On 7 May 2026, the Center for Progressive Reforms (CPR) took part in a roundtable discussion titled “Opportunities for Cooperation in Research, Capacity Building and Knowledge Exchange,” hosted by the Center for Foreign Policy Studies and International Initiatives in partnership with the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute.

The roundtable convened representatives of leading analytical centers, research institutions, and academia to discuss prospects for expanding expert engagement, conducting joint research, strengthening professional training, and enhancing inter-institutional cooperation across the region. Opening remarks were delivered by Sanjar Valiev, Director of the Center for Foreign Policy Studies and International Initiatives, and Charymukhammet Shallyyev, Director of the CAREC Institute.

Alongside CPR, the meeting brought together representatives of the Institute for Advanced International Studies, the International Institute for Central Asia and the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS). CPR was represented by Deputy Director Aziz Rasulov and Project Development and Organizational Leadership Expert Shakhboz Akhmedov.

In his statement, Aziz Rasulov introduced CPR as a think tank that brings together professionals with senior government experience and a new generation of Uzbek specialists educated at leading international universities — a combination, he noted, that has helped the Center establish itself as a recognized voice within Uzbekistan’s analytical community in a relatively short period of time. He highlighted CPR’s role in producing analytical reports and policy recommendations for the President of Uzbekistan, the Presidential Administration, the government, and the Tashkent city administration, and outlined the Center’s active cooperation with the European Union, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and partners from the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and increasingly China.

Mr. Rasulov also presented several flagship initiatives, including the Fergana Valley project, which built a sustainable platform for cross-border dialogue between civil society in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan around peacebuilding, rational water management, and the empowerment of women and youth; and Tashkent Water Week, which gathered delegations from more than 20 countries and signaled new openness for regional cooperation on shared water resources. He further introduced the work of the CPR Media Center, which produces documentary films, podcasts, and analytical content reaching steadily growing audiences across the region. Looking ahead, he proposed two practical directions for cooperation with the CAREC Institute: joint practical projects in strategically important areas of state and societal development, including cross-border initiatives, and the joint production of media content — documentaries, analytical programs, and podcasts featuring policymakers, experts, and public figures from across the region.

Shakhboz Akhmedov drew the participants’ attention to climate change as an underresearched dimension in Central Asia that warrants deeper exploration. He emphasized that, despite the increasingly visible negative implications of climate change for the region — including water shortages, land degradation, and pressure on rural livelihoods — the analytical and policy response remains insufficient, and there is a clear need for stronger evidence-based research to inform regional decision-making.

Concluding their participation, the CPR colleagues reaffirmed the Center’s readiness to collaborate with the CAREC Institute on joint research, capacity building, and outreach activities, and expressed openness to fully partnering on all topics of mutual interest in support of stronger regional dialogue and knowledge exchange.