The PEER Network is a three-year Research Consortium of four universities (Sussex, Ulster, Cape Town, and Nazarbayev) funded by the Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The project aimed to support early-career Central Asian scholars and to produce locally grounded research using a Political Economy Analysis (PEA) lens. The findings from small-scale research projects, conducted by Central Asian early career researchers within the framework of the project, have been published in a book, “The Political Economy of Education in Central Asia” at Palgrave.
The Book Launch Event, moderated by Associate Professor Hélène Thibault (School of Sciences and Humanities, Political Science and International Relations, Nazarbayev University), started with a welcoming and introduction note by the Dean of the Graduate School of Education, Dr Aida Sagintayeva, who underlined the book’s significant milestone in advancing knowledge and understanding in the field of education, particularly within the context of Central Asia. The Vice Provost for Research, Professor Chester Jablonski, congratulated the team for the successful international collaboration and highlighted the book’s significance as a knowledge contribution to the nexus of political economy and education in Central Asia. The PEER Network Joint Principal Investigator, Professor Kelsey Shanks (University of Ulster) and the Principal Investigator of the PEER Network’s Central Asia hub, Professor Naureen Durrani shared the main focus and objectives of the project and the significance of the Political Economy Analysis in understanding structural inequalities and the role of education in promoting social justice, sustainable peace and inclusive society. The event was attended by the representatives from different national and international organisations in education sector, including UNICEF, National Academy of Education named after Y. Altynsarin, AEO “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools” along with students and faculties of Nazarbayev University. Accounting for regional variation, the authors’ research contributes to existing discussions on how national identities, political history, non-state and international actors, religion, language, and gender foster or hinder inclusive education and social cohesion, through a PEA lens. The book will be a valuable resource for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars in this region and beyond.
The book is an open access publication and can be downloaded through the following link: