Project Update Towards a Comparative, Interdisciplinary and Applied Ethnological Perspective on Entrepreneurship in the IT and Green Economy Industries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
We are pleased to share an update on the early progress of our research project, which is currently in its exploratory phase. Over the past few months, we have taken significant steps to establish a solid foundation for the comparative and interdisciplinary study of entrepreneurship in the IT and green economy sectors across Central Asia.
We began by forming a motivated and interdisciplinary research team, bringing together scholars and students—primarily from Nazarbayev University—who are interested in entrepreneurship, particularly in the green and IT sectors. In parallel, we initiated a mapping exercise to identify key actors in the IT and green economy industries across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. This has resulted in a working dataset of approximately 100 entries.
Initial fieldwork has been conducted in Almaty, Astana, and Tashkent, where Professor Schroeder has begun establishing relationships with entrepreneurs and stakeholders. Furthermore, during the April book launch event on green entrepreneurship at Nazarbayev University in Astana, we had the opportunity to connect with several members of the green business community.
We have also begun forming preliminary networks with potential partners, including individuals from government agencies, chambers of commerce, and business associations. Additionally, we have developed a qualitative research instrument and successfully obtained ethical approval for our research activities. Our team is currently engaged in reviewing relevant academic and applied literature in English, Kazakh, Russian, and Uzbek, covering green and IT entrepreneurship, historical trajectories, and broader socioeconomic dynamics in the region.
In addition, we are actively preparing a conference titled Entrepreneurship, Heritage and Sustainability: Exploring the Nexus of Economy, Culture and Applied Research, which will be held at Nazarbayev University at the end of September. This event will bring together international and local scholars, as well as practitioners, and will serve as a key platform to connect our research with broader academic and practical discussions.
These first steps set the stage for our upcoming expert interviews and a planned kickoff workshop, which will help us integrate the perspectives of practitioners into our research. We look forward to sharing further insights as the project develops.
Initial fieldwork has been conducted in Almaty, Astana, and Tashkent, where Professor Schroeder has begun establishing relationships with entrepreneurs and stakeholders. Furthermore, during the April book launch event on green entrepreneurship at Nazarbayev University in Astana, we had the opportunity to connect with several members of the green business community.
We have also begun forming preliminary networks with potential partners, including individuals from government agencies, chambers of commerce, and business associations. Additionally, we have developed a qualitative research instrument and successfully obtained ethical approval for our research activities. Our team is currently engaged in reviewing relevant academic and applied literature in English, Kazakh, Russian, and Uzbek, covering green and IT entrepreneurship, historical trajectories, and broader socioeconomic dynamics in the region.