The 1st SDSN Kazakhstan Conference on Sustainable Development Goals in Central Asia has been held at Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy on May 30, 2023.

It was a one-day conference comprising 6 Panel Sessions including 19 conference speakers. The overall registered number of attendees for the conference panels is 356 (225 in-person, 131 online) – which indicates genuine public interest in the themes of the conference.

The conference session themes were designed to align with the 3 research priority areas of SDSN Kazakhstan: 1) Land, Water, and Communities (SDG 1, 2, 6, 11, 14, 15). 2) Energy and Climate (SDG 7, 13) 3) Education and Partnerships (SDG 4, 10, 17).

We are proud that the conference speakers represented the following groups:

1. SDSN Network members in Kazakhstan including: two universities from Almaty: Almaty Management University and Satbayev University, and three universities from Karaganda: (Buketov University, Karaganda Medical University and Kazpotrebsouyz University)
2. Universities from Central Asia including: 1) National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, 2) Kimyo International University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
3. International partners including: Monash Sustainable Development Institute (Australia), SDG Nexus Network (Giessen University, Germany), University of Athens, (Greece), CAREC Institute (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, Urumchi, China). One of our online participants has come as far as from South America (representing SDSN Andes).
4. Stakeholders and local partners including: UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Kazakhstan, Chevron Corporation, and NGOs working to advocate sustainability and environmental policies.
5. Last but not least, the conference has hosted a session designated for the presentation of SDSN Youth projects (Session 4b at 15:00) where NU students (SDSN Youth activists) talked about their exciting initiatives to promote SDG education among the younger generation.

Ms. Blair Blackwell, Advisor on Corporate Programs and Low Carbon Projects at Chevron, emphasized the significance of collaboration and partnership in addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the energy transition. According to her, exchanging experiences and ideas in conferences like the SDSN (Sustainable Development Solutions Network) Conference plays a crucial role in fostering partnerships among various stakeholders, including businesses, universities, government entities, and civil society.

Dr. Chrysoula Chitou, PhD Candidate, Department of Economics, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece, who gave a presentation on the topic “Exploring the interplay between income inequality, natural resources, and political regimes: A Wavelet analysis” shared his opinion about the conference: “I want to express my thanks to the conference organizers for providing this opportunity to showcase our work. Looking ahead, I am excited about the prospects of next year’s conference in Kazakhstan. I hope to have the opportunity to meet many of you in person and exchange ideas face-to-face. Thank you for your attention , and I appreciate your efforts in promoting sustainable development and fostering meaningful dialogues through events like these”.

Dr. Aurora Díaz-Soloaga, MSM, Senior lecturer, School of Management, Almaty Management University (AlmaU), Almaty, Kazakhstan made a report on the topic “Making Learning Meaningful: Promoting Responsible Education in Central Asia”: “The 1st SDSN Kazakhstan Conference has not only ushered in stronger and more ambitious collaborative work but has also done so with a high degree of professionalism and scholarly value. I would like to especially highlight the rigor, variety, and scientific value of the interventions of the speakers and guests. Together we have achieved the purpose we had set ourselves: to make it an inclusive conference, both geographically and due to the variety of topics and origins of the participants. Personally, I have had the opportunity to contribute to the conversation with my case study on Responsible Education in Central Asia: how can we make learning more meaningful, in the current context of an aggressive and changing world, and do it also taking into account the multicultural context of Central Asia”.

It should be noted that the conference included a roundtable session with representatives of international organizations, industry, NGOs, and universities. During his closing remarks, NU President Shigeo Katsu highlighted the importance of such platforms as the SDSN Conference for a continuous and constructive dialogue between these stakeholders. The conference was concluded with a positive message that such dialogue between the stakeholders will result in the development of practical solutions for sustainable development in Kazakhstan.

Briefly about SDSN Kazakhstan: Officially launched a year ago on 8^th June 2022, SDSN-KZ currently includes 25 network members in Kazakhstan (mostly universities).

The mission of SDSN-KZ is to:

1) promote practical solutions for the development of long-term sustainable pathways in Kazakhstan;

2) support high-quality education and research collaboration on SDGs in Kazakhstan;

3) suggest applied research and policy initiatives for better addressing the challenges of sustainable development in Kazakhstan.