Research Talk "Staying Afloat: Coping Strategies of NGOs in Central Asia"

Abstract

The seminar will examine how non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Central Asia adapt to ‘shrinking civic space’ through a diverse set of coping strategies. Drawing on 48 interviews and extensive fieldwork in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan (2022–2024), it demonstrates how NGOs respond to regulatory repression by employing both inward- (professionalisation, diversification, simulation) and outward-looking (boomerang tactics, GONGO-isation) accommodation strategies. While NGOs in Uzbekistan face GONGO-isation under strict state control, those in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have a lower degree of GONGO-isation and employ a broader array of coping tactics to evolve and sustain their operations.

Contrary to the assumption that restrictive environments lead solely to de-professionalisation and informalisation, this study demonstrates the adaptability of NGOs in Central Asia. This advances theoretical discussions on civil society under autocratic pressure by reframing NGOs not merely as regime victims or co-opted actors but as resilient and challenging agents operating within constraints.

The presentation will be delivered by Dr Bakhytzhan Kurmanov, Senior Research Fellow at IPPA. His co-authored paper (with Dr Dina Sharipova, Nazarbayev University) was recently published in Asian Studies Review, a Q1 journal. Participants will discuss broader issues related to the evolving roles of civil society organisations in Central Asia and in wider Asian settings. We look forward to your participation in this engaging discussion!

About the Speaker:

Bakhytzhan Kurmanov is a Senior Research Fellow at the UCA’s Institute of Public Policy and Administration (IPPA). Bakhytzhan holds Ph.D. in Public Policy from Nazarbayev University. He received his Master's degree in public administration from the Australian National University in Canberra and his BA in public policy and management from York University in Toronto. Bakhytzhan's research interests include open government, citizen activism, authoritarian politics, civil society, public sector reforms, economic development, and the political economy of the post-soviet countries.