10 July, 2025 (Thursday), 15:00 – 16:00 JST
Mirai Crea 2F, Large Conference Room (in-person only)
About the Lecture
The SDG Barometer Survey aimed to examine public awareness and prioritization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular attention to how these perceptions align with national policy frameworks and global sustainability efforts. Drawing on the 5P framework—People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership—we analyze data from a 2024 nationwide survey of 2,316 respondents (conducted in Kazakhstan) and compare public perspectives with the country’s Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) submitted in 2019 and 2022. Our findings reveal that overall awareness of the SDGs remains limited, with only 17% of respondents reporting a high level of familiarity. Notably, awareness is higher among women, older adults, rural residents, and those with tertiary education. In terms of priorities, respondents place greatest emphasis on People-centered goals, particularly those related to health, education, clean water, and decent work (SDGs 3, 4, 6, and 8). Conversely, environmental goals (SDGs 12, 13, and 15) are less frequently prioritized. Public concern for poverty reduction (SDG 1) and strong institutions (SDG 16) also stand out, despite these goals being considered largely achieved in official government reporting. The divergence between official and societal priorities suggests the need for more inclusive and adaptive sustainability governance, especially in the context of recent natural disasters, socio-economic challenges, and geopolitical shifts. Strengthening Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) emerges as a key policy lever to empower citizens as agents of transformation and to build resilience in times of uncertainty. These findings may hold relevance for other countries navigating the balance between state-led planning and citizen engagement in the pursuit of the 2030 Agenda.
About the Speaker
NERPS Research Fellow
Dr. Serik Orazgaliyev is an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University, and Co-Chair of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in Kazakhstan. He holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge and an LLM in Public Law and Global Governance from King’s College London. He has held visiting appointments at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (National University of Singapore) and Justus Liebig University in Germany. His research focuses on sustainable development and policy innovations that aim to strengthen social cohesion. He currently serves as Associate Editor of the International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management.
Dr. Orazgaliyev’s work aims to make an impact at both the global and national levels. He is among the global scholars who endorsed the UN SDSN’s Recommendations for the Summit of the Future, featured in Chapter One of the 2024 Sustainable Development Report, and contributed to the Fossil Fuel Production Gap Report published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2023. In Kazakhstan, he led the SDG Barometer Survey Project, which provides a policy toolkit for analysing national development priorities and promoting an inclusive approach to SDG alignment. He teaches across MPP, PhD, and executive education programs and has received the AUA Honorary Lecturer title and NU’s 2022
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