Entrepreneurial Empowerment in Central Asia: Strategies, Practices, and Policies: An International Paper Development Workshop Series in Tashkent and Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
Call for Submissions
The Central Asian economies have undergone profound transformations over recent decades. With national independence followed by a shift from Soviet-style planning toward hybrid market systems, these nations continue to grapple with diverse opportunities and challenges. China's rising influence, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative, reshapes regional markets. In response, Central Asian states are striving to diversify beyond agrarian production and resource extraction, venturing into modern services like tourism and digital technologies. Although these developments suggest pathways toward economic growth and social modernization, they also highlight intensifying inequalities shaped by urban-rural divides, industrial specializations, and persistent gender disparities.
In this context, a crucial question arises: How can we broaden the distribution of economic and social opportunities so that marginalized communities can actively participate in market processes and achieve meaningful empowerment—economically, socially, culturally, and politically?
Entrepreneurship emerges as a key factor in addressing these issues. By enabling individuals and communities to form new businesses and innovative business models, entrepreneurship can integrate traditional knowledge and craftsmanship with cutting-edge digital platforms and global value chains. Such efforts not only preserve cultural heritage and strengthen local autonomy but also open new avenues for self-determination and social change. Yet, significant obstacles remain—limited financial and human resources, weak institutional frameworks, administrative hurdles, entrenched socio-cultural norms, and oligarchic business interests can undermine the inclusive potential of entrepreneurship.
About the Workshops
A series of online workshops, “Entrepreneurial Empowerment in Central Asia: Strategies, Practices, and Policies,” aims to explore these themes. We seek to address key questions such as:
How do entrepreneurial strategies and practices foster economic and social empowerment, both individually and collectively?
Which industries and markets emerge as critical spheres for entrepreneurial empowerment, and how do they influence broader social transformations?
What policy measures—at the governmental level—support entrepreneurial empowerment, and how do they address legal, institutional, and cultural barriers?
Submission Details
We invite the submission of abstracts for papers that engage with these topics. We welcome both qualitative and quantitative empirical research, as well as theoretical contributions. Submissions may draw on a variety of disciplines including business and economics, sociology, anthropology, geography, history, political science, and legal studies. Papers, presentations, and discussions will be conducted in English.
Eligibility: Applicants must be affiliated with a German academic institution or with institutions in the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Moldova), or Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan). Citizens of these countries affiliated with institutions elsewhere may also apply.
Selection Process and Workshops
Selected abstracts will be developed into full papers through two online paper development workshops in July and December 2025, hosted by Goethe University Frankfurt and Webster University in Tashkent. These workshops aim to refine the papers for publication in international scientific outlets. A final in-person workshop will convene in April 2026 in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, with full funding (travel and accommodation) available by December 2025. Papers presented at the final workshop will be considered for publication in a peer-reviewed special issue and in an edited volume with an international publisher.
Abstract Guidelines
Length: 600 words
Include: Paper title, author(s) contact details, research problem and questions, theoretical framework, methods/empirical case, and preliminary conclusions.
Submission Deadline: 15 March 2025
Please send abstracts or inquiries to:
Prof. Dr. Alexander Ebner, Goethe University Frankfurt: a.ebner@soz.uni-frankfurt.de
Dr. Zarnigor Khayatova, Webster University in Tashkent: khayatovazarnigor@gmail.com
Key Dates:
15 March 2025: Submission of abstracts
20 March 2025: Notification of acceptance and invitations
30 June 2025: Submission of first paper drafts
18-19 July 2025: First online paper development workshop
1 December 2025: Submission of revised paper drafts
19-20 December 2025: Second online paper development workshop
20 March 2026: Submission of final paper drafts
8-11 April 2026: Third workshop, Tashkent, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Join us in exploring the dynamics of entrepreneurial empowerment in Central Asia and help shape the scholarly and policy debate on inclusive development and social transformation in the region.
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