The faculty and doctoral students of Al-Farabi KazNU (kaznu.kz) participated in the International Round Table "Regional Development in Central Asia: Approaches and Priorities," which was held on May 3-4, 2023, at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (uwed.uz) in the Faculty of International Relations. The event was held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend in person and online. The round table was organized by the Doctor of Law and Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation of the UWED Gulnoza Ismailova, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations Ph.D. Sherzod Arapov, Head of the Department of International Relations and Candidate of Political Science Ulugbek Khasanov, and Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations, Candidate of Political Science Nargis Muminova.

Representatives from the Al-Farabi Kazakh University who took part in the round table included Leyla Delovarova, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations and World Economy, Aida Yerimpasheva, c.e.s., Senior Lecturer, as well as doctoral students of the "Regional Studies" and "International Relations" majors: Meruert Usen, Karlygash Userova, Alibek Ermekov, Gulzada Apsattarova, and Akbota Mukhametkhan. The main topics of the round table were the conceptualization of regional cooperation and the identification of opportunities and obstacles on the way to integration in Central Asia. Substantial and in-depth reports were presented by UWED undergraduate Sadokat Aminova, UWED doctoral students Sarbinaz Reipnazarova, Mavlyuda Nurmetova and Islomkhon Gafarov. The issues of transport interdependence of the countries of Central Asia, the development of public and mediation diplomacy and the integration of peoples through digitalization processes aroused a broad discussion.

In addition to participants from KazNU, the event featured notable guests such as Akram Umarov, Deputy Director of the Institute for Advanced International Studies, Anvar Salikhbaev, an employee of the International Institute for Central Asia at the UWED (IICA), Marat Aitov, an employee of the Agency for Information and Mass Communications (Uzbekistan), and Anvarjon Mirkomilov, Head of the Department of the Center "Development Strategy" (Uzbekistan).

The participants developed recommendations for all stakeholders due to the round table. It is planned to prepare a joint monograph on the integration of Central Asia.The event was an essential platform for scholars and experts to discuss and exchange ideas on regional development and integration in Central Asia. The al-FarabiUniversity of KazNU is committed to promoting academic and research collaboration within the region and beyond, and such events play a crucial role in achieving this goal.

The reports of the Kazakh side were prepared based on the results of research carried out with the financial support of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the Targeted Financing Program BR18574168 “The role of Kazakhstan in deepening the regional integration of the Central Asian countries and its sustainable development goals in the framework of modern world trends.” A Memorandum of Cooperation between KazNU and UWED was also signed.