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Date and Location: 14–15 October 2025 | Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Central Asia stands at the brink of transformative change in agriculture and rural development, shaped by both persistent challenges and emerging opportunities. The region’s shared heritage and the diversity of pathways make it a compelling subject for comparative theoretical and empirical research that informs both academia and policymakers.
We invite researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to participate in the academic conference which aims at providing a platform for knowledge exchange, discussion and networking to better understand complex issues, challenges and opportunities of agricultural and rural development in Central Asia.
The conference will address the following themes:
Theme 1: Agricultural Sustainability and Climate Resilience
Theme 2: Policies, Institutions, and Governance for Agricultural Transformation
Theme 3: Innovation and Technology Adoption for Sustainable Agriculture
Theme 4: Agri-Food Markets, Value Chains, and Economic Development
Under the umbrella of these themes, we invite abstracts addressing the following topics:
• Drivers and barriers to innovation adoption
• Water management and climate adaptation strategies
• Behavioral and institutional factors of farmers’ decisions
• Gender dynamics in sustainable agriculture and rural development
• The impact of policy reforms on agricultural and rural growth
• Inclusive value chains for rural development
• Digitalization, big data and AI in agricultural development
More information about abstract submission, conference dates, and keynotes is available at https://conference.wiut.uz/barometer25.
Call for extended abstracts
We invite the submission of extended abstracts within a range of 700 – 1000 words, including a short abstract of a maximum 200 words and bibliography, in English in strict compliance with the formatting guidelines using the provided template available at the conference website. The extended abstracts should be submitted via https://form.jotform.com/250640845878064. All contributed extended abstracts will go through peer review.
Submissions of extended abstracts by researchers from Central Asia, as well as comparative and cross country empirical, cross-sectional and longitudinal, and theoretical contributions are strongly encouraged.
Important dates
16 June 2025: Submission deadline for extended abstracts
30 June 2025: Notification of accepted presentations
8 September 2025: Announcement of the preliminary conference program
9 October 2025: Deadline for participation registration
14-15 October 2025: Conference
The conference’s language will be English.
More information on the conference is available at https://conference.wiut.uz/barometer25
Special issue of selected presentations
The accepted contributions from the conference will be invited for submission to a special issue in Silk Road: A Journal of Eurasian Development. Authors of accepted contributions will receive further details on the submission process after the conference.
Organizing committee
Bekzod Zakirov (CPRO/WIUT), Nilufar Rashitova (WIUT), Akhtem Useinov (CPRO/WIUT), Nodir Djanibekov (IAMO), Abdusame Tadjiev (IAMO), Bakhrom Mirkasimov (IAMO), Muhammad Bilal (WIUT), Svetlana Razhabova (WIUT)
Contact
Email: cpro@wiut.uz
Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT)
12 Istiqbol street
100047, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The conference is co-organized by the Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) and the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), and is part of the UzFarmBarometer project (Better understanding of the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in Uzbekistan). The conference organizers gratefully acknowledge financial support by the Innovative Development Agency under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).