Researching SME Impact on Reducing Income Inequality and Poverty Levels in Kazakhstan's Regions to Mitigate Local Social Turbulence Risks

Senior Lecturer, Leading Researcher, Department of Economics, Higher School of Economics and Business A.E. Kaliyeva underwent a short-term internship from November 4 to 12, 2024, as part of the research project AP23489032 “Researching SME Impact on Reducing Income Inequality and Poverty Levels in Kazakhstan's Regions to Mitigate Local Social Turbulence Risks” at the University of Minho (Braga, Portugal). During the internship, the problems of social inequality, poverty, and measures taken to address these issues were discussed with leading university experts. Reducing poverty and inequality is at the core of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to eradicate poverty and promote shared prosperity in every country in a sustainable manner. In this regard, leading university scientists were consulted to determine the methods used to study the impact of small and medium-sized enterprises on inequality and poverty in highly volatile conditions, and areas for future joint research work carried out within the framework of the project were identified.