Call for Sessions and Papers: 7th Annual ‘Life in Kyrgyzstan’ Conference

The Institute of Public Policy and Administration of the University of Central Asia (UCA), the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), and ISDC – International Security and Development Center invite submission of proposals for sessions and individual research papers for the 7th Annual ‘Life in Kyrgyzstan’ Conference, to be held online during October 26-28, 2021. The conference is supported by American University Central Asia (AUCA), Mercy Corps, UNFPA, and the World Bank. 

The confirmed keynote speakers are Prof. Olga Shemyakina (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA) and Prof. Zulfiqar Bhutta (University of Toronto, Canada). 

The annual LiK conference brings together national and international experts from government and the public sector, development agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia and research institutions to exchange knowledge and experiences on recent socio-economic developments in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia and to promoteevidence-based policy making. 

We invite the submission of proposals for entire sessions(comprising of three to four papers) or for individual research papersstudying various aspects of socio-economic development in Kyrgyzstan or Central Asia. We welcome empirical papers using panel micro data, especially panel data from the ‘Life in Kyrgyzstan Study’, which is openly accessible at http://idsc.iza.org/lik. We also encourage researchers to present other micro- and macroeconomic studies with the relevant topics of research. We encourage doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to apply to participate at the conference, using 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:

  • Living with Covid-19
  • Employment, entrepreneurship and informality;
  • Migration and remittances;
  • Poverty and inequality;
  • Social protection and social safety nets;
  • Gender, children and intra-household decision making;
  • Education and health outcomes;
  • Nutrition and food security;
  • Demography, population dynamics; 
  • Rural livelihoods and agricultural markets;
  • Impacts of trade and integration reforms;
  • Public services and decentralization;
  • Social capital and social cohesion;
  • Peace-building, trust and expectations;
  • Climate change and its impact;
  • Sustainable development goals.
  • Micro-level data, survey methodology and panel data collection; 
  • Methods of rigorous impact evaluation.

Please send your submission by 12 June 2021 to the email address likconference2021@gmail.com. For session proposals, please list a session title, a session chair (with name and affiliation), a session organizer (with name and affiliation) and the titles and all co-authors (with names and affiliations) for each paper and enclose a 200-word session summary. For submissions of individual papers, we prefer to receive and will give priority to full papers but will also consider submissions of 200-word abstracts. The submissions should be in English. Shortlisted applicants will be notified by 30 June 2021.

The academic committee comprises of Prof. Kathryn Anderson (Vanderbilt University), Prof. Tilman Brück (IGZ/ISDC/NRI), Dr. Damir Esenaliev (IGZ/ISDC), Dr. Saida Ismailakhunova (World Bank), Dr. Baktybek Kainazarov (UNFPA), Dr. Roman Mogilevskii (UCA), Dr. Kanat Tilekeyev (UCA), and Prof. Nurgul Ukueva (American University Central Asia). 

The conference will be held online. If public health conditions related to the Corona pandemic improve by the time of the conference, the organisers may have some sessions organised in person in a venue in Bishkek to be identified. The languages of the conference are English and Russian. Simultaneous translation will be provided.

There is no conference fee. Registration for participation in the conference, including for experts wishing to attend the conference without presenting a paper, will close on 20 October 2021. For further information on the Life in Kyrgyzstan Study, please see www.lifeinkyrgyzstan.org or send a message to likconference2021@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 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 Centeris a non-profit academic institute based in Berlin, Germany. We conduct research to improve lives and livelihoods 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 on ISDC, please visit: https://isdc.org/.

Visit the Life in Kyrgyzstan website.

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