As part of Nazarbayev University’s 15th anniversary, the international academic conference “Voices at the Margins: Rethinking Gender, Labor, and Belonging” was held from November 15th to 17th, 2025. The event was organized by the Graduate School of Business’s Center for Entrepreneurship under the academic supervision of Professor Shumaila Yousafzai and implemented in collaboration with the journal “Gender, Work&Organizations”. This journal is one of the world’s leading publications in the field of gender studies and organizational behavior (SCOPUS Q1, top 10%).
Professor Aigul Zabirova, Chief Research Fellow at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, participated in the conference, presenting a paper titled “Between Equality and Obedience: Ambivalent Modernity in Kazakhstan.” Following the conference, Aigul Zabirova’s paper received high praise and was awarded the Best Paper Award for its analytical depth and contribution to the development of international research dialogue.
The conference featured scholars from the UK, Germany, Finland, Bulgaria, India, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Uzbekistan in addition to Kazakhstani participants. Two editors from the journal Gender, Work & Organization also attended, ensuring a high level of scholarly expertise and exchange of views.
KazISS’s participation in such academic venues contributes to strengthening international ties, raising research standards, and promoting domestic research globally. In order to increase the visibility of Kazakhstani analysts in the worldwide academic community, KazISS will keep encouraging its staff to attend international academic conferences.
