of Central Asia in World War II. This scholarly but thoroughly readable work plugs that gap. […]
December 13, 2024
The country’s strategic location, vast arable land, and increasing investment in technology position Kazakhstan as a valuable contributor to supporting the international community’s efforts to ensure […]
October 24, 2024
The BRICS summit in Kazan is missing one important potential member: Kazakhstan. For Vladimir Putin, it’s a geopolitical setback that Russia’s historical satellite state remains absent […]
October 17, 2024
The mismatch between education and the needs of the labour market is resulting in a significant waste of human potential and is partly behind the brain […]
October 15, 2024
Natural resources, and its sheer size, have made Kazakhstan Central Asia’s largest economy. If it is to compete globally, it needs to nurture a smarter, more […]
September 2, 2024
In developing economies, banks dominate the financial sector, unlike in advanced economies where the financial sector is more diversified. In almost 60 per cent of banks […]
July 5, 2024
Kazakhstan is becoming a leader in cashless transactions, fuelled by fierce competition and a supportive regulatory environment. The number of fintech start-ups in Kazakhstan has quadrupled […]
June 25, 2024
Union before corridors: How the European model can serve as a blueprint for the Trans-Caspian region
The EU’s embryonic start, the European Coal and Steel Community, created the core elements of energy and industrial development in a single market. The Trans-Caspian region […]
May 15, 2024
Central Asia is expected to see a slight decline in growth from 5.7 per cent in 2023 to 5.4 per cent in 2024, but will still see […]
April 12, 2024
Unless democracies act urgently and consistently to uphold their own interests and values, more territory will be lost to dictatorship and repression. The fate of European […]
April 11, 2024
Tajikistan, at 6.5 per cent, is forecast to see the highest GDP growth rate of any of the emerging and developing economies of Europe and Central […]
March 22, 2024
The venture capital market in Central Asia and Caucasus region is undergoing rapid expansion. Recent research shows that venture financing in the region is growing 5.5 […]
March 15, 2024
Fossil fuels have long powered Central Asia’s economies but have also made the region vulnerable to price fluctuations and pollution. Can abundant renewable resources provide a path […]
February 26, 2024
A new report urges emerging Europe and Central Asia to ditch fossil fuels and embrace renewables for energy security and sustainable growth. A new World Bank […]
February 5, 2024
Referring to Central Asia as ‘Russia’s backyard’ is a mischaracterisation that denies the region’s agency and overlooks the complexity of its international relationships. Rarely, if ever, […]
January 31, 2024
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has undertaken a series of reforms aimed at distancing his country from the Kremlin.
January 30, 2024
Low scores on the latest Corruption Perceptions Index in many countries across Eastern Europe and Central Asia reflect systemic governance deficits and a lack of independent […]
January 30, 2024
The EU members in Central and Eastern Europe are returning to normality and will continue the process of economic convergence with Western Europe that was interrupted […]
January 2, 2024
Technology has significantly expanded access to education. It has also begun to change the roles of teachers and learners.
