13th Meeting of the CAREC Institute’s Governing Council

The 13th meeting of the CAREC Institute’s Governing Council was held on December 22, 2022, to review the institute’s 2022 Progress Report, 2023-2024 Rolling Operational Plan, and 2023 Budget and Recruitment Plan. Mr. Genadi Arveladze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia and the CAREC National Focal Point, chaired the meeting.

Mr. Kabir Jurazoda, Director of the CAREC Institute, presented the institute’s 2022 Progress Report. He noted that, in 2022, the institute held many policy dialogues on important regional topics, conducted 18 virtual and hybrid capacity building trainings, produced several key research reports, economic briefs, quarterly economic monitors and monthly newsletters in English, Russian and Chinese languages. The institute hosted the 6th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum and the 2nd Research Conference on subjects of inclusive and sustainable growth, and contributed to the background report for the CAREC Post-Pandemic Framework for a Green, Sustainable, and Inclusive Recovery, which was endorsed by the Ministerial Conference. The Director noted that conferences of the CAREC Institute stimulate research collaboration 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. Based on the results of the conferences, the institute publishes annual books as collections of research papers. This year, the institute revised the work of the Advisory Council to improve its efficiency and involvement in institute’s activities. To ensure its financial sustainability, the institute has developed a Resource Mobilization Work plan and held the second discussion of its financial sustainability in the inter-governmental Financial Sustainability Working Group. The institute continues to expand its collaboration with regional and national institutions, strengthening partnerships in research, capacity building and knowledge sharing. New partnerships have been established with several academic institutions and think tanks, and negotiations for other new partnerships are ongoing. “Considering the fact that the institute began its physical operation in 2015, its institutional development is very remarkable due to the professionalism of the staff and strong external partnerships,” said Mr. Jurazoda.

Deputy Director Two Dr. Iskandar Abdullaev presented the 2023-2024 Rolling Operational Plan. The institute’s research activities will continue to focus on the five priority operational clusters of the CAREC 2030 Strategy, integrating the post-COVID-19 situation, growing global uncertainties and new regional challenges. In the next two years, the capacity-building activities will be tightly aligned with research activities, optimizing geographical outreach and use of e-learning capabilities by designing and delivering hybrid and blended learning capacity building programs. The CAREC Institute will continue external communications and outreach, knowledge adaptation and advocacy campaigns, building new partnerships with national media.

Deputy Director One Dr. Jingjing Huang presented the 2023 Budget and Recruitment Plan of the CAREC Institute. In order to diversify its resource base, the CAREC Institute will continue to seek additional contributions from key partner organizations and member countries. Stable and diversified funding for the CAREC Institute will help expand its collaboration networks with international and domestic research institutions, think tanks and the private sector, which in turn will also benefit the CAREC Institute member countries through diversified knowledge sharing and capacity building activities.

Members of the Governing Council shared their views on the next year’s budget and work plan. Mr. Lu Jin, representative of the PRC, assured China’s support for the CAREC Institute and suggested to focus on improving the institute’s knowledge products and institutional effectiveness, expanding partnerships, and diversifying financial resources. Ms. Lyaziza Sabyrova, ADB Representative, stressed the importance of topics such as climate change, green energy and regional economic cooperation for CAREC Institute’s research. Mr. Natig Madatov, representative of Azerbaijan, offered to expand cooperation with national think tanks, and the Azerbaijan Institute for Economic and Scientific Research, a new partner of the CAREC Institute, will in turn provide detailed proposals for joint research projects. Members of the Governing Council have also selected the representative of Pakistan as the new Chairman of the Budget and Audit Committee.

The Governing Council is an apex decision-making body of the Institute that reviews the Institute’s progress and approves work plan, budget and institutional rules and polices. It draws its membership from all eleven countries of the CAREC Program, and currently CAREC Program’s National Focal Points serve as members of Governing Council. The chairmanship of the Governing Council is held by the country chairing the CAREC Program, following the system of alphabetical rotation among CAREC member countries. Currently, under the CAREC Institute Governing Council, there are Advisory Council and two committees — Selection and Recruitment Committee, and Budget and Audit Committee.