Good Governance: social capital in RK

The roundtable was attended by prominent political scientists and sociologists, economists and public figures of Kazakhstan, NGO representatives, as well as ALMA U representatives. This is the second meeting in such format, recently School of Public and Social Policy of the university organized a round table on the theme “Good Governance: geopolitical positioning of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the modern world”.

 

 Features of this event was a teleconference with Russia and USA – in the discussion attended Deputy to General Director and head of analytic department of Information and Analytical Center for Studying post-Soviet region, executive director of political center “North-South” Julia Kurasheva; expert of Institute of Earth for sustainable development, head of “Master of Public Administration” program, adjunct –faculty of Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs André Corrêa d'Almeida.

 

As part of a business-breakfast was covered following topics:

 

- Social capital of the nation and identity;

 

- Social capital of the nation and civil society;

 

- Problems of formation of national social capital in Kazakhstan.  

 

Relevance of the topic is due to deep growing structural changes in economic, social, political and cultural spheres of Kazakh society.

 

Vast and multidimensional topic of roundtable was displayed in speakers’ speeches. Political scientist A.Amrebayev focused on the issues of functional and institutional aspects of social capital, as well as change issues and ethical values in the process of transformation of the transit model of Kazakh society. Russian political scientist, J.Yakusheva noted, that education is a base for social capital formation. Independent expert from Alma University A.Altalieva drew attention to the trinity of business interests, people and state in formatting national business capital in Kazakhstan.

 

“Measurable indicators of social capital are: intensity and strength of contacts, membership in public associations, electoral activity, relationship satisfaction, compliance of reciprocity, sense of security, neighbors trust, trust to social institutions”, - said Dean of School of Public and Social Policy Gulmira Kurganbayeva,- “on the base of national social conference lead three main factors. First, reflects trust and propensity to cooperate for common interest not only with friends, but also with strangers. These qualities create preconditions for formatting broad social coalitions. We call this factor open social capital. Second factor – social capital in a closed form - restricts mutual help and responsibilities in a narrow circle of relatives and close communication. It mobilize in the interests of particular groups. Third factor seems in the sense of personal responsibility for the present; which regarded as a manifestation of civic culture”.