Fulbright Scholar to Research Microfranchising in Tajikstan

Brigham Young University student Ryan Bastian, a senior majoring in Russian from Idaho Falls, Idaho, was recently selected as a Fulbright Scholar recipient to study microfranchising in Tajikistan.

Bastian’s interest in microcredit practices led him to the Center for Economic Self-Reliance for assistance with his Fulbright application. He met with the center’s director Todd Manwaring, and others at the center, where he was able to learn about a branch of microcredit called microfranchising.

Because the information he learned about microfranchising, Bastian changed the focus of his application. Ryan decided to conduct a study to evaluate microfranchising in Tajikistan, a country nestled between China and Afghanistan.

Ryan Bastian’s association with the country is not a new one. His wife, who he met at BYU, is a native of Tajikistan, and for the past two years they have translated for Tajik dignitaries who visit Utah.

“Through this association I have gained insight into Tajik politics, economics, and various social issues,” says Bastian.

This knowledge of Tajikistan coupled with microfranchising knowledge from the Center for Economic Self-Reliance, complemented by funding from the Fulbright scholarship, will allow Bastian to assess the conditions of the local market in Tajikistan and see the viability of existing or potential microfranchises. After spending four months in an intensive language class to improve his language skills in Tajik, Bastian will begin his ten-month research plan.

He will start by observing the local market and conducting interviews with small business owners. If microfranchises exist, he will conduct surveys and find the formula for their success. If microfranchises don’t exist, he will try to find why they haven’t developed and if they are feasible; he will then try to identify how a microfranchise would succeed.

“Through the Center for Economic Self-Reliance and Ryan’s Fulbright Scholarship, Tajikistan will have the opportunity to experience the effectiveness of microfranchising and develop further business solutions for economic development,” says Brad Hales, the center’s assistant to the director.