Activities per year
Personal profile
Research overview
Enhancing the sustainability of the primary resource sector: an interdisciplinary analysis of the extractive industry in Kazakhstan
The extraction of resources drives the global economy. It also makes a major contribution to the national economies of the countries from which it produces oil, gas, and minerals. While the macroeconomic effect of mining operations is substantial and positive, the microeconomic impact of mining operations is much more unequal. Traditionally, the research agenda for the extractive sector focuses on the relationship between the industry's output and macroeconomic performance. However, the growing stream of research on the relationship between domestic socioeconomic aspects and extractive activities demonstrates the attempts to understand the sector’s long-run impact on community development indicators beyond the per capita income and lack of quality of employment. The research on the effects of mining on the labour market and internal migration in Kazakhstan emphasizes the deteriorating labour conditions for locals and limited occupational opportunities. It also indicates that the locals are primarily engaged in low-paying and low-skilled positions in contrast to the occupations of foreign experts. The extractive sector including mining, oil and gas production and the manufacturing sector, including oil refining remain key economic sectors of Kazakhstan. According to the Statistics Committee of Kazakhstan, in 2018 in the gross value added, the share of the oil and gas sector amounted to 21.1%, the resource sector - 19.3%, the non-resource sector - 74.1%. While there is a clear understanding of ongoing resource-dependent economic development, the picture is less clear regarding the developments toward sustainable human capital development in the region. Specifically, there is limited research on understanding the barriers in the extractive sector the local community faces when they pursue better jobs, and what is the role of the government and businesses in this process. To alleviate this gap, it is crucial to build the labor force profile of the sector and map the key individual and structural barriers to occupational mobility opportunities. In this research I would like to address several issues on the subject: a) mapping the workforce profile of the extractive industry in Kazakhstan and barriers to social and occupational mobility on individual and structural levels, b) the effectiveness of enterprise funds allocated to R&D with regards to improvement in occupational mobility and c) regulatory gaps hindering sustainable human capital development of the extractive sector in Kazakhstan.
Teaching activity
Lab demonstrator:
- GG3206 Quantitative Methods for Social Science (2021-22/Semester 2)
- SD2002 Sustainable Development: Tools for Action - Quantitative Tools Lab (2021-22/Semester 2)
Coursework marker:
- GG2012 (Re)constructing Environment, People and Places (2021-22/Semester 2)
- SD2002 Sustainable Development: Tools for Action - Quantitative Tools Lab (2021-22/Semester 2)
- SD1004 Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges and Opportunities (2021-22/Semester 2)
- GG2011 Geographies of Global Change (2021-22/Semester 1)
- SD1000 What is Sustainable Development? (2021-22/Semester 1)
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Activities
- 1 Participation in or organising a conference
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Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Annual International Conference 2023
Orken, A. (Participant)
30 Aug 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a conference