On December 12, 2025, AlmaU hosted the VI International Conference “Public Trust and Social Capital.” The event became an important platform for exchanging experience, research, and practices related to the level of trust among young people and the formation of social capital of the new generation. The conference discussed the prospects of youth policy, the influence of artificial intelligence on trust, the emergence of new forms of civic engagement, and generational differences in the perception of institutions.
Opening the conference, Assylbek Kozhakhmetov, President and Founder of AlmaU, noted:
“For the sixth year in a row, we remain committed to this topic. During this time, our conference has grown beyond the format of a one-time academic event. We have become a stable platform where government, business, and society learn to hear each other. In essence, this conference itself is our accumulated social capital.” 
In his welcoming remarks, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sayasat Nurbek emphasized:
“Here, scholars, researchers, experts, representatives of civil society, journalists, and – most importantly – active youth work together. Achieving a common goal is possible only when knowledge, data, and different professional approaches are brought together in a single direction. For many years, AlmaU has been carrying out systemic work aimed at forming such a unifying environment. The university’s research has become an important reference point in analyzing public sentiment, attitudes toward political institutions, information behavior, and social capital. The Ministry highly values this work and considers it a significant contribution to the development of a culture of trust in our country.” 
Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev also highlighted the importance and significance of such conferences:
“President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev consistently pays special attention to involving qualified experts and professional specialists in the discussion of important issues. In this regard, major events organized by Almaty Management University carry special significance. Social capital is an important resource that plays a relevant role not only in economics and politics but in all spheres of public life.”
Participants of the conference examined key issues of youth social capital, Kazakhstan’s position in globally recognized rankings, possible pathways for development, and approaches to strengthening public trust among young people. 
The keynote speaker was Chen Jie, Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, who presented on the topic “Social Capital with Chinese Characteristics: Conceptualization, Dimensionality and Measurement.”
The first panel session, “Control versus Trust: What Shapes the Youth Agenda of the Future?”, moderated by Rakhim Oshakbayev, Chief Economist of the TALAP Center for Applied Research, was dedicated to the future of the new generation. The active discussion featured participation from Aida Baigaraeva, Professor at Suleyman Demirel University, Dimash Alzhanov, political scientist and co-founder of the public and political movement “Oyan, Kazakhstan”, Nurdaulet Zatilla, Lead Researcher of the Department of Political Studies at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Rizzat Tasym, Head of the Center for the Study of Social Processes at the Non-Profit Joint Stock Company “Center for the Development of Human Resources”, and Vladimir Ryzhkov, Professor at the Institute of International Relations, AlmaU. 
The discussion addressed such issues as building trust in the current environment and the country’s ranking indicators, strengthening social capital among youth, and the role of accessible living conditions and quality education in ensuring motivation to retain human capital within the country.
After the panel session, key results of the AlmaU Trust Barometer 2025 were presented, with a primary focus on the youth trust index this year. The data proved insightful. For example, young people live in social media spaces (85 percent usage), yet trust them the least. Almost half of young people demand change, but more than 40 percent do not believe they are able to influence anything. More than 70 percent of young Kazakhstan citizens name education as the main driving force of change. The only institution that maintains stable trust remains universities.
The second panel session, “Youth and Political Participation: Between Apathy and Activism,” moderated by Serik Beisembayev, Director of Paper Lab and Researcher at AlmaU, featured participation from Sholpan Abdikhalykova, Chair of the Respublica Party in Almaty, Dina Sharipova, Professor at Nazarbayev University, Nadezhda Trubova, Head of Educational Programs at the British Council, Elmira Karamanova, Head of Public Foundation KOMUNITIPLUS, Shugyla Kylybayeva, analytical researcher, Ainell Amirkhan, journalist and podcaster, author of OY-DETOX, and Andrey Vorchik, research intern at the Behavioral Economics Laboratory of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. 
Speakers discussed issues related to the participation and engagement of young people in the country’s political processes, the influence of new media on youth political culture, and ways parties and institutions can earn the trust of young voters.
The conference concluded with a presentation by demographer and independent expert on demographic policy Alexey Raksha titled “Demographic Portrait of the Youth of Kazakhstan,” and a talk by marketer and generations researcher Daniyar Kosnazarov on the topic “Why Kazakhs Are at the Top: Key Driving Forces of the Modern Creative Wave.” 
The results of the AlmaU Trust Barometer 2025 study will be published on the AlmaU website in the near future.