The workshop, that was held over 4 days, turned into a platform for the project participants to work on their research, exchange ideas and discuss the latest news and developments in Central Asia. Apart from the presentations about the shadow economy, rule of law and business environments in Central Asia, the workshop also included practical support to young researchers.
In the first two days of the workshop, experienced researchers of the project from Marmara University and the University of Zurich delivered a workshop on Methods in Ethnographic research and Data collection. The sessions of the methods workshop included lots of practical tips on how to do ethnographic data collection by interviewing and observation. Researchers shared their own experiences of doing ethnographic research in Central Asia and conducting interviews. A session on the institutional and network analysis focused on the discussions of the institutions, what they are, how to “find” and analyse them. The last session of the methods workshop included the discussion of how researchers apply the methods, what methods they choose and the rationale for their choices.
In order for the researchers to receive hands-on support with their research projects, the participants were divided into their respective Research Streams. Participants received feedback on their research from Research Stream leaders and the other participants. The project members then also discussed about the timeline and procedures of the publication of their research.
The final day of the workshop also had a session, where project members who conducted data collection in Central Asia shared their experiences of doing interviews and data collection, the nuances of the region and countries, as well as specificities and sensitivities of data collection processes in the region. On the final day, the project participants also listened to the keynote speech from Timur Dadabaev – professor from the University of Tsukuba about “Memory and Legal Culture in Central Asia: Reflections from Oral History Project in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan”.
The workshop also presented a good opportunity to meet the project members who recently joined the project. New project members also made presentations of their research. The following topics were presented and discussed during the workshop:
“Legal basis for doing business in the field of Gastronomic Entrepreneurship” by Nazgul Baigabatova and Daniya Nurmukhankyzy from Zhetysu University
“Traditional or modern restaurant: running a restaurant in Almaty” by Dinara Abildenova from Zhetysu University;
“Running a café in Shymkent: everyday challenges and social networks among local Uzbek businessmen” by Indira Alibayeva from Zhetysu University
“Policy responses to human trafficking in Central Asia: a comparative assessment of norm diffusion, capacity building and norm localisation processes” by Hatice Deniz Genc from Istanbul Medipol University.
