Banking: Trust, Risk and Law — UWED Alumnus Delivers Master Class for Students

On 14 November 2026, a master class in Finance and Tax Law was held at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy for third-year students of the Faculty of International Law. It was organised under the supervision of Naubakhar Bakhadyrovna Uzakbaeva, lecturer at the Department of International Law and Public Law Disciplines. The topic was “The Banking Sector: Principles, Risks, Trends and Opportunities for Lawyers”.

The master class was delivered by Oybek Komiljon ugli Kurbonboev, Chief Specialist of the Risk Management Department of Agrobank JSCB and a UWED alumnus.

The speaker explained how a bank works and why banking is one of the most strictly regulated businesses. He presented Uzbekistan's banking system in figures and outlined the six principles of banking: trust, liquidity, capital adequacy, banking secrecy, “know your customer” (KYC), and legality and supervision. He also covered the principles of lending and the legal framework of the sector, from the Civil Code to legislation on banking secrecy and anti-money laundering.

The speaker then examined the main banking risks and the "three lines of defence" model. He spoke about new challenges, namely fraud and cyber threats, and about key industry trends: digital banks, privatisation, Islamic finance, artificial intelligence and ESG approaches. In conclusion, he showed where lawyers work in a bank: the legal department, compliance, problem assets and collateral, risk management, and on the regulator's side.

Students showed great interest in the topic and actively asked questions. Mr Kurbonboev answered each of them in full detail. It was especially valuable that the experience was shared by a UWED graduate: using his own example, he showed students how knowledge of financial law is applied in the profession.

The master class is linked to several Sustainable Development Goals. It supports SDG 8 “Decent Work and Economic Growth” (Target 8.10: strengthening the capacity of financial institutions and expanding access to financial services) and SDG 16 “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”. Its link to SDG 16 lies in KYC, compliance and anti-money laundering, which serve Target 16.4: reducing illicit financial flows. The meeting with a practitioner alumnus also contributes to SDG 4 “Quality Education” (Target 4.4) by developing professional skills that students need on the labour market.