Shugyla Kilybayeva is a Postdoctoral Researcher, specializing in democratization, political participation, urban activism, and disinformation. She holds a PhD in Political Science and serves as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Political Technologies at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at KIMEP University, Almaty, Kazakhstan. 

Dr. Kilybayeva has co-authored several publications, including:

- "The Shift in Kazakhstan Citizens’ Political Participation: Pre and Post the 2019 Political Transition," "The State Failing People’s Expectations: Resentment at the Pandemic Policy in Belarus and Kazakhstan", "The Kazakhstani Youth’s Engagement in Politics". Her research contributes to a deeper understanding of political dynamics and citizen engagement in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.