UCA and University of Oxford co-hosted 7th Interdisciplinary Desert Conference

The University of Central Asia and the University of Oxford co-hosted the 7th interdisciplinary Oxford Desert Conference in Oxford, UK. The conference took place at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford. UCA was represented by Dr Kemel Toktomushev, Senior Research Fellow, Graduate School of Development, who remarked:“For nearly eight years, we have been partnering with the University of Oxford in academic research, and I am sentimentally pleased to be speaking today, as the 7th Oxford Desert Conference nearly marks the conclusion of our joint project, Post-Pandemic Societies in Inner Asia (PPIA),  a collaboration between University of Central Asia, University of Oxford, Kagoshima University, and the National University of Mongolia.”

Dr Toktomushev also participated in the panel "Business Development and Urban Life", where he presented his research on the complex relationship between conspiracy theories, political dynamics, and local sentiment in the context of Chinese investment and resource extraction in Kyrgyzstan.

According to Dr Ariell Ahearn of the University of Oxford, The Desert Conference started in 2010 as a small one-day meeting at the School of Geography and the Environment: “Fifteen years and six Desert Conferences later, we are inspired to see collaborations and interdisciplinary approaches flourishing, expanding, and taking new forms. This is what the Desert Conference is all about: learning from one another, nourishing networks and connections, and nurturing new friendships.”

The overarching aims of the PPIA project were to understand the multi-scalar socio-economic and geographic dimensions of the COVID-19 response in rural areas; to advance civic engagement, social well-being, and an inclusive recovery through evidence-based, collaborative, and multi-stakeholder approaches. Additionally, the project sought to empower researchers at every stage of their careers through a comprehensive capacity-building and skills development programme.

Dr Toktomushev informed that the findings of the PPIA project will be published as an open-access book by White Horse Press, a UK-based independent academic publisher specialising in environmental humanities and social sciences.