Lecture Abstract:
Security dynamics in Central Asia have been developing as an inalienable part of the process of securitization of the post-Soviet area. The newly independent states of Central Asia have become stronger, they have recognized that they have similar interests and face similar security challenges. The regional dynamics is primarily defined by the common locality and common history of its peoples/states and by the fairly stable models of amity/enmity, conflict, and cooperation.

Geopolitical rivalry in the region has intensified. Despite that, the currently functioning security institutions were set up with the direct involvement of the great powers, the main role belonged to regional prerequisites and the organizations established to address the region’s security problems. The emergence of the IS-Khorasan province tasked the expert community about the long-term prospects of this phenomenon in Central Asia. The ISIS threat to Central Asia is associated mainly with the IMU, which positions itself as a part of ISIS.

The physical elimination of the IMU’s leaders, its fragmentation and outflow of its fighters, the financial difficulties transformed the IMU into a marginal force. Currently it cannot be qualified as an existential threat to security of Central Asia.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Inomjon I. Bobokulov is an associate professor at the UNESCO Chair on International Law and Human Rights, University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), Uzbekistan. He holds a PhD (2002) and a Doktor nauk (Doctor of Science) degree (2010) in International Law from UWED. Currently he is a member of Editorial Board, International Relations, journal of UWED and a member of Scientific Councils of UWED and Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for dissertation review.

His scholarly interests cover contemporary regional security issues of Central Asia and Afghanistan; activity of regional organizations; international legal aspects of boundary and territorial issues in Central Asia. He has been a visiting scholar at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute Johns Hopkins University-SAIS in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Bobokulov has contributed to a number of international conferences and seminars; participated in several research projects in Uzbekistan and abroad;  supervises for doctoral/masters’ dissertations on International Law and Security Studies; and teaches courses on “International Security Law” and “Regional Security Problems in Central Asia” at Universities in Uzbekistan.