Press Release - Oxford Cycle Expedition Explores a Century of Agricultural Change in Central Asia. October 8, 2025
Press Release
Oxford Cycle Expedition Explores a Century of Agricultural Change in Central Asia
October 8, 2025
On October 8, 2025, the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU), through its Institute for Green and Sustainable Development, hosted a meeting with representatives of the University of Oxford (United Kingdom). The visit took place within the framework of the Oxford Cycle expedition, which is dedicated to studying transformations in Central Asian agriculture over the past century.
A joint workshop was held as part of the program, with participation from faculty members of KazNARU’s Faculty of Engineering Technologies. During the event, participants discussed issues of sustainable agricultural development, innovation, and international knowledge exchange.
In addition, university faculty members gave interviews to journalism students involved in the Oxford Cycle project, sharing their perspectives on the evolution of agriculture in the region, current challenges, and opportunities for future cooperation.
Oxford, UK — A team of University of Oxford researchers and students have launched Oxford Cycle, a cycling-based research expedition tracing a historic journey through Southern Kazakhstan and Northern Kyrgyzstan to document changes in traditional agriculture and agrobiodiversity over the past century.
The project, titled Seeds of the Tian Shan: Cycling a Century Since Vavilov, combines long-distance cycling with documentary filmmaking to revisit regions studied by pioneering scientist Nikolai Vavilov in the early 20th century. By interviewing local farmers and land stewards, the team aims to understand how traditional crop varieties, farming practices, and relationships with the land have evolved under the pressures of climate change, market forces, and shifting land use.
“This expedition is about connecting past and present,” said Philippine Coutau, Primary Researcher. “By travelling through these landscapes by bicycle, we are engaging more closely with the environment and the communities who have safeguarded agricultural knowledge for generations.”
The research focuses on traditional crop landraces—locally adapted varieties that contain valuable genetic traits for resilience to drought, disease, and extreme weather. Through interviews, photography, geotagged data, and visual documentation, the team is contributing to global efforts to conserve plant biodiversity and preserve cultural heritage.
Oxford Cycle is supported by the University of Oxford Expeditions Council and has received ethical approval from the Central University Research Ethics Committee. The findings will be shared through a short documentary film and academic outputs.
By combining human-powered travel, scientific research, and storytelling, Oxford Cycle highlights the critical role of farmers in protecting biodiversity and offers a powerful perspective on sustainable futures for global food systems.
About Oxford Cycle
Oxford Cycle is a student-led research and documentary initiative from the University of Oxford that uses cycling expeditions to explore environmental change, cultural heritage, and sustainability across global landscapes.
The event was organized by the Institute for Green and Sustainable Development.
The meeting was attended by Oxford Cycle students Monika Grot and Abigail Brown.
Representing KazNARU were:
Kuanysh Zholamanov, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Agronomy, Plant Breeding and Biotechnology,
and Dauren Kazkeev, PhD, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Agronomy, Plant Breeding and Biotechnology.
Venue: Wageningen, Office
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)