Our Impact

What I’m most thankful to IK for is the development of a long-term vision for research. Before IK, I often had sudden sparks of inspiration and ideas, but as it always is, a spark without constant fuel eventually dies out. IK became that fuel through great leadership, reliable teammates and a rigorous commitment to quality. In this community, It’s simply impossible not to grow.

The biggest thing Inside Kazakhstan has taught me is teamwork. When we first started writing about regional governments in Kazakhstan, the task seemed almost too monumental to tackle. The information to cover was overwhelming, and written in dense formal jargon or even contradictory across sources. Learning how to organize and delegate our research, writing, and revision process became one of my most valuable experiences. At university, we tend to work very individually, so I’m not sure where else I could have gained this experience. There are just very few places in Kazakhstan where young people can engage with the socio-political issues in an academic setting alongside like-minded peers. Inside Kazakhstan teaches you how to ask insightful questions, work with sources, and frame the output of your research in the most productive way. For students of economics, political science, sociology, public administration—and anyone interested in Kazakhstan’s public affairs—it is a place to put knowledge into practice.

Co-authoring the first three issues of Inside Kazakhstan helped me develop strong policy research and analytical skills. By investigating topics such as local governance, public participation, and social policy, I learned how to synthesize information from government documents, official speeches, statistics, academic literature, and media sources to build evidence-based arguments. The experience strengthened my ability to identify the institutional and systemic factors behind public issues, analyze stakeholder perspectives, and communicate complex socio-political developments in a clear and accessible way. Joining Inside Kazakhstan offers much more than writing experience. It teaches young people how to critically evaluate information, conduct independent research, analyze public policy challenges, and translate complex ideas into engaging content for a broader audience. At the same time, participants become part of a collaborative and intellectually driven environment where they contribute to meaningful public discussions while developing skills applicable to research, policy, consulting, journalism, and many other fields.

Producing this visualization taught our team a lot about tariff policy and working with raw data. It wasn’t easy to find a dataset as we searched through government websites and international databases, so it felt rewarding when our numbers matched those of the Ministry. This process of trial and error gave me a clearer sense of what working with data looks like.

Inside Kazakhstan gave me the opportunity to see how effective teamwork can be organized and executed. It offers valuable insight into the step-by-step process of producing analytical work, by cultivating skills such as accountability, thoroughness, and responsibility. Readers of this newsletter can be confident that every publication has undergone a well-coordinated process of data collection, analysis, and editing.

Having previously worked mainly as a research assistant to professors, the shift from working alone to collaborating within a team taught me how to communicate my ideas more clearly and stay open to colleagues. Co-authoring analytical briefs with fellow students meant taking shared ownership of projects, developing a stronger sense of responsibility, and learning to respond constructively to exhaustive editorial feedback. In IK, I was contributing to the operations team, which gave me insights into the work of building a student-led think tank, from promoting our publications through non-mainstream channels to fostering a collaborative team culture. This experience felt like a preview of working in a publishing agency that closely aligned with my future career aspirations.

It was challenging to find the right angle for this opinion piece, as I was unsure whether to focus on my personal story or explore the broader issues facing the Qandas community. My original draft felt more like an essay, but after nearly eight rounds of discussions and editing with the IK team, the piece gradually evolved into a much stronger and more focused work. This experience showed me the value of thoughtful feedback. It gave me the opportunity to refine my writing skills while engaging with issues that truly matter to me.

Working on this research strengthened my existing content analysis skills by giving me the opportunity to analyze large volumes of news articles, identify dominant narratives, and connect empirical findings with broader theories. It also allowed me to learn how to translate complex academic concepts into accessible analysis for a wider audience. In this sense, IK helps young people develop practical research, writing, and analytical skills while working on topics directly relevant to Kazakhstan and Central Asia. It provides hands-on experience in analysis, collaboration with peers from diverse backgrounds, and expansion of professional knowledge.

While working on the Akimats project I strengthened my data collection and improved skills by working with primary sources such as Akimat websites, regulations, and local budgets. I also gained experience in coding, processing geographic information, while learning to use QGIS for data analysis. This was my first research project working with raw data rather than pre-cleaned datasets provided in university courses. Through IK, members not only develop hard skills but also interact with professors, industry experts, and government officials, gaining deeper insights into their topics of interest and building expertise that can serve as a benchmark for their future master's and doctoral studies.

This research project helped me strengthen my skills in policy analysis, data collection, and academic research. By examining local Akimats' compliance with legal requirements for informing citizens, I gained a better understanding of the challenges of policy implementation in practice. I also developed experience in collecting, organizing, and coding large amount of data from social media platforms and official websites. The project further deepened my interest in evidence-based policymaking. Joining IK, young researchers have the chance to explore important issues affecting Kazakhstan while developing analytical, research, and teamwork skills. Beyond professional growth, IK creates a community where members can contribute to work with tangible social impact.

I learned the importance of reviewing process in writing academic articles. To write an article is one job, another is to work with fellows and professors in order to make sure that everything is in place. Apart from that, I improved my analytical thinking while working with discourse data we collected. At IK, young people can significantly improve their research skills through regular workshops on different topics in academic research and the opportunity to apply their knowledge through writing tasks. This is a great combo of learning and practice.

As a part of the local self-governance team, I earned invaluable experience as a researcher. Diving into the research process taught me more than I expected, and I continue working on the project with a much deeper appreciation for research and a more defined skill set. What I’ll carry forward, however, is not just the methods and findings but also the openness, patience, and creativity that my team demonstrated so far.

Being a research assistant for a project on AI in Kazakhstan, I gained new experience in conducting research accurately and rigorously. Papers that most students write for university courses are often completed under time constraints and may lack depth, but this research project at IK presented new challenges that constantly pushed me to improve, collect, and revise. Overall, it was a difficult yet rewarding experience that made me more responsible, attentive to details, and competent as a researcher. Joining IK brings the opportunity to engage in real research outside the classroom and connect with like-minded people who are passionate about various fields. It creates a space where participants can contribute to meaningful change in Kazakhstan.

As my very first research experience, this project taught me a lot. I developed practical data collection skills, particularly in navigating governmental websites and social media channels, while learning to document findings in a clear and structured way that my teammates could easily understand and build upon. Working alongside senior students and graduates with more experience allowed me to learn directly from their knowledge. I also discovered that research is a constantly evolving process — goals, direction, and tasks can shift at any point, which taught me to adapt quickly. Most importantly, working in a big team helped me strengthen my communication skills and understand the importance of asking questions openly, expressing needs in a timely manner, and being transparent about limitations. IK offers young people a unique chance to gain real research experience early in their studies and careers by working on independent projects that encourage critical thinking and adaptability. Being surrounded by motivated, responsible, and experienced peers creates an environment for constant growth. The work here carries a real impact, making a right place for those interested in policy analysis and discussions on Kazakhstan.