The Forum for Uzbek and Silk Road Studies (FUSRS) is hosting a conference reflecting on the challenges and achievements states of Central Asia faced since gaining independence from the Soviet Union 30 years ago.
Taking place on 17 November 2021 at Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) in Uzbekistan, both virtually and in person, the conference titled ‘Central Asia: 30 years of Independence’ aims to acknowledge the current challenges faced by the states from a number of different perspectives, with a focus on the youth and their education in Central Asia.
Alongside deliberations on how the youth can aid in sustainable development of the states in their future, the conference will also discuss areas including: Law, Politics and Society, Business and Economics, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Education and Development.
The conference will formally inaugurate FUSRS whose mission is to build strong research links across the region, nurture early career researchers and stimulate intellectual interest in the Central Asian region.
In collaboration with one another, WIUT and the University of Westminster have formed a research support program to help promote institutional cooperation and aid faculty members at WIUT to develop their institutional and scholarly research in their specialised areas.
In 2020, the Forum focused on projects such as the obstacles and opportunities that the Central Asia states face, the exploration into whether social media benefits student engagement at the university in a post-COVID world, and a cultural comparison between the United Kingdom and post-Soviet Uzbekistan in relation to the stereotypical use of families in advertising and marketing communications.
Talking about the conference, Professor Roland Dannreuther, the Forum director said: “This conference is an excellent way to inaugurate the Forum whose principal aims are to engage with all of those interested in the region and to further international understanding of developments along the Silk Road. It is a real opportunity to exchange ideas, learn, and network.”
The conference is calling for proposals and contributions exploring any aspect of the challenges and responses related to the key themes to be submitted by 15 September 2021.
Find out more about the FUSRS conference and the call for proposals.
