“I want to continue my studies of natural resources and sustainable development”
Our next guest of the NU step to PhD rubric is Ablay Dosmaganbetov. This year, Ablay got his PhD in Public Policy from the Graduate School of Public Policy at Nazarbayev University. Prior to entering his doctorate, Ablay worked in a mining company and in the private sector. In his research, the scientist studied the transparency of the extractive industries in Kazakhstan and in the region.
- Ablay, can you please tell us about your research? What was the topic of your thesis?
The topic of my research is ‘Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and sustainable development’. The EITI is an international organization that requires and encourages resource-rich countries to disclose revenues from extractive industries such as oil, gas, and mining.
My study was aimed to identify how effective participation in the EITI is for improving the institutional framework, attracting foreign and domestic investment, accelerating economic development, and reducing poverty.
It is important to mention that this study covered the EITI and domestic investments, as well as poverty reduction linkages which were not found in the previous literature. In addition, several EITI country case studies based on examples of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were developed.
The research included a quantitative analysis of secondary data. An aggregated database was created, which contained different economic, social, and political data for 62 countries rich in natural resources (IMF classification) over 30 years.
My research considers important aspects of sustainable development such as institutions, investment climate, and socio-economic welfare, which have a direct effect on the well-being and prosperity of the citizens and society. The outcomes of the analysis provided a possibility to propose several policy options in the EITI context, for example, enhancing government efficiency, quality of regulations, promoting foreign investments, and fostering economic growth.
Besides, several EITI case studies based on examples of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan revealed that investment climate and economic growth are the main incentives for being an EITI member country both in short- and long-run perspectives.
- Who supported your PhD journey?
While I was writing my PhD thesis, I received continuous help and support from my supervisors Vice Dean for Research and Associate Professor Riccardo Pelizzo, and Assistant Professor Simeon Nanovsky. I am also grateful to the GSPP community and my family. Throughout my studies at GSPP, I had the possibility to work as a research and graduate teaching assistant which also helped me to gain additional knowledge and expand my research experience. I participated in several international conferences and completed an online course, which was provided by Eurasia Hub. Besides, I also finished the ‘Practical Peer Review’ course (Publons Academy).
- Can you please tell us about your future plans?
I would like to continue working on the topic of natural resources and sustainable development. To be more precise, I am interested in applied quantitative research and analytical work in such areas as good governance, investment/business climate, and economic development in research institutes and/or analytical centers.
- What would you like to advise future doctoral students?
It is essential to get solid fundamental knowledge in the first two years of study and apply it in the last two years. Still, I would advise doctoral students to start working on their research as early as possible, because the research strategy might change when they will be writing their theses. It is also important to have systematic consulting with supervisors and incorporate their feedback in your work.
Another thing that I consider important is consistency in your work.
Even though ‘hard skills’ are considered a core for a future career in both academia and industry, I would also recommend developing ‘soft skills’ which are crucial for effective presentation and communication. I want to wish all the best and good luck to current and prospective doctoral students in their challenging but an interesting journey!