UWED researchers present SDG measurement research at the international sustainability school in Venice

Researchers from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy took part in the Interdisciplinary Global Sustainable Development School (IGSD School 2025) in Venice, Italy. The school was organized by the Institute for Global Sustainable Development and the School for Cross-Faculty Studies of the University of Warwick (United Kingdom), as part of the ECR Sustainability Training Academy. It brought together early-career researchers from the United Kingdom, India, Brazil, Spain, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, along with academic experts and representatives of civil society and business.

Uzbekistan was represented by Sardorbek Murtozayev of UWED’s Department of International Economics and PhD researcher Komila Shoislamova. They presented their research, “The Impact of Foreign Trade and Investment on the SDG Achievement Index.” The study uses SDG Index data from the Sustainable Development Report for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries to measure how foreign trade and investment flows relate to countries’ progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.

During the presentation and the discussion that followed, participants compared approaches to measuring SDG progress. They looked at the strengths and limits of composite indices and at how economic data can be used to track sustainable development across regions. The UWED researchers also joined workshops and case-study sessions on climate justice, global inequality and international cooperation, working with colleagues from other countries on shared sustainability problems.

The school opened the way for further research cooperation. The findings and methods discussed in Venice will feed into UWED’s research and teaching on sustainable development and into evidence-based recommendations for Uzbekistan. The participation contributes to SDG 17 “Partnerships for the Goals” by strengthening international cooperation on SDG data and measurement, and to SDG 4 “Quality Education” through the professional growth of young researchers.