The Institute of Economics of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan together with the Caspian University of Technology and Engineering named after Sh. Yessenov (Yessenov University) invite you to take part in the International Scientific and Educational Forum “Caspian Region at the Crossroads of Eras and Cultures: Challenges and Prospects of the Sustainable Development Paradigm”, which will be held on September 22–26, 2025 in Aktau.

The forum is held within the framework of the events “Aktau – the cultural capital of the Turkic world 2025” and scientific research of the Institute of Economics of the Ministry of Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Caspian University of Technology and Engineering named after Sh. Yesenov, under the project BR21882122 “Sustainable development of natural-economic and socio-economic systems of the West Kazakhstan region in the context of green growth: comprehensive analysis, concept, forecast estimates and scenarios”, which is implemented by a consortium of leading scientific organizations of Kazakhstan headed by the Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi.

  The purpose of the forum

The purpose of the forum is to provide an international platform for scientists, government agencies, civil society, and business representatives, combining scientific and educational, historical and cultural, and practice-oriented approaches. The forum is dedicated to discussing current issues of sustainable development and promoting Western Kazakhstan as a center of cultural heritage of the Turkic world and an international tourist destination.

 Main thematic areas

Economic sustainability : economic growth, industry and innovation, financial stability, sustainable infrastructure, ESG principles, green and circular economy, sustainable cities and regions, inclusive development.

Socio-cultural sustainability : human resource development, demographic sustainability, accessible education and healthcare, reduction of poverty and inequality, consumer culture, creative potential, preservation of cultural heritage.

Environmental sustainability : climate change, green energy, environmental protection, digital technologies for the protection of ecosystems, environmental risks.

Forum languages: English, Kazakh, Russian.

 

International scientific and educational seminar “Caspian Nomad”

The forum will include the Caspian Nomad International Seminar on Sustainable Development, dedicated to the issues of rational use of natural and human resources, as well as the development of cooperation between the countries of the Caspian region.

 

Format and stages of the seminar:

✅ Stage I (April 15 – July 15, 2025) – distance format (study of materials, conducting analytical reviews, preparing an article).

✅ Stage II (September 22–26, 2025) – in-person format (Participation in sections, presentation of reports, speeches and master classes, field research in a team of participants, presentation of works, presentation of certificates).

 

Opportunities for participants:

🎓 Scientists and teachers – 75 academic hours of training.

🎓 Doctoral students – international scientific internship (75 academic hours) + publication in the conference proceedings.

 

Invited speakers and trainers:

🎓 Stefan Pratt (USA) – Professor at the University of Central Florida, member of the Executive Board of the International Association for Tourism Economics (IATE).

🎓 Tunc Medeni (Türkiye) – Associate Professor at Yildirim Beyazit University (Ankara).

 

Benefits of Participating in the International Seminar

✅Access to all sections of the forum

✅ Participation in master classes, trainings, field research

✅ Participant folder

✅ Certificate (75 academic hours)

✅ Provision of food

 

Additional features:

Seminar participants can undergo additional internship at the Institute of Economics in Almaty (75 academic hours, individual consultations) and publish an article in the journal “Economics: Strategy and Practice”, recommended by the KOKSNVO for publishing the main research results.

 

Important: We do not cover accommodation and transportation costs.

 

Payment: Payment is possible in US dollars/Euros/Tenge at the current exchange rate.

 

Detailed information about the event is in the Appendix and will also be posted on the organizers’ website.

 

For more information, with proposals for cooperation and sponsorship support, please contact the following contacts:

 

Deputy Director General for Development and External Relations of the Institute of Economics of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Saule Kalieva,

[email protected] , +7 701 396 9630.

 

Member of the organizing committee Zhangalieva Kymbat,

[email protected] , +7 702 864 1366

 

Event page:

https://ieconom.kz/en/ISEF2025 ,

https://ieconom.kz/kz/ISEF2025

https://ieconom.kz/ru/ISEF2025

Registration of participants: [email protected]

APPLICATION

1. PLAN OF EVENTS

International scientific and educational forum

“The Caspian Region at the Crossroads of Eras and Cultures: Challenges and Prospects of the Sustainable Development Paradigm”

in Aktau on September 22-26, 2025.

