The Russian House in Tashkent, the Consulate General of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and St Petersburg University congratulate the winners of the international research contest

In the 2022/2023 academic year, St Petersburg University held the international research contest ‘The Republic of Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation in the context of transforming the system of international relations’. The contest was supported by the Representative Office of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation in the Republic of Uzbekistan (the Russian House in Tashkent). The project offered a unique opportunity to Uzbek and Russian schoolchildren to gain a deeper insight into the issues relating to the world politics and the history of the development of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Russia. Additionally, schoolchildren could try their hand at preparing their own research projects.

The winners were identified based on the results of the last season of the contest. They were congratulated by the representatives of the Consulate General of the Republic of Uzbekistan in St Petersburg, the Russian House in Tashkent, the World Association of Youth of Uzbekistan, and St Petersburg University. 

Opening the meeting, Alisher Babaev, Consul General of the Republic of Uzbekistan in St Petersburg, talked about the relevance of the topic of the contest at St Petersburg University: ‘The Russian Federation is an important and reliable partner of the Republic of Uzbekistan, our relations are strategic partnership.’

Irina Staroselskaia, Director of the Russian House in Tashkent, congratulated the winners of the contest in a distance format and expressed hope for the further development of the joint project. 

Aleksandr Babich, Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions at St Petersburg University, emphasised the importance of preserving the common historical memory of the peoples of Uzbekistan and Russia. He also expressed his gratitude to the contest partners for supporting the initiative to implement the international project, as the contest is a joint contribution to the development of friendship between the two peoples.

Niyazi Niyazov, Chairperson of the contest jury, Professor in the Department of International Relations in the Post-Soviet Area at St Petersburg University, Doctor of History, wished the winners every success in education and research. ‘We, as representatives of the academic staff of the department that is engaged in studying the foreign and domestic policies of Uzbekistan and other post-Soviet states, will make every effort to make your knowledge more wide-ranging and profound,’ said Niyazi Niyazov.

The Department of International Relations in the Post-Soviet Area at St Petersburg University was opened in 2011. The Department of International Relations in the Post-Soviet Area is set to prepare unique specialists in the field of post-Soviet studies. It is the first department in Russia that focuses on a comprehensive study of international processes in this region.

Timur Iusupov, Representative of the World Association of Youth of Uzbekistan, is pursuing the master’s programme in international relations at St Petersburg University. He advised all those interested to take an active part in the intellectual contests held by St Petersburg University in order to boost their chances of studying at the oldest university in Russia. 

Alisher Babaev, Consul General of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Aleksandr Babich, Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions at St Petersburg University, solemnly presented memorable gifts and diplomas to the winners of the contest. They shared their experience of participating in the contest and wished endurance, inspiration, and success to the next generation of contestants. 

Aleksandr Babich said that the participants who showed the highest results in the contest used their advantage to enter the University and expressed hope that the winners of the contest in the new academic year would also decide to continue their studies at St Petersburg University.

In the 2023/2024 academic year, both schoolchildren and students from the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation will be able to take part in the contest.

At the end of the event, Aleksandr Babich presented the new season of the contest. Registration of the projects for participation in the qualifying stage will be held from 1 November 2023 to 15 January 2024. Learn more about the topics of research projects, organisational documents and the participation algorithm on the official page of the contest.