At out or next GCILS Webinar on Wednesday 17 November, at 3.00pm UK time, our guest speaker will be Dr Ikboljon Qoraboyev (Associate Professor of International Relations of Higher School of Economics of M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University).

He will give a talk titled “Problem of predatory publications from the Global South perspective”.

The phenomenon of predatory publications is increasingly a major problem in academia. It is taking oversized forms especially in the Global South countries. Predatory publishing sabotages crucial development mission of universities because it decreases quality of scientific research and harms public policies supporting research and innovation. While there are increasing numbers of quantitative studies evaluating the explosion of predatory publications in the Global South countries, we need also studies based on critical theories to elaborate on consequences of the problem for global academic scholarship. This seminar has twofold objective. Firstly, it provides an empirical evaluation of predatory publishing problem in post-Soviet countries where it appears in forms and shapes that are not accurately described by existing studies. Secondly, it will try to bring in critical theory reflections to analyse the phenomenon. In particular, it argues that predatory publishing is leading to hegemony of product-focused approach to publishing whereby academic publications are seen as essential products to be acquired and to be consumed in order to gain academic titles and positions. The quality of academic texts in terms of their theoretical and conceptual foundations or the societal implications of academic arguments are completely ignored. This, in turn, leads to reproduction of inequalities and discriminations within the periphery while at the same time to widening of the gap between the core and the periphery in the global academic publishing landscape.

Ikboljon Qoraboyev (PhD, University of Toulouse) is Associate Professor of International Relations at M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University in Nur-sultan, Kazakhstan. is also an Associate Research Fellow at UNU-CRIS, Belgium. His research interests span across comparative regionalism studies, international relations and international law with a particular focus on Eurasia and Central Asia. His recent publications covered topics such as global governance, higher education and development, the Belt and Road Initiative from the perspective of comparative regionalism and engagement of domestic courts with international law.

To register to the webinar and receive the log-in details to join us on 17 November, please visit our Eventbrite page: https://bit.ly/3wmTeJy