A seminar on the topic “Social Science Knowledge and Development in Central Asia: from socialism to “transition”” was held in cooperation with the University of Amsterdam and IAIS

On June 2-3 this year, a 2-day seminar was held on the topic “Social Science Knowledge and Development in Central Asia: from socialism to “transition””, organized by the University of Amsterdam and Institute for Advanced International Studies. Scholars from the CA countries, Europe and the U.S. were invited, who witnessed and experienced a period of “transition” both in academic terms and in real life. The workshop was held in the form of presentations of key notes, followed by wide discussions. Opening remarks were made by Akram Umarov, Gulnoza Ismailova and Artemy Kalinovsky.

The seminar itself was divided into 6 thematic sections:

1. History

2. Economy

3. Sociology and development/Development of sociology

4. Objects of development

5. Migration and mobility

6. Forms of development

During the two-day seminars, the features of the social sciences and humanities in Uzbekistan after the collapse of the USSR, as well as the discourse of nation-building and development in the countries of Central Asia, were considered. Researchers also touched on the issue of the formation of the economy: they spoke about the economic views of the post-Soviet nomenklatura, the transformation of the paradigms of economic diplomacy. A heated discussion was raised by questions about reducing poverty in the country and improving the welfare of the population, as well as topics related to gender studies, migration and mobility.