News, insights & analysis
The challenges facing our societies are complex, fast-moving and deeply interconnected. We convene our Fellows’ community online and in person, creating spaces for constructive dialogue, exchange and learning. Here, you can find individual and collective perspectives, analysis and stories from JST Fellows and partners – leaders working at the frontlines of social change across Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
From policy analysis to personal reflections and practitioner insights, this is where the JST network thinks out loud - curious, constructive and grounded in experience.
A bridge between business and government in Kyrgyzstan
In his new role as Head of Secretariat of the Investment Council, Kyrgyz Fellow Uluk Kydyrbaev is helping shape a policy environment in which entrepreneurship can thrive
JST launches new fellowship programme
We’re inviting exceptional young professionals and change-makers from 12 countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia to apply for our next fellowship programme. This will take place online from August 2023 to February 2024 and includes a two-week residential programme in the UK.
Mentoring offers huge benefits for professional growth
Our new mentoring programme is a unique opportunity for all JST Fellows to tap into the wealth of expertise and experience within our network – as both mentors and mentees.
The unfolding conversations on colonial legacies and how to counter them
Speaking up about repression during the Soviet Union’s colonial rule is empowering communities to come to terms with historical trauma.
“We encourage citizens to speak up”
To tackle corruption effectively, Moldova needs both transparent governance and engaged citizens who know their rights and can hold the authorities to account
Moldova: on the frontline of Russia’s misinformation war
Moldova is facing a barrage of Russian propaganda, misinformation and fake news. Alexei Tulbure, a media commentator and director of Moldova’s Oral History Institute, is working to counter this threat
The value of leadership networks in times of crises
Fellows from across Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia are rethinking governance and leadership in the context of ongoing global crises
Ukrainian deputy defence minister: dignity comes from knowledge
Andriy Shevchenko, a JST Fellow, has been appointed deputy defence minister of Ukraine, a role through which he will contribute to the defence of his nation against the Russian invasion.
Central Asian Fellows in Tashkent: strengthening regional cooperation
The geopolitical impacts of Russia’s war on Ukraine have opened up new opportunities for regional development in Central Asia, creating a renewed drive for cooperation between countries in the region
Can technology unlock future jobs in Tajikistan?
Jahongir Aminjanov, a JST Fellow (2019), wants to encourage technology to address a lot of social and economic issues in the country, like youth unemployment. He sees the future – especially after Covid – where technology really can have an impact in the development of Tajik society. Whether it’s education, healthcare, finance or anything else.
Public-private partnerships create social impact in Kyrgyzstan
Albina Rakhmidinova, a lawyer and JST Fellow (2019), was among the first people to see the potential for public-private partnerships (PPPs) – collaborations between government agencies and private-sector companies in Kyrgyzstan.
Statement on Ukraine from JST
We express our ongoing support for the people of Ukraine who are defending their freedom and we continue to support all efforts to end Russia’s unprovoked invasion.