 

No.	Event	Dates
	International scientific and educational forum “The Caspian region at the crossroads of eras and cultures: challenges and prospects of the paradigm of sustainable development”.  Yessenov University, Republic of Kazakhstan, Aktau, 32 microdistrict	September 22-26, 2025
1	Scientific Forum “The Caspian Region at the Crossroads of Epochs and Cultures: Challenges and Prospects of the Sustainable Development Paradigm”  Yessenov University	September 22-23, 2025
2	International Seminar on Sustainable Development Caspian Nomad.	September 22-26, 2025
2.1	Master classes  Yessenov University	September 24, 2025
2.2	Field research  (Aktau city, Mangistau region)	September 25, 2025
2.3	Team work on discussing field research with presentation of results.  Yessenov University	September 26, 2025

 

2. INVITED SPEAKERS AND MASTER CLASS TRAINERS:

 

• Stephen Pratt, PhD , Professor, University of Central Florida, Member of the Current Executive Board, International Association for Tourism Economics (IATE), Orlando, USA.
• Tunç Medeni, PhD , Associate Professor at Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey.

 

  

3. INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

The first stage (remotely) from April 15 to July 15, 2025.
One week	Consultations with the organizers. Familiarization with the forum program, thematic areas, requirements. Preparation of the article. Literature review, selection of research methodology, analysis. Article formatting. Sending materials to the event organizers. Revision (at the organizer’s request). Sending the final version of the article. Preparation of a presentation or poster.
Second stage (in-person participation) September 22-26
Day one	Organizational session. Introduction of participants to trainers and section moderators. Presentation of results at sessions.  Poster Discussion: At this event, school participants will be offered routes for field research, international groups of participants will be defined, and group leaders will be appointed.
Day two	Presentation of results at sessions. Discussion of posters. Organizational session. Discussion of work plan of field research groups. Providing groups with materials for work. Discussion of collection and dispatch locations. Safety instructions.
Day three	Master classes  Stephen Pratt​ — How to publish in international academic journals. — Using various methods for rigorous social science research. Tunç Medeni — Triple (Green, Digital and Lean) Transformation. — Eco-Innovative Strategies and ESG (Environment Society Governance). — Evaluation Training of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)..
Day four	Field research:  The purpose of field research is observation, collection of information, formation of a vision of the current state of recreational infrastructure, natural resources, socio-economic situation and development of possible solutions in the context of sustainable development of the territory. During field research, participants will be able to: conduct observations on the ground; take photographs; formulate questions and obtain information from local residents or experts; collect information from open sources; take photographs of the group during work on the project site.
Day five	Discussion of field research results (problems, possible solutions, recommendations). Presentation of the groups’ work. Discussion. Awarding of certificates. Joint photo.

 

Field research will take place in Aktau and Mangistau region. Participants will have the opportunity to travel around the region, see oil rigs, unique landscapes, the Caspian Sea, and tourist attractions of the Caspian region.

Field research tour organizer: Visit Aktau. ( https://www.instagram.com/visitaktau/ ). Travel from Aktau to Mangistau region and back on comfortable transport (Toyota Coaster, Hiace, guide services, environmental fees). Paid by participants on site.

4. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

September 22, 2025
9.00-9.30	Welcome coffee
9.00- 9.30	Registration of participants
9.30 – 10.00	Opening of the forum
10.00-12.00	Plenary session
12.00-12.30	Organizational session of the seminar
12.30-13.00	Group photo session
13.00-14.00	Dinner
14.00-15.00	Section work
15.00-16.00	Poster session
16.00-16.30	Coffee break
16.30-18.00	Section work
September 23, 2025
9.30 -11.00	Section work
11.00 -11.30	Coffee break
11.30-13.00	Section work
13.00-14.00	Dinner
14.30-15.30	Section work
14.00-14.30	Poster session
15.30-16.00	Coffee break
16.00-17.00	Section work
17.00-17.30	Plenary session: discussion of the work of sections (reports of moderators)
17.30-18.00	Organizational session of the seminar
September 24, 2025
9.30-10.00	Registration of participants
10.00-11.20	Master class
11.40 – 13.00	Master class
13.00-14.00	Dinner
14.00-15.20	Master class
15.30 -17.50	Master class
September 25, 2025
7.30.- 8.00	Registration of participants
8.00 -20.00	Field research
September 26, 2025
9.30-10.00	Registration of participants
10.00-13.00	Teamwork, discussion of field research results, preparation of presentations
11.00-11.30	Coffee break
11.30-13.00	Teamwork, discussion of field research results, preparation of presentations
13.00-14.00	Dinner
14.00-15.30	Presentation and discussion of team work.
15.30 -16.30	Closing of the event and presentation of certificates
16.30-17.00	Photo session of school participants.

