Joint Research Project on the Development of Central Asia Presented at the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences

On 21 August 2026, the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosted a presentation and discussion of the research project “The Eurasian ‘Heartland’: Can Central Asia Transition from a ‘Transit Hub and Economic Periphery’ to a ‘Transit Hub and Economic Center’?”

The research project was developed within the framework of the “Asian Regional Development Strategy” program through cooperation among Zhejiang International Studies University (ZISU), Peking University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The study focuses on one of the most relevant issues of the spatial and socio-economic development of Central Asia: what conditions and mechanisms are required for the region to transition from a predominantly transit-oriented and peripheral model toward a model of a sustainable economic center of Eurasia.

The authors emphasize the exceptionally important geographical position of Central Asia at the center of the Eurasian space and its historical role as an area of interaction among trade, transport, political, and cultural flows. At the same time, the region’s geographical centrality has not yet been fully transformed into economic centrality. This contradiction is identified as one of the key research problems.

During the discussion, participants highlighted the potential for further development of the research through field studies, expert interviews, and sociological research, which would allow for a deeper assessment of governance capacity and public attitudes toward major infrastructure and investment projects.

The presentation provided an important platform for discussing further scientific cooperation between Farabi University and its Chinese partners.

The meeting also addressed prospects for joint academic publications, further research projects, academic exchanges, and joint field studies in Central Asia.

Overall, the presented project represents a relevant and promising interdisciplinary study, combining historical-geographical analysis, modern geoinformation and remote-sensing methods, climate modelling, infrastructure assessment, institutional factors, and game-theoretic approaches.

The central research question — under what conditions can the geographical and geopolitical centrality of Central Asia be transformed into sustainable economic centrality? — opens broad opportunities for further joint research.

The event marked another important step in strengthening international cooperation between the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences of Farabi University and leading Chinese research and educational institutions, as well as in developing new formats of joint scientific and educational activities.