In an article by Mushtariy Usmonova, published in a collection of materials from the international conference “Digitalization and Transformation of the Social Order in Central Asian Countries” (Astana, 2025), the author analyzes the transformation of the country's labor market in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The author considers digitalization as a key driver of structural changes in the economy, the formation of platform employment, and the growth of the global gig economy, which challenge traditional models of labor organization and social protection of workers. Particular attention is paid to the national dynamics of Uzbekistan's digital economy. Usmonova emphasizes that the “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030” strategy and the active development of the IT sector are creating conditions for the country to become a regional IT hub. The growth in the gross value added of the industry, the expansion of digital services exports, and institutional support through IT Park testify to the formation of a new employment segment and the emergence of the “IT class” as a socio-economic phenomenon. The article details the key trends in digital employment: a sharp increase in the number of self-employed people, the spread of remote work and freelancing, and the inclusion of Uzbek specialists in international digital labor networks. The author shows that the digital sector is becoming an important source of income for young people and new professional groups, while identifying problems of regional inequality, a shortage of skilled workers, and insufficient social protection for platform workers. Concluding the study, Usmonova highlights both the challenges and significant opportunities of digital employment for the sustainable development of Uzbekistan. The digital economy is seen as a tool for diversifying exports, expanding labor inclusion for women and youth, developing regions, and forming a new middle class. The article is an important contribution to understanding the socio-economic consequences of digital transformation in Central Asia and the prospects for labor market modernization. * The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.

In an article by Rustam Makhmudov, a Leading Research Fellow at the Laboratory of Anthropology and Conflict Studies, published in a collection of materials from the international conference “Digitalization and the Transformation of the Social Order in Central Asian Countries” (Astana, 2025), digitalization is considered a fundamental process that radically changes the nature of knowledge, mechanisms of power, and institutional governance. The author shows that the digital age is destroying the old industrial models of knowledge production based on hierarchical structures and forming a new networked reality where algorithms, platforms, and artificial intelligence are beginning to play a key role. Particular attention is paid to the philosophical understanding of the hybridization of Karl Popper's “three worlds” and the technological worlds of the digital environment. Makhmudov emphasizes that modern knowledge is becoming an emergent effect of complex interactions between humans, digital objects, and autonomous algorithms. In this logic, algorithms cease to be neutral tools and become co-creators of norms, institutions, and new forms of social reality. The article also analyzes the transformation of power in a digital society, where power is increasingly shifting from traditional actors to networks, algorithmic decision-making centers, and hyperreality as a space for managing attention and behavior. The author shows that digital power is becoming distributed, opaque, and post-humanistic, requiring a rethinking of classical notions of legitimacy, responsibility, and control. Concluding his study, Makhmudov identifies education as a key infrastructure for anticipating and adapting to nonlinear technological transitions. In the context of accelerating change, the education system must develop the meta-skills necessary to navigate new digital trajectories, ensuring a balance between technological development, ethical design, and social sustainability. The article is an important contribution to the humanistic understanding of digital transformation and its long-term implications for Central Asia. * The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.

In their article, published by Rosa Luxembourg Foundation’s Representative Office in Central Asia as proceedings of the international conference on “Central Asia in the Face of Global Economic Transformation: Assessment and Forecasting”, organized jointly with UWED, Ubaydullo Khujabekov and Ashwin Raghuraman examine how renewable energy has become a strategic arena in which Central Asian states navigate competition among major external actors. The authors argue that green energy is no longer merely a developmental priority, but a geopolitical instrument through which countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan seek to diversify partnerships, strengthen sovereignty and reduce long-standing structural dependencies. The article contrasts the approaches of the three key players shaping the region’s energy landscape. Russia and China are portrayed as providers of immediate, tangible solutions through legacy infrastructure, fossil fuel supplies and fast-moving investment projects, albeit at the cost of deepening dependency. By contrast, the European Union advances a longer-term, governance-oriented model under initiatives such as Global Gateway, linking renewable energy investment with regulatory reform, transparency and sustainable development standards. Ultimately, the authors show that Central Asian states are not passive objects of great-power rivalry. Instead, they actively balance these competing offers, leveraging renewable energy to pursue a multipolar energy future that enhances resilience, policy autonomy and regional cooperation. The article positions green energy as a key strategic lever through which Central Asia can redefine its role in the evolving Eurasian and global order. * The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.

