Public Sector Reforms in Kazakhstan: Exploring a 'Listening and Just State' Agenda

Thu., May 14, 2026, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.



Since 2019, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s tenure has been marked by dynamic public sector reforms in Kazakhstan, pursued under the banner of building a more responsive and accountable state. In their edited volume, Public Sector Reforms in Kazakhstan, Saltanat Janenova and Gulnur Makulbayeva examine the implementation dynamics of diverse policy initiatives advanced through the “Listening and Just State” agenda. The book offers a critical analysis of reforms enacted amid a challenging political transition, with a particular focus on sectors central to societal welfare: local governance, civic engagement, digital transformation of public services, anti-corruption efforts, and changes in social protection, healthcare, and higher education. Employing public policy and public administration perspectives, it provides a comprehensive overview of Kazakhstan’s reform landscape and distills lessons from the national experience that can inform broader governance trajectories across Eurasia.

Online Location: harvard.zoom.us…
Gazette Classification: Law, Lecture, Social Sciences
Organization/Sponsor: The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Speaker(s): Saltanat Janenova, Lecturer in Public Policy, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol (UK); Director, Centre for Public Administration and Behavioral Policy, National Analytical Centre, Nazarbayev University (Kazakhstan), Gulnur Makulbayeva, Associate Professor, Academy of Public Administration Under the President of Kazakhstan, Nargis Kassenova, Senior Fellow and Director, Program on Central Asia, Davis Center
Cost: Free
Ticket Web Link: www.eventbrite.com…
Contact Info: [email protected]
Harvard Key Required: No
More info: daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu…