Istanbul, Turkey — February 1-2, 2024—The concluding conference of the Central Asian Law (CAL) project convened researchers and scholars to discuss the multifaceted legal and business landscapes in Central Asia. Hosted online and in person, the conference facilitated a comprehensive analysis of the political economy, domestic institutions, and business environments across the region.
The conference opened with a welcome and introduction by the co-hosts - Rustamjon Urinboyev of Lund University and Gökhan Malkoç of Istanbul Medipol University. Dilaver Khamzaev from the Academy of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan introduced his book, "COMPASS FOR INVESTORS: Legal Guidance on Foreign Direct Investment in Central Asian Countries," providing essential insights for investors navigating the region. Rustamjon Urinboyev presented the edited volume "Political Economy of Central Asian Law: A Law and Society Analysis”. The edited volume comprised of the research articles by the project members and provides fresh and much-needed insights into the interconnections between law, society and governance in Central Asia.
The first session, "Political Economy of Central Asian Law: International Norms and Actors," included diverse perspectives on the region's legal culture and business environment. Tolibjon Mustafoev from Lund University examined the international anticorruption agenda in Uzbekistan. A collaborative work by Dildora Karimova from the Westminster International University in Tashkent and Uygun Nigmadjanov of the Academy of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan discussed the potential for corporate criminal liability for bribery in Uzbekistan. Hatice Deniz Genc, Istanbul Medipol University, analyzed the role of international organizations like UNODC in norm diffusion, and Dilaver Khamzaev explored regional initiatives in combating money laundering and terrorism financing.
Keynote speeches by Jakipbek Altayev and Shavkat Atakhanov provided in-depth views on historical and contemporary legal and business practices in Central Asia. Prof. Altayev, an invited guest speaker from the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, discussed the great philosopher Al-Farabi’s political and social views and their implications for modern governance. Shavkat Atakhanov presented his empirical research on the security strategies employed by ethnic minority entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan, focusing on the restaurant and café business examples run by Uzbek entrepreneurs in the south of Kyrgyzstan.
The afternoon session featured Khasan Sayfutdinov, Westminster International University in Tashkent, talking on fair and equitable treatment provisions for investors with a focus on Uzbekistan. His colleague, Alisher Pulatov, of the same University, also presented his research on digital economy taxation. Muzaffar Dostqoriev and Nasimbek Azizov, both from the Academy of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan, talked about the legal culture in Uzbekistan through economic court disputes.
The second day began with presentations on the political economy of Central Asian law, focusing on the economy and business environment. Nazgul Baigabatova, from Zhetysu University, discussed the historical and current realities of women’s business paths in Kazakhstan, while Ulugbek Abdurakhmanov examined the nexus between teleworking and economic development in Uzbekistan. The conference continued with a session on the anthropology of agricultural production and trade. Elmurod Sobirov presented a case study on legal informality and debt-based trade in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Valley. A panel comprising of the team from the University of Zurich discussed the challenges and opportunities for rural entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu Region. Tolibjon Mustafoev analyzed legal the informality in agrarian management and clusters in Uzbekistan. The keynote speech by the Christopher Thornhill from the University of Birmingham highlighted the determinants of the legal reform in Uzbekistan.
The conference concluded with Chekhros Kilichova's final project progress report, followed by an open discussion and project wrap-up.
