Professor Jerry Peterson of the Departments of Physics and International Affairs will give a Luncheon Series talk on Kazakhstan Joins the World on Thursday, March 13, at 12:00 p.m.
When The Republic of Kazakhstan became independent of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, this vast land had very little connection with the rest of the world. Today, the streets of Almaty, the principal city, are clogged with expensive imported cars. Much of this prosperity has come from the exploitation of Kazakhstan’s vast natural resources, and a strong industry of processing these materials. Kazakhstan ranks 11th in the world in oil reserves, and first in uranium. The political system, a nominal democracy, has evolved more slowly, with the original Communist Party boss of the Kazakh SSR still serving as President.
Prosperity seems to have brought harmony, but Kazakhstan sits, largely empty, in an ‘interesting’ part of the world. Professor Peterson will review things in Kazakhstan as he has seen them in his many visits over twenty years as a research collaborator, co-investigator for funded research, and instructor.
This Luncheon Series event will be held at 12:00 p.m. in the CAS Conference Room at 1424 Broadway. Lunch will be provided.