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Policies on Ethnic Minorities in Kazakhstan
Where Are We Now?
19 April, 2023 @ 9:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Kazakhstan is home to more than 100 ethnic minorities comprising about 30% of the population, reflecting an imperial and Soviet past that sent colonists, dissidents, and minority groups to the region. Both presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev have portrayed Kazakhstan as a stronghold of interethnic peace and conducted national identity-building policies based on the concept of creating a common civic identity for different ethnic groups. While these policies have been mostly successful, the country has faced some sporadic ethnic unrest in recent years as well as a new influx of Russians following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that may challenge the current status quo. This workshop will discuss the successes, issues, and challenges that Kazakhstan and minority groups face, and how the government is addressing them.
AGENDA
9:00 – 9:10 a.m. Introductory remarks
Marat Azilkhanov (Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan)
Ambassador Yerzhan Ashikbayev (the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United States)
Sebastien Peyrouse (George Washington University)
9:10 – 10:10 a.m. Panel I
Moderator: Sebastien Peyrouse
Aigul Sadvokassova, Syracuse University, The Management of Ethnic Diversity: Experience and New Challenges of Kazakhstan
Yevgenii Bolgert, Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan in the Context of Political Reforms
Eric Schluessel, George Washington University, A Brief History of the Uyghur Community in Kazakhstan
10:10 – 10:30 a.m. Coffee break
10:30 – 11:45 a.m. Panel II
Moderator: Aigul Kosherbayeva
German Kim, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Ethnic Diversity of Kazakhstan in Historical Retrospective and Modern Trends
Beate Eschment, Center for East European and International Studies, Unity in Diversity—Slogan and Reality?
Caress Schenk, Nazarbayev University, Deconstructing Dual Citizenship: Exploring Citizenship Attitudes and Practices in Kazakhstan
Sean Roberts, George Washington University, The Xinjiang Crisis and Its Impact on Inclusive Development in Kazakhstan
