By Alex Robinson
For most American tourists, Kazakhstan is probably not high on their list of places to see, but for St. John’s University professor Jay Nathan, the central Asian country provides endless fascination.
The tenured professor has just released his second book on the country’s economic climate and its main industries. In the book, “Kazakhstan’s New Economy,” Nathan takes a look back at the country’s history in order to explain the circumstances he claims have stalled its economic progress.
Kazakhstan, roughly twice the size of Texas, was largely populated by nomadic people before it was conquered by Russia in the 19th century. The country remained part of Russia and the Soviet Union until it declared independence in 1991. The country has an abundant supply of oil, gas and minerals, which are its main industries.
In his new book, Nathan analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of these industries and offers solutions that he thinks will propel the country’s economy forward.
When Nathan first traveled to Kazakhstan in 2002, he was struck by the nation’s lack of adaptation. He was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in that year to travel to the country and deliver lectures to a number of its universities. His book attributes the country’s economic inertia to the isolation it experienced when it was part of the Soviet Union.
“When societies interact, they learn,” he said. “When a society is far removed from other countries, it lacks knowledge of what logical development is and it lacks a business education that comes from frequent contact with other societies.”
Nathan claims many older Kazakhs still suffer from an isolationist mindset they have from the time their country was part of the Soviet Union. Nathan said he has hope for the younger generations, but stresses the country must diversify its resource dependent economy if it is to flourish.
“Eighty percent of their GDP comes from oil, gas and minerals. What happens when they run out?” he said. “They have been making efforts in the last two or three years to diversify their industries, but have a lack of management skills.”
He returned to Kazakhstan again in 2005 to discuss business curriculum with the country’s minister of education and science. St. John’s then hosted more than 15 Kazakhstan business professionals in an eight-day training program in 2006.
Born in Chennai, India, Nathan traveled to the United States as a student. He received his master’s from the University of Florida and later received his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.
The professor, who lives in Flushing, has received two Fulbright scholarships and taught business management at a number of universities across the country. Most recently, he was a tenured professor at the University of Scranton for 10 years before making the jump to SJU, where he has taught at the Peter J. Tobin College of Business for 21 years.
“The motivation for my book is to bring to the surface how over the years the Soviet Union colonies have been held back. They have to meet the modern management skills and technology. It’s coming slowly, but I wish it could move more rapidly. It will take time,” he said.
Reach reporter Alex Robinson by e-mail at arobinson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
