For the second year running, I was invited by Kazakhstan’s
National Center of Science and Technology Evaluation (NCSTE) to review research
proposals submitted as part of the call for grant funding 2015-2017. The
Center, created in 2011, is responsible for organizing and conducting the
evaluation of research proposals by Kazakhstani academics. I reviewed proposals
in the areas of tourism and events.
I found the exercise a good learning experience about
Kazakhstan and the research projects being developed in the country in the
areas of tourism and events. I have visited the Central Asian region before
(Turkmenistan) and I am fascinated by how quickly the region is changing and
developing. There is a vibrant research
environment in Kazakhstan after the President decided to allocate 3% of the
budget to science. The latest call attracted 5000 proposals on all areas, with
tourism and events ones increasing significantly when compared to the previous
call.
