On 7-11 July Professor Elena Korosteleva was invited to Uzbekistan in the capacity of electoral observer. She observed elections in Samarkand, on Sunday 9 July, having visited 5 polling stations, engaged in conversations with citizens, political parties’ observers, and members of the electoral commission. She further spoke to the Chairman of the Electoral Commission in Samarkand, passing her feedback and observations. Overall, Elena has found the electoral process to be orderly, well organised, and enjoying high levels of turnout.

Professor Korosteleva has been working with Uzbekistan for over 5 years via a GCRF-funded COMPASS project, which focused on research capacity-building in top-level institutions across the former post-Soviet space. This relationship proved successful resulting in a COMPASS+ project in 2023 to develop new research directions. As a result of this collaboration, a new Institute of Advanced International Studies (ISAS), under the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, was set up there focusing on the challenges of sustainable development including peace-building, in Uzbekistan. The ECRs from the ISAS attended the IGSD STS in June 2023 being supported by the Institute of Advanced Studies at Warwick.

Professor Korosteleva also visited the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs, where she discussed ways of deepening research collaboration with the country’s HEIs further. The higher-level Uzbek Delegation is planning to visit Warwick next week, and the Uzbek Embassy us invited to attend Warwick’s event on Net Zero Resilience in Supply Chains on 19 July in London, organised conjointly by IGSD, WMG and WBS. Overall, Professor Korosteleva noted:

“ I can see that the country is now positioning itself as a regional leader for growth and investment in higher education, science and innovation across the region, and is keen to learn and co-produce knowledge and solutions for sustainable development, including financing research and education into innovative materials, technologies, businesses, and security. These are very positive developments for us, and I look forward to developing our partnership further in searching for solutions for sustainable growth across the region and beyond”.

The British Embassy, with whom Elena met on 10 July, commented further: “Uzbekistan is going through an exciting period of reform and its education sector is at the vanguard of that process. In the Embassy education is an important focus of our work – an increasingly globally aware and well-informed cohort of young people will be central to Uzbekistan’s future and is central to the UK’s engagement strategy”.

The University of Warwick is well positioned to grow its relations with the country on research and education, especially with the focus on sustainable development, innovative materials, business education and peace-building.

Elena Korosteleva

13 July 2023