Date;Title;Speaker;Description

November 20, 2025; Efficiency, Externalities, and AI: The Case for UBI; Dr. Omer F. Baris, Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy; Dr. Omer Baris presents his economic model for Universal Basic Income, demonstrating how UBI can function within an AI-driven economy. His talk focuses on the mathematical foundations of the model, showing how efficiency, productivity, and externalities interact, and offering a rigorous quantitative case for UBI as a policy response to technological change. October 30, 2025; Economics of an Export Tax in the Keynesian Framework: The case of Nigeria; Dr. Aleksander Vasilev, University of Lincoln, UK; Dr. Aleksander Vasilev from the University of Lincoln applies a Keynesian lens to analyze how an export tax can shape economic outcomes in Nigeria. His talk investigates the broader macroeconomic implications of export taxation on growth, employment, and government revenue, and discusses what this means for policymaking in resource-rich developing countries. October 14, 2025; Brazil's nuclear history: energy, disarmament and middle power politics.; João Marcos Ferreira Pacheco, Brasil University; PhD researcher João Marcos Ferreira Pacheco from the University of Brasília traces the evolution of Brazil’s nuclear ambitions and policies. His talk explores how nuclear energy, disarmament debates, and aspirations for “middle power” status have shaped Brazil’s identity and strategy in global politics. September 30, 2025; Infrastructure and Chinese Power in Southeast Asia; Dr. Selina Ho, LKY SPP, NUS, Singapore; Dr. Selina Ho from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, examines how China wields influence through infrastructure development in Southeast Asia. Her talk investigates the political and strategic dimensions of major projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, highlighting how roads, ports, and railways have become instruments of diplomacy and power in the region. September 24, 2025; Elusive Water: The Life and Death of Central Asia's Aral Sea; Dr. Sarah Cameron, University of Maryland, USA; Dr. Sarah Cameron from the University of Maryland explores the environmental and human tragedy of the Aral Sea, once one of the world’s largest inland bodies of water. Her talk traces the political, economic, and ecological forces that led to its collapse and reflects on how its legacy continues to shape the lives, health, and future of communities across Central Asia. September 18, 2025; Mapping Global China: New Methods to Understand China’s Expanding Presence; Dr. Adele Maria Carrai, NYU Shanghai; Dr. Adele Maria Carrai from NYU Shanghai delves into innovative approaches to studying China’s growing global footprint. Her talk examines how China’s international engagements—across infrastructure, finance, and diplomacy—are reshaping global power dynamics, and how new research methods can help us better understand these complex transformations. August 21, 2025; On US-China relations; Dr. Andrew Nathan, Columbia University, USA; Renowned political scientist Dr. Andrew Nathan offers a nuanced analysis of the evolving dynamics between the United States and China. Drawing on decades of research on Chinese politics and international relations, he explores the strategic, economic, and ideological factors shaping one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in the world today. May 2, 2025;Enhancing Provincial Administration Organizations’ Hotel Fee Collection through Big Data Analytics;Dr. Grichawat Lowatcharin, Khon Kaen University, Thailand;Dr. Lowatcharin explored how Provincial Administration Organizations (PAOs) in Thailand can improve hotel fee collection through big data analytics. He discussed opportunities and challenges in adopting data-driven tools to enhance revenue generation, transparency, and fiscal autonomy, sharing real-world applications and lessons for local governance and digital innovation. April 18, 2025;Do longer child-related career breaks affect skills? Evidence from the European Parental Leave Policies dataset;Dr. Adèle Lemoine, University of Vienna, Austria;Dr. Lemoine presented findings from the European Parental Leave Policies (EPLP) dataset, exploring how varying durations of parental leave affect skill retention and labor market outcomes. Her talk provided empirical insights into the long-term consequences of parental leave systems on parental skills across European countries. April 8, 2025;Healthy Government: The Effects of Quality of Government on Health Outcomes;Prof. Victor Lapuente, University of Gothenburg, Sweden;Prof. Lapuente discussed how the quality of governmental institutions impacts public health outcomes. Drawing on comparative research, he examined governance effectiveness, bureaucratic structures, and policy implementation, highlighting how better institutional quality leads to improved health indicators across political systems. March 18, 2025;The Cost of Job Loss for Coal Miners in Turkey;Dr. Sinem Ayhan, Leibniz Institute (IOS), Germany;Dr. Ayhan analyzed the economic impact of job displacement for coal miners in Turkey, showing a 41% wage drop using employer-employee data. Her research highlights the need for inclusive transition policies in coal-reliant economies. March 14, 2025;The Governance of Livestock Value Chains in Central Asia: From Smallholders to Corporate Business?;Prof. Dr. Martin Petrick, Justus Liebig University Giessen;Prof. Petrick explored the transformation of livestock value chains in Central Asia, discussing challenges for smallholders, the role of large-scale enterprises, and strategies for sustainable development using farm-level data. February 25, 2025;Political Efficacy and Participation in South Korea: The Role of Ideological Congruence;Dr. Daewoo Lee, Columbus State University;Dr. Lee examined how ideological congruence influences political efficacy and participation in South Korea, drawing on his research into meritocratic beliefs and their impact on political behavior. February 20, 2025;Domestic Violence and Public Policy: Insights from Covid-19 in Russia;Dr. Ekaterina Borisova, Lille University, France;Dr. Borisova discussed the impact of Covid-19 on domestic violence in Russia, exploring public policy responses and the role of gender norms in addressing social challenges. February 11, 2025;Policy Entrepreneurs, Crises, and Policy Change;Dr. Evangelia Petridou, Mid Sweden University;Dr. Petridou presented insights from her book, exploring how crises create opportunities for policy change and the role of policy entrepreneurs in driving reforms in Scandinavian systems.

Date;Title;Speaker;Description

October 28, 2025; The Beginning of a Circular Economy Research Community at NU; Dr. Scott Valentine; Dr. Scott Valentine discusses the principles and importance of the circular economy, emphasizing strategies to reduce waste, reuse materials, and create sustainable economic systems. His talk highlights ongoing efforts to promote circular practices and build a collaborative research community around sustainability at Nazarbayev University. February 6, 2025;Towards Understanding Kazakhstan’s Reproductive Behavior Patterns: The Role of Policy, Family, and Inherited Values;Dr. Vladimir Kozlov;Dr. Kozlov explored Kazakhstan’s unique fertility patterns, comparing them to Israel, and tested hypotheses on the inheritance of fertility values and the role of family support in fertility decisions using Gender and Generation Project survey data.