We are pleased to invite you to the 11th Annual ‘Life in Kyrgyzstan’ (LiK) Conference, taking place on 10-11 October 2025 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. This year marks the 11th anniversary of the conference series.
The Life in Kyrgyzstan Conference is an established annual event that brings together national and international experts from academia, government, development agencies, NGOs, media, and research institutions. It serves as a platform for sharing knowledge and insights on the most pressing socio-economic and environmental issues in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia, with the goal of promoting evidence-based policymaking.
This Year’s Keynote Speakers
- Dr Kathleen Hermans, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Germany
- Dr Asel Doolotkeldieva, Potsdam University
Format and Languages
The conference will be held in hybrid format. While in-person participation is encouraged, particularly for presenters, online participation will be fully supported.
Conference languages: English and Russian, with simultaneous translation.
Information and Registration
For further information on the Life in Kyrgyzstan Study, please see: www.lifeinkyrgyzstan.org.
Registration deadline: 3 October, 2025
Learn more about the conference and Register
Organising Institutions
University of Central Asia’s Institute of Public Policy and Administration was established in 2011 to strengthen public policy in Central Asia. It provides in-depth analysis on current and emerging policy issues facing the region and improves the analytical capacity of governments and civil society to use evidence in decision-making processes. The Institute produces analytical policy papers, policy briefs and peer-reviewed research papers on social and economic issues, public administration and public policy relating to Central Asia and Afghanistan. For more information visit: http://ucentralasia.org/ippa
IGZ – Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops carries out basic and applied research supporting the sustainable production of vegetable and ornamental plants and the rational use of natural resources. It contributes to understanding fundamentals of horticultural and plant science, sustainability in production and use of plants, healthy nutrition and wellbeing of the population. Its work involves publications in high-ranking scientific journals and acquisition of competitive grants. For more information visit: http://www.igzev.de/.
ISDC – International Security and Development Center is a non-profit academic institute based in Berlin, Germany. It conducts research to improve lives shaped by violent conflict, fragility and humanitarian emergencies, providing policy advice and building capacity on international security and socio-economic development. We are unique in the global research scene for being dedicated to work exclusively on the security-development nexus. For more information, visit: https://isdc.org/.
Partner Institutions
American University of Central Asia (AUCA) is a multi-disciplinary learning community in the American liberal arts tradition with the mission of developing enlightened and impassioned leaders for the transformation of Central Asia. With a current enrolment of approximately 1,500 students from over 25 countries, AUCA offers students a quality education based on an American college model with a credit-hours system, a liberal arts curriculum, and a commitment to freedom of expression and inquiry. The University offers 14 undergraduate educational programs and 9 graduate programs. For more information on AUCA, please visit https://www.auca.kg/
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) envisions a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty in the region. ADB assists its members, and partners, by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development. ADB maximizes the development impact of its assistance by facilitating policy dialogues, providing advisory services, and mobilizing financial resources through co-financing operations. For more information visit https://www.adb.org/.
UNFPA is the United Nations agency dedicated to sexual and reproductive health. Its core mission is to foster a world where every pregnancy is desired, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is realized. Since 1992, UNFPA has been actively involved in the Kyrgyz Republic, supporting the population and housing censuses, provision of reproductive health supplies, and the enhancement of national capabilities in integrated sexual and reproductive health services, as well as youth-friendly health services. For more information visit https://kyrgyzstan.unfpa.org/en
The World Bank is an international organization dedicated to providing financing, advice, and research to developing nations to aid their economic advancement. Since the Kyrgyz Republic joined the World Bank in 1992, the Bank’s financial assistance has amounted to over US$2,024 million. The World Bank support has helped the country to maintain macroeconomic stability, invest in strategic infrastructure, and improve access to social services. For more information visit https://www.worldbank.org.