 

5. RULES FOR SUBMISSION OF MATERIALS

 

Step 1 – Prepare the application form (see the application form at https://ieconom.kz/ru/ISEF2025 ).

Step 2 – Prepare the paper (Guidelines and template at https://ieconom.kz/ru/ISEF2025 ).

Step 3 – Send your application and article to email: [email protected]

Step 4 – Receive confirmation of acceptance of materials

Step 5 – Pay the registration fee

Step 6 – Receive confirmation of registration

Step 7 – Prepare a presentation or poster (template at https://ieconom.kz/ru/ISEF2025 ).

Step 8 – Send your presentation/poster to email: [email protected]

 

1. Submitted articles must not have been previously published. They may contain no more than 30% of the text previously published by the authors. Full articles must be sent in MS Word format to the organizer’s e-mail address.
2. All accepted papers will be published in the forum proceedings. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent within 15 days of submission. All papers will undergo double-blind peer review.
3. Articles must be carefully checked and proofread before submission. Responsibility for the content of the article lies with the authors. Copyright for the article remains with the author(s).
4. For co-authored articles (with more than one author), the submitting author will act as the corresponding author, who is responsible for forwarding all correspondence to their co-authors.
5. Manuscripts that will be recommended for publication in the journal “Economics: Strategy and Practice” (https://esp.ieconom.kz/jour) should not be sent to other journals.
6. Page and text layout: Page size A4, margins on the left, right, bottom, top 2.5 cm. Font Times New Roman, 12 pt, justified alignment. Paragraph indent 1 cm. Article title, section headings – bold. References and source list style APA7.
7. The article length is 3000 words. Structure: article title, authors’ names, authors’ affiliation (place of study/work, city, country), abstract (200 words), keywords (5 words), introduction, literature review, materials and methods, results and discussion, conclusion, acknowledgments, list of sources in the original language (at least 15 sources). It is necessary to indicate the ORCID ID of the authors.
8. Articles can be submitted in English/Kazakh/Russian.
9. Articles written in Kazakh and Russian must include at the end the title of the article, the names of the authors, the affiliation of the authors, annotation, and keywords in English.
10. Accepted articles can be presented as an oral presentation or poster in MS Power Point format (English / Kazakh + English / Russian + English).
11. Samples of the article, presentation and poster can be found in the appendix or downloaded from the link on the event web page.
12. Presentations and posters should be sent to the conference e-mail address. Authors are also encouraged to bring their materials on electronic media.

 

 

6. SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL FORUM PARTICIPANT PACKAGE

 

• All participants will receive an electronic collection of forum materials (ISBN), certificates, electronic certificates of presentation will be sent by e-mail to registered authors and participants. Photos and videos will be available on the event page, on the event page in social networks or sent to participants.
• Participants of the forum on September 22-23, 2025 will have access to all sections of the scientific forum, a participant folder, a certificate, lunches and coffee breaks during the conference.
• Participants of the Caspian Nomad International Seminar on September 22-26, 2025 will have access to all sections of the scientific forum, master classes, field research, a participant folder, a certificate of 75 academic hours, lunches and coffee breaks.

 

7. IMPORTANT DATES

 

	Early registration	Standard registration
	May 1, 2025	July 15, 2025
Submitting an application for participation	Until April 15th	Until June 30
Information about acceptance	Until April 30	Until July 14th
Payment	May 1st	July 15

 

8. REGISTRATION FEE

 

Participation in the event is paid. All participants must pay a registration fee.

	Early registration	Standard registration
	May 1, 2025	July 15, 2025
Scientific forum September 22-23, 2025	100 €	150 €
International Seminar on Sustainable Development Caspian Nomad 22-26 September 2025
Participants from Kazakhstan and Central Asia	120,000 tenge	160,000 tenge
Participants from other countries	350 €	400 €

 

• The registration fee does not include transportation costs or accommodation expenses in Aktau.
• All participants must pay a registration fee.
• At least one author must be present for each paper and pay the registration fee. If the paper is written by several authors and more than one author will be present at the forum, each participant must register and pay the registration fee separately.
• Registration Cancellation Policy: The registration fee will be refunded if cancelled before the registration deadline.
• The registration fee will be refunded in full if the organizer cancels the forum for reasons beyond their control.
• The organizer reserves the right to make necessary adjustments to the forum program.

