SOCIOLOGICAL FORUM – 2026
SOCIAL RESEARCH IN THE DIGITAL AGE: TRENDS AND CHALLENGES
JUNE 1–2, 2026, ALMATY
The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS), in partnership with Narxoz University, is hosting the Sociological Forum “Social Research in the Digital Age: Trends and Challenges,” to be held on June 1–2, 2026, in Almaty.
Sociological research today finds itself at a crossroads: conventional tools no longer provide the reliability they once did, while new approaches have yet to be fully understood. Declining response rates, respondent fatigue, and growing challenges in accessing target audiences are reshaping the essence of fieldwork. At the same time, the volume of digital data continues to grow, and new analytical capabilities are emerging – raising pressing questions about comparability, data quality, and the interpretation of findings. In essence, what is taking place is not a series of isolated changes, but a gradual transformation of the entire research enterprise.
In this context, it is no longer sufficient to discuss individual methods in isolation. What is needed is a broader conversation about how sociology as a discipline must evolve in order to maintain rigour and reliability. This is the central purpose of the Sociology Forum “Social Research in the Digital Age: Trends and Challenges,” taking place on June 1–2, 2026, in Almaty.
The Forum is conceived as a professional platform with a focus on the methodology of social research: from research design and data collection to analysis and interpretation of results. The discussions will address practical challenges currently faced by research centres, universities, and think tank institutions: How can different data collection channels be used effectively? How can survey-based and digital data sources be combined? How can quality be maintained in a rapidly changing environment?
The Forum will bring together leading sociologists with extensive experience in large-scale surveys and international databases. Their expertise will allow methodological questions to be examined not in the abstract, but in the context of concrete research practice. Confirmed participants include:
- Yu Xie – academic leader of the China Family Panel Studies (USA)
- Theodore Gerber – specialist in comparative research on social stratification in post-Soviet societies (USA)
- Marcel Das – director and developer of the LISS Panel (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences) (Netherlands)
- Tatiana Karabchuk – Associate Professor at UAEU (UAE), member of the WAPOR Executive Committee, Associate Editor of Gender, Work & Organization
- Francesco Sarracino – Head of the Well-being and Entrepreneurship Unit and Deputy Head of Research at the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, leading researcher in wellbeing measurement (Luxembourg)
- Aigul Zabirova – Professor, Chief Research Fellow, specialist in public opinion research, social and public policy (Kazakhstan)
- Alexander Ruzanov – Director of the research company BRIF (Kazakhstan)
Researchers, academics, analysts, specialists from research firms, and representatives of government bodies working with public opinion data are invited to participate in the Forum.
Organizers: Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Narxoz University.
To attend the Forum, registration is required (https://forms.gle/qkZZL8DA7xbXcToH6) by May 15, 2026. Places are limited. Confirmation of participation will be sent to the email address provided at the time of registration following the selection process.
