Research

Flagship Reports

Reports on AI policy, student living costs and the AI talent market in Central Asia, with methodology, data tables and primary sources.

ACLAS Research · Flagship report 1 of 3 in the 2026 Central Asia research program

Central Asia AI Education Audit 2026

We audited 31 leading universities across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Only 6 (19%) publish a verifiable AI usage policy, while 18 (58%) already offer AI degree programs — institutions are teaching AI roughly three times faster than they are governing its use.

AI policyHigher educationCentral Asia17 October 2026

ACLAS Research · Flagship report 2 of 3 in the 2026 Central Asia research program

Bishkek Student Cost of Living: Annual Report 2026

A budget student spends an estimated USD 386/month living in Bishkek, excluding tuition. On a like-for-like basket, Bishkek is about 25% cheaper than Almaty and level with Tashkent — full 2026 numbers, two budget personas, methodology and limitations inside.

Cost of livingBishkekStudent guide17 October 2026

ACLAS Research · Flagship report 3 of 3 in the 2026 Central Asia research program

Central Asia AI Talent Market Scan 2026

Kazakhstan alone has 728 live data-engineer postings and a ministerial estimate of 12,000 IT workers needed — yet the education pipeline produces certificate-level volume, not degree-level AI depth. The gap is structural: plentiful juniors, missing Middle and Senior specialists.

AI talentLabor marketCentral Asia17 October 2026