UWED and the University of Tokyo Launch Joint “Central Eurasia Initiative”

The University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), in collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia at the University of Tokyo, is launching a new academic platform: the UWED–UTokyo Global Asian Studies “Central Eurasia Initiative”.

The initiative aims to foster a sustainable intellectual dialogue among Uzbekistan, Central Asia, and Japan within the framework of the Global Asian Studies (GAS) program. It reflects the growing momentum of cooperation between Central Asia and Japan, as well as the unique role of academic institutions in strengthening scholarly, expert, and educational ties.

The initiative is coordinated by Professor Timur Dadabaev, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation at UWED and a professor at the University of Tsukuba, and Professor Shigeto Sonoda, a specially appointed professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia at the University of Tokyo.

Within the initiative, regular academic discussions, expert meetings, and joint research projects are planned on topical issues that unite Central Asia and Japan. Key areas of cooperation include international politics, regional engagement, infrastructure development, economic corridors, resource management, the energy transition, migration, artificial intelligence, technology, intellectual property, and issues of identity and societal transformation.

Special attention will be given to developing an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Central Eurasia, strengthening academic exchanges, and creating a long-term research platform between leading academic centers in Uzbekistan and Japan. The launch of the Central Eurasia Initiative will build upon many years of academic collaboration between researchers from Central Asia and Japan.

The implementation of this initiative will be a significant step in strengthening research cooperation between UWED and the University of Tokyo, and will also help to expand the expert dialogue between Central Asia and East Asia.