 

9. PAYMENT METHODS

 

Bank transfer

RSE on the Right of Economic Management “Institute of Economics”

Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan

050010, Almaty, st. Shevchenko, 28

IIC: KZ69 6010 1310 0000 9277,

JSC “Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan”

BIC HSBKKZKX,

KBE 16

Payment purpose code 859

Payment purpose: “Last name First name, Registration fee Scientific and educational forum, 2025”

 

Payment via Halyk Bank app

Transfer via the Halyk application to the account number of individuals and legal entities to the account of the Republican State Enterprise on the right of economic management “Institute of Economics of the Committee of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan”.

In the section “TRANSFERS” the recipient’s details:

Account KZ69 6010 1310 0000 9277

BIN 9903 4000 1449

Kbe 16

Payment purpose code 859

Payment purpose: “Last name First name, Registration fee Scientific and educational forum, 2025”

 

Payment details in US Dollars (USD) :

Company Name / Supplier: RGP NA PKHV INSTITUT EKONOMIKI KN MNVO RK

Company address: Street Shevchenko, 28. Almaty. Kazakhstan. KZ

For wire transfer payments:

Bank name and address: Joint Stock Company “Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan”

Account name: RGP NA PKHV INSTITUT EKONOMIKI KN MNVO RK

Account no.: KZ18 601 0131 000185 959 (USD)

Swift code: HSBKKZKX

IBAN: KZ18 601 0131 000185 959

Currency to be paid: USD. Payment detail: “Surname Name, Registration Fee ISEF 2025”

 

Payment details in Euro (EUR)

Company Name / Supplier: RGP NA PKHV INSTITUT EKONOMIKI KN MNVO RK

Company address: Street Shevchenko, 28. Almaty. Kazakhstan. KZ

For wire transfer payments:

Bank name and address: Joint Stock Company “Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan”

Account name: RGP NA PKHV INSTITUT EKONOMIKI KN MNVO RK

Account no.: KZ39601A861005535861 (EUR)

Swift code: HSBKKZKX

IBAN: KZ39601A861005535861

Currency to be paid: EUR. Payment detail: “Surname Name, Registration Fee ISEF 2025”

 

 

10. ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Forum participants wishing to tour the region before or after the forum can contact the organizers for information support and assistance in booking places. Forum participants requiring support in booking places in Aktau hotels can contact the organizers for additional information.

 

11. POTENTIAL LOCATION SITES

Aktau has over 130 accommodation options, including 27 hotels, over 100 apartments, and recreation areas.

Rixos Water World Aktau, Aktau, Warm beach, 34

Holiday Inn: Aktau – Seaside, 15-1 microdistrict, Samal

Holiday Inn Aktau by IHG, 4th microdistrict, 73

Grand Hotel Victory, 13th microdistrict, 13, 25A

Renaissance by Sulo, 9th microdistrict.

Aston Hotel, 9th microdistrict, 23/1

Caspian Riviera Grand Palace, 4th microdistrict

Zhana Hotel”, 4th microdistrict, 84

Turan Hotel, 4th microdistrict, 82/2

Hotel Aktau, 2nd microdistrict, 66.

 

12. HOW TO GET THERE

Aktau International Airport (https://aktau-airport.kz/en/) is 24.5 km from Aktau. You can contact the hotel and order a transfer.

 

13. APPLICATION FORM

To participate in the forum, you must fill out the participant form.

