IARIW–WIUT Conference

Measuring Income, Wealth, and Well-being in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Neighboring Regions

24–25 May 2027  •  Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Conference Timeline
Date Activity
11 September 2026 Launch of Call for Papers via Oxford Abstracts; dissemination via IARIW networks, academic mailing lists, and partner institutions (coming soon!)
25 November 2026 Deadline for abstract/proposal submissions (max. 1,000 words)
20 December 2026 Notification of acceptance decisions and release of preliminary program
15 January 2027 Deadline for applications for financial assistance (travel grants)
5 February 2027 Notification of financial assistance decisions
15 March 2027 Conference registration deadline
24 April 2027 Deadline for submission of draft conference papers
24–25 May 2027 IARIW–WIUT Conference, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
31 July 2027 Deadline for Submission for ROIW Special Issue
Thematic Focus

Accurate and timely measurement of income, wealth, poverty, and well-being is fundamental to evidence-based policymaking. The countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus — and their neighbors in South Asia and Eastern Europe — face a distinctive set of measurement challenges, including:

  • Transitions from centrally planned to market economies, with implications for national accounts, price statistics, and income measurement.
  • High levels of informality in labor markets and economic activity, complicating the estimation of household income and GDP.
  • Significant remittance flows that play a central role in household welfare but are often inadequately captured in official statistics.
  • Rapid urbanization and internal migration, creating urban–rural disparities and demand for spatially disaggregated data.
  • Environmental pressures — including the Aral Sea crisis, water scarcity, and climate change — that affect livelihoods and require integration into sustainability indicators.
  • The transformative impact of digital technologies on economic activity, financial inclusion, and measurement capacity.
  • Limited statistical capacity and data availability, restricting cross-country comparisons and longitudinal analysis.
  • A lack of high-quality panel data and administrative records to support analysis of social mobility, intergenerational inequality, and poverty dynamics.
Call for Papers

The Program Committee invites high-quality empirical and methodological submissions from scholars, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. We welcome papers that address the measurement of income, wealth, poverty, inequality, and well-being in Central Asia, the Caucasus, South Asia, and related regions undergoing economic transition or development challenges. Comparative, cross-national, and regional studies are particularly encouraged.

Papers may be empirical, methodological, or policy-analytical in nature. Submissions from researchers in economics, statistics, demography, political science, public policy, data science, and international development are welcomed.

 

1. Poverty, Inequality, and Social Mobility
  • Measurement and dynamics of poverty and multidimensional deprivation during and after economic transition.
  • Trends in income and consumption inequality, including inequality of opportunity.
  • Intergenerational social mobility and the persistence of poverty across cohorts.
  • Regional and spatial disparities in income and living standards.
  • Gender inequality in income, wealth, and access to economic opportunity.
  • Measurement of vulnerability and resilience to economic shocks.
2. Labor Markets, Informality, and Migration
  • Informality, the shadow economy, and their implications for income measurement and labour market analysis.
  • Labor market transitions, employment quality, and wage dynamics in economies undergoing structural change.
  • Internal migration, urbanization, and their effects on household welfare and regional inequality.
  • International labor migration, remittance flows, and their impact on household income and national accounts.
  • Youth unemployment, skills mismatches, and human capital formation.
3. Wealth, Financial Inclusion, and Asset Distribution
  • Measurement of household and national wealth, including non-financial and natural assets.
  • Distribution of wealth within and across countries in the region.
  • Financial inclusion, access to credit, and their effects on household welfare and economic mobility.
  • The role of digital financial services in expanding access and reducing inequality.
  • Housing wealth, land ownership, and their contribution to household balance sheets.
4. Well-being, Human Development, and Social Protection
  • Measuring well-being and quality of life beyond GDP, including subjective well-being.
  • Assessment of multidimensional poverty and the Human Development Index in regional contexts.
  • Social protection systems, targeted transfers, and their effectiveness in reducing poverty and inequality.
  • Health, education, and nutrition outcomes and their relationship with household income and wealth.
5. Digital Transformation, Innovation, and the New Economy
  • The impact of digitalization on economic activity, measurement, and inequality.
  • Digital platforms, e-commerce, and the gig economy: implications for income and labor market statistics.
  • Digital financial inclusion and its effects on poverty reduction and economic empowerment.
  • Artificial intelligence, automation, and their distributional consequences in transitioning economies.
6. Sustainability, Environment, and Climate
  • Measuring sustainable development and the integration of natural capital into national accounts.
  • The economic and distributional impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and natural disasters.
  • The Aral Sea crisis and similar environmental emergencies: socioeconomic consequences and measurement challenges.
  • Energy transition, green growth, and their implications for households and regions.
  • Food security, water scarcity, and their effects on poverty and well-being.
7. Statistical Methodology and Data Infrastructure
  • Advances in household survey design, sampling methods, and data collection in low- and middle-income country contexts.
  • Addressing data gaps, comparability challenges, and consistency of time-series statistics.
  • National accounts methodology, price statistics, and GDP measurement in transition economies.
  • Combining survey, administrative, and alternative data sources for improved income and wealth estimation.

Researchers wishing to present a paper at the conference are invited to submit a proposal of no more than 1,000 words and should include:

  • Title of the proposed paper.
  • Name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact details of the author(s).
  • An abstract summarizing the research question, methodology, data sources, and key findings or expected contributions.
  • An indication of the relevant thematic area(s) from those listed in Section 3.
  • A statement of whether the paper has been previously published or is under review elsewhere.

Proposals should be submitted via the Oxford Abstracts portal (link forthcoming). Submissions will be assessed on the basis of scholarly quality, originality, empirical rigor, policy relevance, and fit with the conference themes. Decisions will be communicated by 20 December 2026.

 

Conference Venue

The conference will be hosted at Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT).

 

Background

This will be the first IARIW conference held in Central Asia, representing a landmark opportunity to direct global scholarly attention to a dynamic and rapidly transforming region. Central Asia and the Caucasus are characterized by significant structural economic change, demographic shifts, ongoing transitions from centrally planned to market-oriented systems, and deepening integration into global value chains. Yet these countries remain underrepresented in international academic and policy debates on income distribution, poverty, and well-being measurement.

By broadening the conference scope to include South Asia and other neighboring regions, the organizers seek to foster cross-regional dialogue, enhance comparative analysis, and attract a wider and more diverse community of scholars and practitioners. The inclusion of neighboring regions adds significant comparative and methodological value, particularly given shared historical legacies, overlapping data challenges, and common policy agendas.

 

Program Committee

Members of the Program Committee will include IARIW Council members, IARIW members, and the following people from WIUT:

  • Professor Bakhrom Mirkasimov – Deputy Rector for Research and Innovation, WIUT
  • Ahliddin Malikov – Course Leader/Senior Lecturer, WIUT
  • Behzod Alimov – Senior Lecturer, WIUT
Conference Format

The conference will take place over two full days and it will include:

  • Two to three keynote addresses by leading international scholars.
  • A welcome reception on the evening of the first day.
  • A farewell dinner on the evening of the second day.
  • An optional cultural excursion on the third day.
Publication: Review of Income and Wealth Virtual Issue

Selected conference papers will be considered for publication in a special virtual issue of the Review of Income and Wealth (RIW), the flagship journal of IARIW. The special virtual issue will be edited by two or three members of the Program Committee.

To be considered for the special virtual issue, presenters must submit a revised version of their conference paper by 31 August 2027 (approximately three months after the conference). All submissions will undergo standard peer review. The special issue is expected to appear in the second half of 2028.

Authors are encouraged to prepare their papers to meet RIW submission standards. Full instructions will be provided by the Program Committee following the conference.