CAREC Institute Participates in 4th Asian Economic Development Conference

The CAREC Institute (CI) participated in the 4th Asian Economic Development Conference (AEDC), held on July 3–4, 2025, at Peking University’s National School of Development in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Designed to encourage high-quality, frontline research and facilitate knowledge sharing on key development issues relevant to Asia and the Pacific, the event was co-organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the ADB Institute (ADBI), and Peking University.

Keynote speakers, including Prof. Hanming Fang (University of Pennsylvania), Prof. Xiaoyan Lei (Peking University), Prof. Nancy Qian (Northwestern University), and Prof. Krislert Samphantharak (University of California San Diego), joined policymakers, economists, and development specialists to discuss major economic challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region.

Representing CI, Mr. Josh Hu, Chief of the Human Resources and Finance Division, and Dr. Elvira Kurmanalieva, Senior Economist, attended the event. Dr. Kurmanalieva presented her study, “Infrastructure Quality, Cross-Border Connectivity, and Trade Costs,” highlighting the challenges faced by many landlocked CAREC countries in accessing global markets. Her research showed that improvements in infrastructure and cross-border connectivity can significantly reduce trade costs. Notably, countries in the CAREC, CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), and broader Asia regions have benefited from enhanced connectivity, though the effects vary for geographically disadvantaged countries. The findings underline the need for landlocked and island nations to prioritize infrastructure and connectivity upgrades to facilitate trade.

On the sidelines of the conference, CI and ADBI discussed ways to strengthen their partnership through joint research on sustainable infrastructure, collaborative training workshops, and co-hosted events such as the Tianshan Development Forum and an upcoming research conference in Beijing. These initiatives aim to help CAREC members translate research findings into practical policy solutions.

The CAREC Institute is actively working to bring countries in the region together and support economic growth. “By taking part in AEDC-2025, we’re showing how dedicated we are to turning research into real policy actions and building stronger connections across the region,” said Dr. Kurmanalieva.