 

BID

International scientific and educational forum

“The Caspian region at the crossroads of eras and cultures:

Challenges and Prospects of the Sustainable Development Paradigm”

Aktau, September 22-26, 2025

First author
Surname, name, patronymic
Job title
Academic title, degree
Place of work/study
City
Country
ORCID ID
Email address
Contact phone number
Article Title
Annotation
Keywords
Presentation form (delete unnecessary)	[Presentation] / [Poster]
Section (delete unnecessary)	Environmental sustainability  Economic sustainability Socio-cultural sustainability
Participation period  (delete unnecessary)	Scientific Forum “The Caspian Region at the Crossroads of Epochs and Cultures: Challenges and Prospects of the Sustainable Development Paradigm”, September 22-23, 2025
	Scientific Forum “The Caspian Region at the Crossroads of Epochs and Cultures: Challenges and Prospects of the Sustainable Development Paradigm” and the International Seminar on Sustainable Development “Caspian Nomad”, September 22-26, 2025
Second author
Surname, name, patronymic
Job title
Academic title, degree
Place of work/study
City
Country
ORCID ID
Email address

 

14. SAMPLE FORMAT OF AN ARTICLE

 

Text of the article. The volume of the article is 3000 words, including figures and tables. Font throughout the text is Times New Roman, 12 pt. Single spacing. Paragraph indentation is 1 cm. Text alignment by width. For articles in Kazakh and Russian, at the end of the article it is necessary to provide the title of the article, the names of the authors, annotation, keywords, indicate the name of the organization, city, country in English.

 

ARTICLE TITLE

 

Last Name First Name [1] , Last Name First Name [2] , Last Name First Name [3] *

 

Abstract: The abstract is one paragraph, 200 words, without paragraph indentation. General context of the article, relevance. Objective. Methods. Results. Conclusion. Future research directions. The abstract should reflect the content of the article.

Keywords: 5 keywords.

Introduction

The introduction must reflect the relevance of the problem being studied, the purpose of the work and its significance, and the main objectives.

Literature Review

In this section, it is necessary to disclose the state of the research area, review the main research areas, and cite important publications. It is necessary to disclose controversial issues, substantiate the selected research areas in the article. All sources must be cited in the format (Author, Date).

Materials and methods

Materials and methods must be disclosed in sufficient detail. Describe the main hypotheses and methods for testing them, indicators, formulas. It is necessary to describe the information base of the study. This is necessary so that readers and reviewers have clear information about the methods for achieving results and the progress of the work, and other researchers can reproduce and develop this direction.

Results and discussion

This section should contain a description of the results in accordance with the purpose and objectives of the study, contain the results of testing the research hypotheses, and an interpretation of the results.

Conclusion

The section contains the main most important provisions of the article, practical significance/applicability, directions for future research.

Acknowledgments (if necessary).

Source of funding (if necessary).

List of references

The list of sources is formatted in APA7 style and is placed at the end of the manuscript. The minimum number of sources is 15. Sources should be listed alphabetically. Where possible, a digital object identifier (DOI) should be included. You can use the following guide for APA7 at: https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing/7FormatsAndExamples

 

Tables

All tables must be numbered with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…). Each table must have a title ( Table # . Title), and the reference in the text must be (table #). The table title must be placed above the table, left-aligned. Tables must be embedded in the text, not provided separately. Tables are numbered in the order they appear and placed after references to them in the text. Tables must be editable.

 

Table 1. Table title (left aligned)

Note – Source (WDI, 2024)

 

Drawings

Figures include diagrams, graphs, pictures and photographs in PNG, JPEG, GIF formats with a resolution of 300 dpi and have a common name “Figure”. Figures are numbered in the order in which they are mentioned and referenced in the text. Figures and references to them are numbered with Arabic numerals. References to a figure in the text are as follows (Figure #). Each figure must have a title, which is placed at the bottom after the figure ( Figure # . Figure title). Legends and notes to figures are placed after the figure before the figure title. If two images are placed next to each other, they can be placed in one figure.

 

(A)	(b)

Note – Source (WDI, 2025)

Figure 1. Title of the figure (left edge)

 

Formulas

Formulas must be created using the formula editor built into MS Word. Formulas are numbered with Arabic numerals (1), (2). Formula numbers are aligned to the left. A reference to a formula in the text looks like (formula #).

15. SAMPLE POSTER DESIGN

 

ARTICLE TITLE  Surname I.O., Organization, Country Surname I.O., Organization, Country

Abstract. 200 words.  Keywords: 5 words

 

Materials and methods. Text, text, …text, text.

Results and discussion.

 

Conclusion.

Source of funding: ( Grant/Doctoral Program, University )

 

[1] Academic degree, title, Organization name, city, country, ORCID

[2] Academic degree, title, organization name, city, country, ORCID

[3] Academic degree, title, Organization name, city, country, ORCID

* Corresponding author – Last name, First name, e-mail.