'Empowering Female Entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan' Centre for Euro-Asian Studies Workshop

This workshop is part of a wider research project, funded by the University of Reading's Research England International Science Partnerships Fund Official Development Assistance Institutional Support Grant 2024-25. The aim of the workshop is to report on the research grant 2024-2025 (principal investigator Dr Irina Heim) progress on developing strategic links with academic and regional business communities in Kazakhstan and creating an impact through policy-oriented developmental research. Academics, the business community, industry professionals and policymakers are invited to take part in the workshop.

The workshop will be held on 26 March 2025, 9:00am to 1:30pm in room LG01 of the Henley Business School building, Whiteknights campus, livestreamed via Microsoft Teams with Atyrau, Kazakhstan, for those unable to attend in-person. The full schedule is outlined below:

9:00am - Welcome by Professor Yelena Kalyuzhnova (Director of the Centre for Euro-Asian Studies, Henley Business School, University of Reading)

9:15am - Opening Remarks by Dr Irina Heim (Deputy Director of the Centre for Euro-Asian Studies, Henley Business School, University of Reading) and Professor Gulzada Shakulikova (Rector of Atyrau Oil and Gas University)

9:30am - Book Presentation: Kazakhstan's Diversification from the Natural Resources Sector Strategic and Economic Opportunities by Dr Irina Heim

9:45am - Breaking Barriers: Challenges for Businesswomen in Kazakhstan by Almagul Turdagaliyeva (Director for the Centre for International Co-operation, Atyrau Oil and Gas University)

10:30am - Coffee Break

11:00am - Advancing Women's Business Leadership in Kazakhstan: Research Insights by Maria Richert (PhD student and member of the Centre for Euro-Asian Studies, Henley Business School, University of Reading)

12:00pm - Voices of Women Q and A, Comments and Online Discussion by Irina Gorbachenkova (head of a public organisation on female entrepreneurship) and Gulnaz Omarova (Senior Manager at Nazarbayev University School of Medicine and founder of Academia GN)

12:30pm - Lunch Break

To register for this workshop, please submit the booking request form here. Those that register will subsequently be sent instructions to join the workshop face to face or remotely.