The research team of the AP26197965 “Everyday Life of Ethnic Repatriates in Post-Soviet Kazakhstan: Adaptive Strategies and Integration Practices (on the example of the Zhetysu Region)” project, participated in the CESS–2026 “(Re)Thinking Central Eurasia: Space, Societies, and Power” from 16 to 19 June 2026 at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan.
As part of the conference, the research team organized a special panel “Ethnic Repatriation as Migration: Revisiting Return and Integration in Kazakhstan”. The panel was moderated by the project supervisor N. Baigabatova, who introduced the objectives and key research questions of the project. During the session, researchers D. Nurmukhankyzy, G. Ishkalova, and A. Abyzova presented the interim findings of their studies. The presentations examined the evolution of migration policy in the Republic of Kazakhstan, issues of legal and social support for ethnic Kazakh repatriates, their integration into the labour market, and the narratives of adaptation emerging in social media environments. The panel discussant, Sh. Yeraliyev (Lund University, Sweden), provided analytical commentary on each presentation and offered a number of valuable scholarly recommendations.
The session generated considerable interest among conference participants, who actively engaged in discussion and posed a range of questions that were addressed by the presenters. The resulting exchange fostered a productive academic dialogue, helping to identify promising avenues for the further development of the project and to outline new research objectives.
During the CESS-2026 Conference, 106 thematic panel sessions were held, bringing together researchers from various countries around the world. Scholars from Zhetysu University participated in discussions on migration, social transformations, power relations, and regional development across Central Eurasia, exchanged expertise with international colleagues, and explored opportunities for future research collaboration.
CESS-2026 served as a significant international academic forum, bringing together more than 500 researchers specializing in Central Eurasian studies. Such international scholarly events contribute to strengthening the research capacity of Kazakhstani academics, expanding global academic networks, and enhancing the visibility and integration of Kazakhstan’s scholarship within the international research community.
More about the conference https://centraleurasia.org/
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