From 5 to 12 March, IAIS Deputy Director Odil Gafarov and Head of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies Abbos Bobokhonov carried out a working visit to the United Kingdom aimed at strengthening international academic ties and expanding expert dialogue on contemporary geopolitical developments.

A central element of the visit was participation in the Mapping Global China working group roundtablehosted by the Oxford China Centre at the University of Oxford, which brought together leading scholars to discuss China’s global presence, the transformation of international institutions, and ongoing political and economic processes in Central Asia.

During the roundtable, participants exchanged views on the growing complexity of studying China’s international role, particularly in the fields of security, diplomacy, and humanitarian engagement. Special attention was devoted to China’s expanding influence in Central Asia, the evolution of regional formats such as C5+1, and the broader implications of shifting global power dynamics for the region. The discussions underscored the importance of deeper, evidence-based international research cooperation on China and Eurasian affairs.

As part of the visit, IAIS representatives also held meetings with a number of prominent academic institutions and experts, including the Oxford China Centre, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, the Lau China Institute at King’s College London, a scholar from the University of Cambridge, and the head of the Centre for Asian Studies at the University of Zurich. These meetings provided an opportunity to present IAIS’s research activities and to exchange views on current regional and international developments, including China’s role in Central Asia, regional security, migration, institutional transformation, and emerging foreign policy trends.

Particular emphasis during the visit was placed on exploring future partnership opportunities. The discussions focused on the organisation of joint academic events, online seminars and roundtables, possible visiting scholar exchanges, executive education initiatives, collaborative publications, and longer-term research projects. The meetings confirmed strong mutual interest in building sustained institutional cooperation and laid the groundwork for deeper engagement between IAIS and leading academic centres in the United Kingdom.