During the “European Union – Central Asia” Think Tank Forum, UWED hosted meetings with international experts
On March 18–19, 2025, meetings were held at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) with international experts who arrived in Uzbekistan to participate in the “European Union – Central Asia” Think Tank Forum.
In particular, a meeting was held with Marie Paret, Senior Secretary of the Center for Analysis, Forecasting, and Strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France, and Maxime Gehringer, a representative of the French Embassy in Uzbekistan. During the discussions, the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to Paris and its significance for the intensification of bilateral relations were addressed, as well as the current state and prospects for cooperation between France and Central Asian countries, and the upcoming "Europe – Central Asia" summit in April this year.
Additionally, discussions with the French side focused on expanding cooperation between researchers from both countries and conducting joint scientific studies.
The First Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at UWED, Akram Umarov, held a meeting with representatives of the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation (CMI, Finland) – Antti Turunen, Minna Kukkonen-Karlander, and Janan Mosazai. The discussions primarily focused on climate change research and water resource management in Central Asia, as well as Afghanistan’s role in EU-Central Asia relations.
To foster new knowledge and skills in water resource management, Finnish experts were invited to conduct masterclasses on water diplomacy at UWED.
Furthermore, as part of efforts to strengthen Uzbekistan-Italy cooperation in higher education, the university welcomed a delegation of representatives from leading Italian universities, including Ca’ Foscari University (Venice), the University of Milano-Bicocca, the University of Tuscia, and the University of St Andrews. The delegation was led by Federico Failla, coordinator of the “Italy – Central Asia 5+1” ministerial meeting, and Marco Farci, advisor to the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
During the meeting, discussions covered academic cooperation between universities, the organization of summer schools for doctoral students, joint research initiatives, mentorship for students in academic writing, publishing in prestigious European journals, and collaborative grant applications. The parties agreed to develop concrete proposals for further cooperation.