Kyrgyzstan’s NISI Director on Reform, Red Tape and a Bigger Global Role

On September 15, 2026, The Times of Central Asia spoke with Shumkarbek Adilbek uulu, director of the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives (NISI) under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. Established in its current form in 2024 through the merger of two institutes, NISI provides strategic advice to the country's leadership and develops proposals to reduce bureaucracy. Adilbek uulu discusses Kyrgyzstan's priorities for its 2027–2028 UN Security Council term and its approach to climate diplomacy. He also outlines NISI's work on economic reform and digital public services, including efforts to help smaller businesses grow. Some views expressed in this interview reflect Adilbek uulu's personal opinions rather than the official position of NISI or the Kyrgyz government, as he notes in his answers. The English text has been lightly edited for readability.   TCA: What have been your main priorities since becoming director, and how did you come to join NISI? Adilbek uulu: We're focused on practical ways to drive sustainable economic growth at home: a smaller, simpler government, more room for business, and productive relations abroad that feed into our domestic agenda. By protecting our national interests, our diplomats support the domestic goal of building up the Kyrgyz Republic, nation-building if you will, without getting caught up in other countries' ambitions. I joined NISI in 2025 to help break through decades of bureaucratic gridlock, a real drag on economic development. Minister Ayaz Baetov brought me in. At the time, he was the Minister of Justice, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, and NISI's director, all at once. He told me NISI's job was to give the Presidential Administration strategic advice that's pragmatic and rooted in Kyrgyz insight. I agreed and have been working at it since. That's our core job. Interestingly, Minister Baetov was just named Kyrgyzstan's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York. The significance of the contribution Mr. Baetov has made to the effort to reduce bureaucracy remains to be fully assessed. I am confident it will be rated highly, as we will feel the positive impact of many of his ideas and decisions in the future. TCA: Kyrgyzstan was recently elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2027–2028. Will NISI be more focused on foreign policy now? Adilbek uulu: With Kyrgyzstan on the Security Council, the government will be pulled into issues outside our usual remit, so NISI will be in even closer contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To be clear, I don't speak for the Foreign Ministry. I help shape strategy for our diplomats, businesspeople, and policymakers, and I track what's happening overseas and in our neighborhood. UNSC issues will be high on our agenda, and we'll support the MFA on long-term thinking. As one example, I just got back from the China Economic and Social Forum in Hangzhou, China. The forum focused on the environment and natural resources. I'll be putting together a memo for the Office of the President with our observations. TCA: How does climate vulnerability...

Kazakhstan to Launch AI-Powered Imam App

Kazakhstan’s Spiritual Administration of Muslims (DUMK) is set to integrate artificial intelligence into religious practice with the launch of Imam AI, a mobile application designed to provide believers with instant, Sharia-compliant answers to religious questions. The initiative aims to ease the burden on clergy and offer verified religious guidance in a digital format. According to DUMK, the adoption of AI reflects growing public demand for fast and reliable religious information. “In line with modern requirements, we need to systematically introduce the capabilities of artificial intelligence into the religious sphere,” the organization stated in a post on the muftyatkz Instagram page. The Imam AI app will be built on AI technology and will draw from authenticated sources of Islamic knowledge. Supreme Mufti Nauryzbay Kazhy Taganuly stated that the platform would comply fully with Sharia law while providing accessible, on-demand religious consultations. This development is part of a broader effort to digitally transform religious institutions in Kazakhstan. The country has already begun incorporating AI into public administration, notably with the introduction of SKAI, a neural network based on a national language model used in state and quasi-state management. As a further step, DUMK plans to draft a Digital Development Concept for 2026-2028, which will set priorities for the digitalization of religious activities. The Supreme Mufti stressed that failing to adapt to technological change means falling behind the needs of contemporary society. “We are living in an era of technology and digital opportunity. Our responsibility is the systematic and widespread use of digital solutions and artificial intelligence in religious practice, in full accordance with Sharia law,” Taganuly noted. Another key initiative involves the creation of an Islamic finance sector under DUMK. The Mufti stated that growing religious awareness and a desire for ethical earnings have fueled demand for financial products that align with Islamic principles. The new sector will offer Sharia reviews of financial instruments and issue fatwas related to leasing, insurance, investments, bonds, digital assets, and electronic payment systems. Together, the launch of Imam AI and the institutionalization of Islamic finance mark a broader convergence of religion, technology, and economics in Kazakhstan. A recent joint report by the Eurasian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank Institute, and the London Stock Exchange forecasts steady growth in Islamic finance across Central Asia. For Kazakhstan, the digitalization of the religious sphere is becoming a key component of its broader modernization agenda, positioning AI not as a novelty but as a practical tool for improving access and meeting evolving societal expectations.