ASTANA – In a recent interview with The Astana Times, Peter Frankopan, a professor of global history at Oxford University, emphasized the importance of reexamining historical narratives and highlighted the role of education in shaping how societies engage with the past and the future.
Peter Frankopan. Photo credit: The Astana Times
Frankopan is the author of “The Silk Roads: A New History of the World” (2015), “The New Silk Roads: The Future and Present of the World” (2018), and “The Earth Transformed” (2023). These three books have been translated into 40 languages alone.
In his 2015 book, Frankopan advanced the idea that the real heart of world history, economically, culturally, and politically, has always been the region known historically as the Silk Roads. This idea challenges a deep-seated Western-centric historical narrative. In his latest book, he explores environmental and climate events as the driving forces behind centuries of human history.
“History is interesting just for its own right. It doesn’t need to tell us anything about the present day. It doesn’t need to tell us anything about the future. It just tells us the stories about where we all come from. I think that those are really important,” said Frankopan, who visited Kazakhstan to participate in the Astana International Forum (AIF) in May. This global dialogue platform convenes leaders, diplomats, policymakers, and business leaders.
“More people are paying more attention to Kazakhstan, or what is happening here. You, Kazakhs, have known how important Kazakhstan has been for a long time. I’ve been trying to say this for the last 20 or 30 years, but suddenly the rest of the world seems to have woken up that it’s worth paying attention to Kazakhstan and the wider region,” Frankopan said.
He views international forums, such as the AIF, as an opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds and countries.
“It is really important not to come as a speaker, but to come and to listen. That’s the one thing I think is the best advice I’ve ever had when I was a boy – spend less time talking, more time listening,” he said.
Other than the Western narrative
Most historical narratives have focused on the history of the West, rooted in centuries of academic dominance, a colonial legacy, and the cultural output of the West. But it often undermined the equally important narrative of other regions. Whole continents, such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America, were often treated as backdrops or supporting characters in Europe’s grand narrative.
“When I was young, it was obvious that all the history I was being told was the history of the West. The history of the West is an interesting and fascinating one, but it is only part of the story. In fact, all those connections that made the West suddenly so very wealthy moves us away from the realities, which is that those networks that connect all of Asia together, which Kazakhstan is part of, helps explain the rise, not just of this region, but also are connected to global history, too,” Frankopan said.
Expanding historical understanding begins with questions and looking beyond what is familiar.
“Every time I travel, every time I have a meal, every time I have a conversation, I’m trying to think about how I should be seeing the world in a different way. How do young women in Kazakhstan see the world? How do old men in Kazakhstan? Does it matter if you are in the east of the country, in Aktau? Does it matter if you live near the Russian border?” Frankopan asks.
Education is key
Thinking differently is not “as easy as it sounds,” said the professor. But trying to think differently is a muscle. Initially stiff, it becomes stronger with use.
“Sometimes you need to be prompted to think differently. If you are lucky enough to travel, or if you are curious, then you don’t need to force yourself to learn about other things and other people. But my view is that’s what education should do,” Frankopan said.
“I don’t know what your school was like, Assel, but in my school, we were all taught how to memorize things, but education should be about learning how to think,” he added.
The professor acknowledges that he is “modest enough to know that there are many things” that he does not yet know.
Assel Satubaldina and Peter Frankopan during their conversation on the sidelines of the Astana International Forum on June 30. Photo credit: The Astana Times
“I love the process of learning and of being made to think. That for me is being human, but that’s also being alive,” Frankopan added.
When asked how Kazakhstan can better adapt to a shifting geopolitical landscape, Frankopan said without pausing that it is an “easy question.”
“Everything is about education. I don’t just mean young people. Sometimes we hear the word ‘education’ and think about children until they are 18, until they are students. Education is a lifelong exercise,” he said.
“Investment in education is not cheap. On the other hand, if you are asking the right kind of questions, then you can empower people to be the next generation of thinkers. I think here, having that capacity is something that’s really changed Kazakhstan in the last 30 years,” the professor said.
He commended the nation’s efforts to provide education, including the Bolashak international scholarship, which enabled thousands of talented Kazakhs to study abroad at the state’s expense.
Born to adapt
Historically, people in Central Asia have developed a strong ability to adapt, Frankopan said.
“They’ve had to learn to adapt to the rise and falls of empires. Maybe today we are seeing the rise of digital empires, the rise of empires that control critical minerals that are companies, a rise of empires in space that control satellites and communications. There are lots of parallels, but being able to adapt is obviously key,” he said.
Planning is important
If there is one lesson that leaders and policymakers can learn from history regarding climate change, it is the importance of planning and preparation.
“Water for Central Asia is the key challenge for long-term sustainability. Our energy consumption globally in the next five years is going to double because of our use of technologies. Our water use is going to more or less double in the next decade, too,” said Frankopan.
He emphasized the need to translate discussions into investments, not just financial.
“The good news here in Central Asia is that all of the territorial issues have been resolved. It is the first moment since the end of the Soviet Union. That is positive,” he added.
The professor also sees diversified partnerships as a positive development, including with Afghanistan, “whose trajectory has been really devastating for so many people to watch – whether about women’s rights, about the economy, and the levels of poverty.”
Stay tuned for The Astana Times YouTube channel for a full conversation with Peter Frankopan.
