Lund, Sweden - 4 November 2025
The Sociology of Law Department at Lund University hosted a seminar organised under the MOCCA ("Multilevel Orders of Corruption in Central Asia") and the POLCA ("The Political Economy of Legal and Governance Reform in Central Asia") projects, together with participants of the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility programme, an exchange programme financed by the European Commission. The seminar brought together researchers from partner organisations as part of the project’s ongoing knowledge dissemination efforts. At the beginning of the event, Dr Rustam Urinboev, Principal Investigator of the MOCCA and POLCA projects, coordinator of the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility programme, and Associate Professor at Lund University, introduced participants to the ongoing research initiatives and their impact on reforms in the Central Asian region. He expressed his hope for continued fruitful collaboration within the POLCA project.
The keynote speakers of the seminar were Prof. Azamat Mukhtarov and Dr Shokhrukh Saidov, who addressed current issues of social identity and the role and challenges of local governance institutions in Uzbekistan.
Prof. Azamat Mukhtarov delivered a lecture titled “Reconstructing the Spiritual Identity of Society: Issues, Impacts, and Prospects for Transformation.” Drawing on theoretical perspectives of Central Asian scholars from the period of the Islamic Renaissance and Jadidism, Prof. Mukhtarov analysed how religious thought has shaped social identity formation. He highlighted:
- Current challenges in Uzbekistan’s spiritual identification, including the insufficiency of religious education and the depth of religious teachings’ influence on social life.
- The need to develop appropriate curricula in the humanities and religious studies.
- Ongoing efforts to reconstruct the country’s legal and social culture following the establishment of freedom of conscience and religious choice.
Prof. Mukhtarov linked these challenges to historical developments, especially Soviet policies that dismantled religious education, resulting in a “religious famine.” Following the dissolution of the USSR, the lack of adequate religious education, combined with this “famine,” led in some cases to uncritical religious practices without a deeper understanding, as illustrated through specific case examples. He emphasised the importance of building modern, well-designed educational programmes inspired by leading international practices to advance the reconstruction of spiritual and social identity.
In the second part of the event, Dr. Shokhrukh Saidov presented a lecture titled “Evolving Models of Self-Governance: Comparative Perspectives from Uzbekistan and Sweden.” He underscored the need to develop the legal, social, and economic foundations for introducing a modern municipal governance system in Uzbekistan. Given the limited effectiveness of the current mahalla governance arrangements and the so-called “seven-member” coordination mechanism, a new model of local governance is needed and should be piloted in practice. Based on the project’s research, the core challenges identified include:
- The unclear official status of the mahalla as the lowest tier of the state administrative-territorial governance system.
- Insufficient authority for mahalla chairs to exercise oversight over the “seven-member” coordination body.
- Gaps in legal mechanisms for accounting and reporting on budgetary funds allocated to mahallas.
- A lack of clear boundaries and delineation between the functional responsibilities of the mahalla and those of the state.
Following the presentations, participants discussed the issues raised by the keynote speakers and shared recommendations for advancing research in these areas.
The ongoing projects have created valuable opportunities for knowledge exchange between international and Central Asian researchers, policymakers, and academic institutions. These collaborative platforms enable participants to share insights on governance challenges, legal reform, and anti-corruption strategies relevant to the region's development. MOCCA project’s established expertise in governance systems, integrity mechanisms, and policy reform positions the project to contribute directly to capacity building and modernisation efforts within academic and policy institutions across Central Asia. Through sustained engagement with partner organisations, the project supports the development of evidence-based approaches to institutional reform and the strengthening of local governance frameworks that can better serve communities throughout the region.
