“A practical embodiment of an astonishing idea”: American scholar acknowledges the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan
“This is a gift to the whole world!” remarked Andrew Kuchins, Visiting Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest, reflecting on his visit to the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan.
A delegation led by Andrew Kuchins, Visiting Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest, visited the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan.
The American experts began with an extensive tour of the museum exhibitions, rare historical artifacts and modern technological capabilities of the Center, which was established on the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The guests showed particular interest in the opportunity to interact with digital representations of great scholars, as well as in the scholarly content of the exhibitions and the use of multimedia tools to present historical information.
Following the tour, the members of the delegation met with Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Director of the Islamic Civilization Center.
The discussions focused on opportunities to expand ties between scientific institutions of Uzbekistan and the United States. Key topics included launching joint research projects, fostering institutional cooperation with American universities and museums, and presenting the Center’s scholarly output and cultural initiatives to the global community.
Speaking about the Head of State’s vision for establishing the Center and its long-term strategic goals, Firdavs Abdukhalikov emphasized that the institution’s activities are not limited to displaying historical exhibits.
He underscored that the Center’s priorities include an in-depth study of the contribution of great scholars to the development of world civilization, research into rare manuscripts and historical sources, their introduction into academic circulation, and the strengthening of ties with foreign academic institutions.
The discussion also addressed the importance of conveying to the international community, on the basis of objective scholarly sources, the role of Islamic civilization in the development of mathematics, astronomy, medicine, philosophy and other sciences.
Furthermore, both sides highlighted the vital role of sustained collaboration among universities, research centers, and cultural organizations in fostering a broader understanding of Islamic traditions of enlightenment and in developing scholarly and educational approaches to countering religious stereotypes and Islamophobia.
The meeting also touched upon the scholarly work of the American scholar S. Frederick Starr, renowned for his research on the history and civilization of Central Asia. The fact that the delegation members brought along a book authored by him served as yet another reminder of the existing intellectual ties between the academic communities of Uzbekistan and the United States.
Andrew Kuchins, Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest:
“President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiative to establish this museum is truly remarkable. Seeing such an ambitious initiative brought to life is, for me, like witnessing a historic event. The museum made an extremely powerful impression on me. Being here, I deeply sensed how profound the changes taking place in Uzbekistan today are.
There are enormous opportunities to develop ties with universities, research centers, museums, Muslim communities and tourists in the United States. I look forward to actively supporting these initiatives and fostering closer intellectual ties between our nations.
The Center is fully accomplishing the important mission of preserving Uzbekistan’s Islamic traditions and profound enlightenment heritage and sharing them with the whole world. This is a gift to the whole world!”.
At the end of the visit, the American guests were presented, on behalf of the Islamic Civilization Center, with commemorative silver coins minted in a limited edition, as well as books.
