Shamil Ibragimov

Shamil Ibragimov is a highly experienced professional with over 17 years of expertise in the fields of social development, local governance, and media development. He previously served as the Executive Director of Soros Foundation Kyrgyzstan, an affiliated part of the Open Society Foundation, where he established himself as a prominent figure in civil society development, anti-corruption initiatives, community mobilization, and social accountability. In addition to his professional work, he is a co-founder of Ilim Educational Complex, the oldest private school in Kyrgyzstan, where he holds position of Director for International Programs and Development and founder of Ilim College, an innovative professional education institution that prepares students for the challenges of the modern job market. Ibragimov is also the author and initiator of the Civic City Dashboard, a virtual platform that visualizes urban data and promotes data-driven civic engagement. As a thought leader in the fields of governance and civic engagement, Shamil is a regular contributor to Project Syndicate and Medium, writing on topics such as political history, innovation, data-driven governance, urban development, and civic engagement. He is also the co-author of the acclaimed "Income Generation Handbook," published in 2010. Prior to his role at the Open Society Foundation, Ibragimov served as the Executive Director of the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia, a leading project management organization in the region. He holds an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he specialized in community mobilization, adaptive leadership, and problem-driven iterative adaptation in development. Shamil is also an Edward S. Mason Fellow, recipient of the Mary and David Boies scholarship, and a Fulbright Fellow. Shamil is Advisor to the Minister of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic and sits on the board of several organizations, including the Kyrgyz E-commerce Association, the Creative Industry Park, and the Teach for Kyrgyzstan Foundation.