Civic Tech in Kazakhstan: The Case of Mangystau Region

Join us on December 1 at 9 am ET, 8 pm Almaty for an online webinar.

Mangystau is an oil-rich region in Kazakhstan that has been the site of a growing number of protests. The Kazakh government’s attempts to involve the public in local governance through digital platforms have almost entirely failed in this region which has one of the highest civic engagement levels in the country. A team of activists and experts from Kazakhstan who participated in the Oxus Fellowship program will present their research on the reasons behind Mangystau residents’ low participation in local governance through available digital platforms and tools.

Register here.

Moderator:    

Bakhytzhan Kurmanov, PhD, is Assistant Professor at the International School of Economics at the M.S. NarikbayevKAZGUU University. He has recently published works on the Open Government in Central Asia and the emergence of information autocracies in the region. Follow him on Twitter: @bakhyt_kurmanov

Speakers:

Aigerim Bakhtiyarova, is a Doctoral Student at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and a specialist in international relations.

Assel Kurmantayeva is a researcher on social innovation. She is a consultant on national and international development projects.

Darzhan Kazbekova is a PhD candidate at Social Science program, Syracuse University, USA

Marlan Negizbayeva is an associate professor of Kazakh National University named after al-Farabi.

Mira Beisenova is a development communications consultant with experience working with the United Nations, European Union, World Bank and for other NGOs

Zhannat Bubekbayeva  is a digital education expert, researcher, and founder of a non-governmental organization Bilim Barine. She is based in Aktau, Kazakhstan.