From May 19 to 22, 2025, the First Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), Akram Umarov, visited the Republic of Korea (Seoul) to participate in the Asian Leadership Conference.

During the Conference, Akram Umarov spoke at a panel session on the topic: “Central Asia at the Crossroads: Geopolitics, Connectivity, and Regional Dynamics.”

The Conference brought together more than 240 speakers, experts, and politicians from the USA, China, Europe, Australia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. Prominent politicians and scholars such as Rishi Sunak, Tony Abbott, Michael Pompeo, and James Robinson took part in the event. The opening ceremony was attended by the Acting President of Korea, Choi Sang Mok.

For the first time in the 20-year history of the conference, a panel dedicated to Central Asia was organized, where Akram Umarov spoke about Uzbekistan’s initiatives to strengthen regional cooperation, connectivity, and development trends in the region.

As part of the business trip to the Republic of Korea, a number of meetings were also held with partner organizations in the country.

A meeting was held with the Vice President for Academic Affairs of Korea University, Myoung-Jin Lee, and the Head of the Office of International Cooperation, William Stewart, where opportunities for academic mobility programs and the involvement of Korea University experts in UWED’s educational process were discussed.

The First Vice-Rector of UWED also held a meeting with representatives of the Sejong Institute, during which possibilities for cooperation between the Sejong Institute and UWED’s Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) were discussed.

During a meeting with the Vice President of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Kim Min Jeong, and the Dean for International Cooperation, Yang Jaewan, the Korean side was informed of UWED’s interest in expanding its student exchange program.

As part of the visit to the “Korea Foundation”, negotiations were held with the Executive Vice President of the Foundation, Rhee Jong Kook, during which the possibility of a joint research project involving IAIS and leading Korean research universities was proposed.