To promote research on the emerging countries along the Great Silk Road, BU's Research Cluster of Finance and International Economic Policy are hosting an international conference, “The Great Silk Road: Opportunities and/or Challenges for the Development of Eurasia”, at Westminster International University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 5 – 6 July 2023. The conference will offer in-person and virtual participation.

The ancient Great Silk Road was an Eurasian trade route, from the 2nd century BCE to the 15th century CE. Nevertheless, international trade has shifted from land to the sea and air due to technological developments and significant declines in transportation costs.

In 2013, however, the Chinese government launched the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the connectivity between east and west. This provided important development opportunities and challenges for the countries along the Great Silk Road.  

Conference concept

The ancient Great Silk Road was a great Eurasian trade route starting from the 2nd century BCE to the 15th century CE. Nevertheless, international trade has shifted from the surface to the sea and air due to technological developments and significant declines in transportation costs. In 2013, however, the Chinese government launched the Belt and Road initiative to promote the connectivity between East and West providing important development opportunities and challenges for the countries along the Great Silk Road.

To promote research on the emerging countries along the Great Silk Road, the Research Cluster of Finance and International Economic Policy of Bournemouth University and Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) will be jointly organising an international conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 5 July, 2023. The aim of the conference is to establish a mutually beneficial research collaboration between the world’s leading scholars and the scholars of Uzbekistan and stimulate research interests on the countries along the Great Silk Road including those of the Central Asia and the former Soviet Union (FSU). In addition, the conference will provide an opportunity for the early career researchers to obtain valuable feedback on their research work from the world’s leading experts. The event will take place in a hybrid mode bringing in-person and virtual participants together.

The conference may include, but is not limited to, interdisciplinary research on the following topics:

  • Economic growth                             
  • Political economy 
  • International trade and investments
  • Strategic management
  • Business environment
  • Corporate governance
  • Banking
  • Financial markets
  • International finance
  • Financial economics
  • Risk management and analysis
  • Mathematical methods in economics and finance
  • Financial technology (fintech) and innovation
  • Sustainable and environmental finance, corporate social responsibility
  • Entrepreneurship and marketing
  • Corporate finance
  • Sociology
  • Digitisation

Call for extended abstracts and papers 

The upcoming event welcomes the submission of theoretical-empirical research that is advancing in the areas stated above and any other areas related to the overall development of the Eurasian countries, even if not explicitly stated.

Please send your Extended Abstract (500 words) as a plain text email (NO attachments) to the conference chair Dr Khurshid Djalilov, [email protected] by June 15, 2023.

The authors of the accepted Extended Abstracts will be notified by June 20 2023 and they will need to submit their Full Papers for the conference proceedings by June 25, 2023. The instructions for the submissions of Full Papers will be provided thereafter.   

Keynote speakers

Round-table discussion

In addition to the research presentations, a round-table discussion will take place on the “Challenges of Corporate Management in the Banking Sector of the Eurasian countries”. This will be chaired by Professor Andrei Vernikov.   

Publication considerations and opportunities

Selected papers of suitable quality will be considered for publication in a special issue of the Journal of Eastern European Economics – ranked number 1 by the Academic Journal Guide 2021. Professor Christopher Hartwell, Editor, and Dr Khurshid Djalilov, Guest Editor, will run a joint session on how to publish in this special issue.

The conference participants may also consider publication opportunities of their full papers in two other open access journals, such as Business Ethics and Leadership and Financial Markets, Institutions and Risks.

All submitted papers will go through the peer-review processes required by the journal.

Fees

Standard fee

  • The standard fee (for participants who submit their materials for presentation at the conference in-person) is 150 US dollars. This includes the preparation of the web platform for the conference, the conference proceedings, the conference folder, tea/coffee break and lunch
  • There is a reduced rate of 100 US dollars for PhD students

Attendance-only fee

  • The attendance-only fee is 80 US dollars (for participants who won't submit their materials for presentation at the conference and will take part in the conference in-person)
  • The 80 US dollars fee also applies to online participants

Gala dinner

  • The fee for the gala dinner is 100 US dollars

 Tashkent-Samarkand round-trip

  • The conference organisers may organise a Tashkent-Samarkand round-trip for those interested in visiting one of the oldest cities of the Great Silk Road. This will be at an additional fee of 100 US dollars.

The instructions for conference registration and payments will be be provided at a later date.

Please contact Dr Khurshid Djalilov, [email protected], for any enquiries.