CAPS Unlock

📣 Call for Papers | Almaty, 7–8 September 2026

ASIAC - Association for Studies on Central and the Caucasus and CAPS Unlock invite submissions for “Local Voices, Global Debates: ASIAC Days in Central Asia”!

This event brings together scholars from Central Asia, Italy, and beyond for two days of rigorous debate, hands-on exchange, and collaborative reflection. Expect panels, roundtables, workshops with senior academics and journal editors, and plenty of space for networking and new ideas.

We welcome interdisciplinary contributions on:
— political economy, development, labour, and social transformation
— borders, migration, infrastructure, connectivity
— climate, water, energy, sustainability
— knowledge production, methods, and fieldwork in Central Asia

We also encourage work on evolving Italy–Central Asia relations across political, economic, cultural, and academic dimensions.

📌 Submission formats:
• Individual papers
• Organised panels & roundtables
• Visual research (films, photography, graphic work)

🗓 Deadline: 23 May 2026 (23:59 CET)

📩 More information:

Call for Proposals: ASIAC Days in Central Asia 2026 - capsunlock Overview ASIAC and CAPS Unlock are thrilled to invite submissions for the conference “Local Voices, Global Debates: ASIAC Days in Central Asia”, the first ASIAC-sponsored conference in Central Asia dedicated to bringing our vibrant interdisciplinary scholarly space closer to Central Asian schola...

Kazakhstan’s e-government system is often held up as a success story. But what if it doesn’t serve all citizens equally?

We’ve just launched The Argument, a new CAPS Unlock series built around clear, evidence-based positions on regional policy issues.

In our first edition, Zhannat Bubekbayeva tests Kazakhstan’s government AI assistant in Kazakh and Russian. The result is hard to ignore: Kazakh-language users receive less accurate, less complete, and less usable information.

This goes beyond just a minor technical flaw. The shortcomings raise a more uncomfortable question about who the state’s digital infrastructure is actually built to serve.

Read the full paper:

English: https://capsunlock.org/publications/two-languages-two-standards-ai-and-linguistic-inequality-in-kazakhstans-public-services/
Kazakh: https://capsunlock.org/kk/publications/eki-til-eki-standart-qazaqstannyng-memlekettik-qyzmetterindegi-zhasandy-intellekt-zhi-zhaene-tildik-tengsizdik-2/

This week on the CAPS Unlock podcast, we examine two sharply different but ultimately connected economic stories from Central Asia, before turning to a revealing interview on Kazakhstan’s changing business landscape.

🛢We begin in Kazakhstan, where official data show a roughly 20 percent year-on-year drop in oil production in the first quarter.

A fire at the Tengiz field and repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on infrastructure linked to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium expose a structural vulnerability that is easy to overlook.

💸We then turn to Kyrgyzstan, where the government is attempting to position the country as a regional cryptocurrency hub. The scale of activity is striking, with transaction volumes far exceeding national GDP. Most flows consist of simple currency conversions, often linked to cross-border transactions that bypass traditional banking channels.

Finally, we speak with journalist Chris Rickleton about his investigation into Shakhmurat Mutalip, a little-known businessman whose rapid rise places him at the centre of Kazakhstan’s strategic industries. Rickleton outlines what is known about Mutalip’s background, the role of the infrastructure giant Integra, and the significance of potential deals involving major mining firms. The discussion points to something larger than one individual: a possible reconfiguration of economic power in Kazakhstan, with implications for both domestic elites and foreign investors.

Listen to the episode here:

Substack: https://havli.substack.com/p/kazakhstans-oil-shock-kyrgyzstans

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/kz/podcast/kazakhstans-oil-shock-kyrgyzstans-crypto-bet-and-a/id1781868199?i=1000762895694

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ySvDiskCewR4bkW8EtaVZ?si=cBQU1yorTMyj5JiDdqY75g

🇰🇬🇹🇯The latest episode of the CAPS Unlock podcast looks at two structural pressures shaping Central Asia’s future: food insecurity in Tajikistan and energy strategy in Kyrgyzstan, before turning to the wider regional impact of the war in Iran.

In our interview slot, we speak with Shakhlo Kamaladinova, Central Asia Coordinator for the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation. She explains how the war in Iran is affecting Central Asia not geographically, but structurally. Trade routes through Iranian ports remain critical, and disruptions are already feeding into higher insurance costs, logistical uncertainty, and long-term strategic recalculations. While alternative corridors exist, they lack the flexibility to fully compensate. The result is a region increasingly aware of its exposure, but not yet equipped to escape it.

Listen here🎧:

Substack: https://havli.substack.com/p/central-asia-between-hunger-the-atom

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/central-asia-between-hunger-the-atom-and-war/id1781868199?i=1000760002139

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2oUH5MYKMmIxcZuQgFCY6D?si=hw3SQ_TcSlC0ZIhZQUtL9g