On 28 November, the Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy hosted a meeting with representatives of the Berghof Foundation (Berlin, Germany) — Mr Oliver Wolle, Senior Advisor, and Mr Izzat Khushbakov, Senior Project Manager. The IAIS delegation included Deputy Director Odil Gafarov and Leading Research Fellow Mushtariy Usmonova. The meeting focused on exploring opportunities for practical cooperation in the fields of security studies, conflict transformation, and sustainable development in Central Asia.
At the outset, the representatives of the Berghof Foundation presented the organisation’s background and core areas of activity. Established in 1971, the Berghof Foundation is an independent, non-governmental and non-profit organisation working across Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and Europe. Its mission is to support societies affected by conflict through conflict transformation, dialogue facilitation, mediation, peace education and inclusive political participation. Particular emphasis is placed on strengthening local capacities and institutions in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
During the discussion, the parties exchanged views on possible areas of cooperation between IAIS and the Berghof Foundation. These included joint research initiatives on regional security and peacebuilding in Central Asia, expert dialogues and analytical discussions, the organisation of joint seminars and training activities, as well as the participation of Berghof experts in events hosted by IAIS. The potential for exchanging analytical materials and publishing joint outputs on national and international platforms was also discussed.
The meeting concluded with a mutual expression of interest in maintaining professional dialogue and exploring pragmatic formats of cooperation in areas of shared analytical and policy relevance. The exchange was viewed as a useful step toward identifying niches for collaboration and strengthening expert-level interaction between IAIS and international peace and security research institutions.