In an article by Rustam Makhmudov, Leading Research Fellow at the Laboratory of Anthropology and Conflict Studies, published in a collection of materials from the international conference “Central Asia Facing the Challenges of Global Economic Transformation: Assessment and Forecasting”, organized by UWED in partnership with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation’s Representative Office in Central Asia, offers a comprehensive interpretation of global challenges to security and stability in Central Asia in the period up to 2030–2040 through the prism of Giovanni Arrighi's theory of systemic cycles of capital accumulation. The author proceeds from the thesis that the modern world system is undergoing profound structural transformations associated with the weakening of American hegemony, increased competition between the US, China, the EU, and the countries of the Global South, as well as the acceleration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The article pays particular attention to the analysis of US policy, primarily during Donald Trump's presidency, which the author views as an attempt to prevent the transition of the American accumulation cycle from a “signal” to a “terminal” crisis. To this end, Makhmudov uses three analytical indicators, “profit norm,” “Lippmann gap,” and “determination indicator”, to assess the ratio of US resources to global obligations, the level of their institutional stability, and their capacity for structural economic restructuring. It is shown that the growth of financialisation, public debt and foreign policy commitments increases the risks of systemic turbulence at the global level. In the regional dimension, the author emphasizes that the key threats to Central Asia are the vulnerability of logistics and trade chains, a possible shift in the balance of external forces, risks of destabilization in the security sphere (including those related to the situation in Afghanistan), and restrictions on access to advanced technologies. At the same time, the weakening of the dominant center of the world system opens new opportunities for the countries of the region, primarily to strengthen their own agency, deepen regional consolidation, and position themselves more flexibly in the emerging multipolar order. Rustam Makhmudov concludes that the stability and security of Central Asia in the context of global transformations will depend on the ability of the countries of the region to combine a strategy of balancing external actors with the development of their own economic, technological, and institutional potential. Such an approach, according to the author, will not only minimize risks, but also allow the current turning point to be used to strengthen Central Asia's role in the new architecture of international relations. * The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.

Hamza Boltaev delivered a speech at the seminar “Afghanistan – Uzbekistan Relations: Opportunities and Future Scenarios”, organised by the Center for Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan in Kabul on 23 November. The discussion brought together ministry staff and experts to exchange views on the future of bilateral ties and practical areas for cooperation. In his remarks, Mr. Boltaev emphasised the value of regular expert dialogue and academic cooperation as a steady way to strengthen mutual understanding and develop realistic proposals. He noted that research exchanges, joint seminars, and professional networks can support closer contacts between institutions and help both sides identify shared interests in a calm, constructive format. During the Q&A, participants raised questions about how to make cooperation more convenient in practice, particularly on mobility and travel procedures, as well as trade and cross-border logistics. Mr. Boltaev underlined that some issues are decided at the governmental level, while his own contribution as a researcher is to support partnership through analysis, dialogue, and educational ties that build long-term trust. He also stressed that expanding economic ties works best when it is done step by step, in a way that encourages trade and new opportunities while keeping a sensible balance with domestic priorities. Overall, his speech highlighted a simple message: sustainable Afghanistan–Uzbekistan cooperation grows fastest when it is built on practical communication, gradual progress, and strong links between experts and institutions. * The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.

A paper by Nargiza Umarova has been published in a collection of materials from the international scientific and practical conference “Geopolitics of Logistics: Transport Corridors of Central Asia in the Global System”, held on April 4, 2025, by the Faculty of International Relations of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Almaty), in which she analyzes the challenges and opportunities for activating the southern transit route for Central Asia, considering projects through Afghanistan as a tool for diversifying foreign trade routes and reducing dependence on the northern route through Russia. Considerable attention is paid to Iran's role in providing Central Asia with access to Indian Ocean ports, as well as the Taliban government's efforts to transform Afghanistan into an interregional transport hub.   An article examines in detail key infrastructure initiatives, including the Termez-Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar and Torgundi-Herat-Kandahar-Spin Buldak railway corridors, the Lazurite Route, and the Wakhan Corridor. It analyzes the participation of Russia, China, India, and Iran in these projects, as well as the possible consequences of their geopolitical rivalry for the long-term interests of Central Asian states.   In conclusion, the expert emphasizes the need to develop a unified regional strategy for the development of southern transit, select a priority route that is beneficial to all states in the region, and create a regional investment fund to finance infrastructure projects. In her opinion, coordinated actions by Central Asian countries can strengthen their positions in the global transport and logistics system and turn Afghanistan into a stable link in mutually beneficial cooperation.   * The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.