On October 30, 2017, the Institute for Advanced International Studies under UWED and the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and jointly hosted a roundtable discussion for scholars to analyze the current sociopolitical and economic challenges facing Afghanistan.

During the roundtable, participants engaged in nuanced discussions examining various dimensions of Afghanistan's contemporary circumstances and trajectory for development. Speakers expressed grave concern regarding Afghanistan's precarious security situation while underscoring the critical need for ongoing monitoring and analysis to promote lasting peace, stability, and progress in the region.

Overall, the Afghanistan-focused roundtable marks a significant step toward deepening academic understanding of this complex nation in crisis. The dialogues and perspectives shared lay essential groundwork for developing thoughtful, evidence-based policy recommendations and solutions to advance security and sustainable growth in Afghanistan and surrounding countries.

On October 11-12, 2023, the Institute for Advanced International Studies organized a roundtable discussion on "Current Challenges and Future Prospects of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)" joint with the Institute of Foreign Policy Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 

The expert discussions focused on enhancing stability and security within the SCO region, prospects for SCO cooperation with other regional organizations, economic development, transportation and energy, ecology, and digital technologies. Special attention was given to the prospects of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the SCO for 2023-2024.

During the discussions, participants highlighted the fact that the SCO has entered its third decade of existence against the backdrop of complex global processes characterized by a fundamental transformation of the entire international relations system and global economy and trade, accompanied by an overall increase in instability.

Analyzing the future prospects of the SCO, Uzbek and Kazakh experts reached a consensus that in the process of global development, significant importance will be attributed to those structures that have managed to maintain their non-bloc status in the current era of global change, and whose international relations are built not on the principle of "against anyone" but on the basis of constructive mutually beneficial cooperation.

The roundtable discussion served as a platform for valuable insights and fruitful exchanges of ideas among experts, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by the SCO. The outcomes of this event will contribute to enhancing regional cooperation and shaping the future trajectory of the organization.

On July 12, 2023, we were delighted to meet with Ms. Lin Goethals, Director at the European Institute for Asian Studies.

We can't stress enough how insightful this meeting was for both parties. For the most part, we talked about EU policy in Central Asia and how "it has been trinckling down and become invisible".

Ms.Goethals shared that demography of Central Asia is a new generation that is standing up with a very different point of view, where this young segment population presents so many opportunities.

Participants agreed on the need for Central Asian region to work together internally, finding more effective entry points that can open up other doors for wider dialogue.

The meeting was conducted by the head of the Center for European Studies Rustam Kayumov, IAIS Research Fellows Alouddin Komilov and Abboskhon Bobokhonov and Communications and Partnership Manager Shokhinakhon Bakhromova.