The Institute of Public Policy and Administration of the University of Central Asia (UCA), the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), ISDC – International Security and Development Center, and the World Bank are pleased to invite the submission of proposals for sessions and research papers for the 5th Annual ‘Life in Kyrgyzstan’ Conference, to be held in Bishkek on 23-24 October 2019.
The two-day conference will bring together national and international experts from government and the public sector, development agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia and research institutions, and media to exchange knowledge and experiences on recent socio-economic developments in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia and to promote evidence-based policy making.
We invite the submission of proposals for entire sessions (of comprising of three or four papers) or for individual research papers studying various aspects of socio-economic development in Kyrgyzstan or Central Asia. We welcome empirical papers using panel micro data, especially the “Life in Kyrgyzstan” Study data, which is openly accessible athttp://idsc.iza.org/lik. We also encourage researchers to present other micro- and macroeconomic studies with the relevant topics of research. We encourage PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to apply to participate at the conference and use this opportunity to receive feedback from senior researchers and practitioners.
The topics of individual submissions or entire sessions may include but are not limited to:
- Poverty and inequality;
- Employment and labor markets;
- Migration and remittances;
- Entrepreneurship and informality;
- Social protection and social safety nets;
- Gender, children and intra-household decision making;
- Education and health outcomes;
- Nutrition and food security;
- Rural livelihoods and agricultural market access;
- Home gardens and rural coping strategies;
- Value chains and export orientation;
- Economic policy;
- Public service delivery and decentralization;
- Impacts of trade and integration reforms;
- Social capital and social cohesion;
- Peace-building, trust and expectations;
- Micro-level data quality, survey methodology and panel data collection;
- Methods of rigorous impact evaluation;
- Sustainable development goals;
- Climate change and its impact.
Please submit description of sessions or research papers to the conference by 16 June 2019 to email address: likconference2019@gmail.com. Please list a session title, a session chair, a session organizer, and the titles and all co-authors for each paper and enclose a 200-word session summary. Individual papers may also be submitted in full papers or in a 200-word extended abstract form. All submissions should be in English. The conference language will be English, with simultaneous translation provided in Russian. Shortlisted applicants will be notified by 30 June 2019.
Academic committee comprises of Prof. Tilman Brück (IGZ/ISDC), Dr. Damir Esenaliev (ISDC), Dr. Saida Ismailakhunova (World Bank), Dr. Roman Mogilevskii (UCA), Dr. Kanat Tilekeyev (UCA), and Prof. Nurgul Ukueva (AUCA).
There is no conference fee. Please note that travel and accommodation funds cannot be provided. Registration for participation in the conference will close on 30 September 2019.
For further information on the Life in Kyrgyzstan Study, please see www.lifeinkyrgyzstan.orgor send a message to likconference2019@gmail.com.
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 through professional development. The Institute has produced a series of peer-reviewed research papers on social and economic issues, public administration and public policy relating to Central Asia and Afghanistan. For more information on IPPA, please visit:http://ucentralasia.org/Research/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 the success of horticulture in Germany and other countries, understanding fundamentals of horticultural and plant science, sustainability in production and use of plants, healthy nutrition and wellbeing of the population. Its work is rated by acceptance and appreciation by professionals in practical horticulture and by the society, publications in high-ranking scientific journals and acquisition of competitive grants. For more information on IGZ, please visit: http://www.igzev.de/.
ISDC – International Security and Development Center is a Berlin-based, non-for-profit research center conducting research, 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 on ISDC, please visit: https://isdc.org/.
The World Bank is an international organization dedicated to providing financing, advice and research to developing nations to aid their economic advancement. By giving loans, and offering advice and training in both the private and public sectors, the World Bank aims to eliminate poverty by helping people help themselves.
