The options below are optional field trips that involve crossing an international border. They are intended for participants who would like to combine the conference visit with a short travel experience and a closer look at cross-border mobility and infrastructure in the region.
Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan: Korday–Ak-Zhol
Photo: Vmenkov, “E8398-Korday-entering-KZ.jpg” (18 September 2007), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
This trip goes toward the Kazakh–Kyrgyz border via the Korday–Ak-Zhol checkpoint. Because the route is closely linked to Bishkek, participants can visit Kyrgyzstan’s capital (population ~1 million) and get the travel experience of “two countries in one trip”. The approximate travel time from Almaty to the Korday checkpoint is 3–4 hours; after crossing the border, it takes about one additional hour to reach central Bishkek.
This trip goes toward the Kazakh–Chinese border at Khorgos, one of the key Central Asian nodes in China–Central Asia–Europe connectivity. The excursion would focus on the Khorgos dry port, related cross-border infrastructure, and the large-scale shopping-driven cross-border mobility that has stimulated the development of supporting facilities, especially on the Chinese side. The approximate travel time from Almaty to the Khorgos checkpoint is 5–6 hours; please note that China Standard Time is three hours ahead of Kazakhstan time.
