CAREC Institute Presents Its Achievements at the CAREC Senior Officials’ Meeting

On June 14, Mr. Kabir Jurazoda, Director of the CAREC Institute, spoke at the CAREC Senior Officials’ Meeting about the main achievements of the Institute in 2022 and its workplan for 2023. The Annual Senior Officials’ Meeting is the operational-level mechanism of CAREC that monitors progress at the cluster and sector levels and is vested with the authority to consider and endorse complex multi-country and multisector projects.

Mr. Kabir Jurazoda noted that in line with its Strategy for 2021-2025, the CAREC Institute continues to support CAREC member countries through research, capacity building, and knowledge sharing. CAREC Institute’s major contribution in 2022 was the background report for the 21st CAREC Ministerial Conference which contains an analysis of recovery options and proposals for enhancing regional cooperation for green, sustainable, and inclusive recovery. In 2023, the CAREC Institute implements several research projects using its own and external experience. The Institute continues its research on CAREC FTAs and trade potential for expanding trade in goods and services. A new study on digital CAREC will examine blended learning in flipped classrooms in the CAREC region. This year, the Institute launched the third phase of a civil aviation study on the potential for air transport cooperation between China and the five CAREC member countries. The CAREC Institute continues the CAREC Regional Research Project on Vulnerability to Climate Change, assessing the potential damage that could lead to increased climate change in the water, agriculture, and energy sectors of the five Central Asian countries. In addition, the CAREC Institute has already initiated a new study on gap analysis in the financial management of the water sector in Central Asia to identify problems and propose potential financing schemes for countries. In the second half of the year, the Institute will start developing a roadmap for regional financial cooperation to accelerate the development of fintech in CAREC countries, as well as examine the socio-economic implications of the current geopolitical uncertainty for the CAREC economies.

The CAREC Institute has hosted two research conferences on the challenges of post-pandemic recovery and new economic uncertainties. The research conferences stimulate research cooperation and capacity building to create cutting-edge research products that will enable CAREC countries to remain at the forefront of sustainable development and economic integration. As a result of the conferences, the Institute published two annual books. The Institute will hold its third research conference in September and now is receiving research papers for the CAREC Institute Third Annual Book.

The Institute actively conducts capacity-building activities based on its own research knowledge, working closely with other international organizations to organize seminars in areas of regional cooperation that require more urgent attention. In 2023, the CAREC Institute started a new WASH project, which will set up a virtual CAREC WASH Center to promote knowledge sharing, technological innovation, and best practices among CAREC countries. As the pandemic is ending, the Institute starts conducting capacity building activities in hybrid and face-to-face formats. Video recorded capacity building workshops and digital learning modules with Russian translations are uploaded on the CAREC Institute eLearning platform. The CAREC Institute continues to produce CAREC Quarterly Economic Monitor, research reports, economic and policy briefs, monthly e-newsletters, knowledge adaptations, flyers, infographics, videos, etc.

The CAREC Think Tank Network (CTTN) activities are evolving with its members contributing to regional research and policy dialogues. The CAREC Institute will launch the CTTN blog and host the Seventh CAREC Think Tank Development Forum on “Embracing Digital Technology for Sustainable Economic Development” in August in Urumqi, the PRC. The Institute continues to expand its collaboration with international and national institutions through strengthened research partnerships, capacity-building, and knowledge-sharing. New partnerships have been established with several academic institutions and think tanks, and other new partnerships are under negotiation.

Director Kabir Jurazoda and Mr. Khalid Umar, Head of Strategic Planning Division of the CAREC Institute, participated in a side meeting with PRC Representative Mr. Jin Lu, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Economic and Financial Cooperation, Ministry of Finance of the PRC. The parties discussed research projects and related products of the CAREC Institute, as well as issues of establishing new partnerships between the Institute and other international and national think tanks and the financial sustainability of the Institute.