UEDA Akira

Previous research

I have studied the Central Asian economy mainly from a historical perspective. Examples of my work include my doctoral dissertation examining the lives of oasis farmers and semi-agricultural, semi-pastoral tribes in mountainous areas of the Fergana region, which borders Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and how the lives of the local people changed under colonization by the Russian Empire and the policies of the Soviet Union. I subsequently published a book based on my dissertation. I have also conducted research in countries in Central Asia and Russia. For example, I lived for two years in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, where a large amount of valuable historical materials are stored.

Current research projects

In addition to my work on the economic history of the Fergana region, I am presently focusing on the demographic history of Kazakhstan and analyzing the Central Asian economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union, based on remote sensing data. Kazakhstan experienced a severe famine in the early 1930s, which significantly reduced its population. My research focuses on the famine because much about that time remains unknown. I am also conducting research intended to clarify the economic changes that occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union by comparing information from satellite observations with statistical data on related countries. Although the time periods of these two topics are different, I use a geographic information system, which I have been using for a long time, for both. I believe that the two topics are connected in terms of the role of physical space in economic activities.