On 9–11 June, Dr. Abbos Bobokhonov represented IAIS at the international research workshop “Infrastructures for a (Dis)Connected World”, held at the University of Glasgow within the framework of the UKRI Network Plus project “Shifting Global Polarities: Russia, China, and Eurasia in Transition”. The visit provided an opportunity to engage with researchers from more than 20 countries across Europe and Asia and to exchange views on the changing role of infrastructure in Eurasia amid geopolitical fragmentation, sanctions, shifting trade routes, and growing competition among major powers.

The discussions focused on infrastructure not only as transport, energy and digital networks, but also as an instrument of geopolitical influence, security and regional governance. Participants examined the growing importance of transport corridors between Europe and Asia, the role of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the Middle Corridor, Türkiye’s transit position, and emerging routes connecting Central Asia with wider Eurasian and global markets.

Special attention was also given to the phenomenon of “selective connectivity”, where global interdependence continues but becomes increasingly shaped by sanctions, technological rivalry, border controls and security considerations. The workshop underlined the need for an interdisciplinary approach to studying Eurasia, combining international relations, political geography, sociology and regional studies to better understand how infrastructure is becoming a key factor in the formation of a new international order.