NAC Expert Presented Research at an International Conference in Munich

On 10–11 December 2025, Munich hosted the international academic conference “Fractured Display – Reassessing Soviet Uzbekistan in Late Socialism”, organized by the Chair of Russia-Asia Studies at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU). The event brought together leading scholars of the late Soviet period and the political history of Central Asia.

The NAC was represented by Rassul Kospanov, Senior Researcher at the Center for Regional Analysis, who was invited as a speaker. His presentation, titled “Socialist Competition between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the Late USSR”, examined the mechanisms of interrepublican rivalry in the spheres of economics, culture, and politics. Special attention was given to differences in economic models, the cultural and symbolic dimensions of competition, and the role of the First Secretaries Dinmukhamed Kunaev and Sharaf Rashidov. The presentation generated significant interest among the international audience, drawing on archival sources and firsthand memoirs.

Studying political processes in Central Asian states is one of the key priorities of the NAC’s Center for Regional Analysis. Uzbekistan, as the most populous country in the region, represents a particularly important case for such research. Despite being established only a year ago, the Center’s experts are already being invited to major international academic platforms—an indication of the growing recognition and demand for the Center’s analytical work.