Selected Speakers

Vice-Rector on International Cooperation at Institute of Natural Resources, Kazakh-German University, Kazakhstan

Professor of Department of International Trade and Business at Kangwon National University, South Korea

Hyun-Hoon Lee is a professor of the Department of International Trade and Business at the Kangwon National University since 2001. Over the course of his career, Prof. Hyun-Hoon Lee has been a visiting professor at various universities, including visiting Professor/scholar/fellow at the University of Oregon, the University of Melbourne, Keio University, University of British Columbia, and the Bank of Korea.

More recently, he was Senior Analyst at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, Senior Environmental Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and Dean of Asia-Pacific Cooperation Academy of Kangwon National University.

He is an author of many publications on International Trade and Business, international technology transfer, international finance, environmental economics, the Korean economy, and regional economic cooperation in East Asia and the Pacific. Areas of research interest International trade, International finance, Economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, Economic development, Environmental economics, Korean economy. He is an editorial board member of a number of peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Deputy Director of Trade and Markets Division at FAO, USA

Josef Schmidhuber is the Deputy Director in the Trade and Markets Division of the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). He started his professional career as a consultant with the World Food Council, worked as an econometrician and economist with the FAO, as a senior economist with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and as head of FAO´s Global Perspectives Studies Unit. He has assumed short-term assignments with other international institutions, including The World Bank and the European Investment Bank.

His work has been published in numerous books, peer-reviewed journals, or as documents of international organizations such as the OECD, the IPCC, and the FAO. His areas of interest include commodity market analysis and outlook; innovations and technologies of agriculture 4.0; trade, nutrition and investment; as well as climate change and its impacts on agriculture. He holds a M.Sc. degree in agricultural economics and a Ph.D. in economics from the Technical University of Munich.

Director on agrarian policy at HSE Moscow, Russia

Eugenia Serova is a professor and a director on agrarian policy at the Scientific University “Higher School of Economics” in Moscow. She was the first coordinator for FAO’s Strategic Objective 4 – Enable inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. Later she was a director of the FAO Liaison office for Russia. Prior to joining FAO’s Investment Centre in September 2007, she served as adviser to the Russian Federation’s Minister of Agriculture. Since 1994, she has been team leader at the Institute for Economy in Transition (the Gaidar Institute), President of the Analytical Centre on Agrifood Economics, and acting professor and chair of agricultural economics at Moscow Higher School of Economics. Before 1991, she worked at the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its institutes. Her main expertise is in agricultural economics, agrifood policy and trade, farm cooperatives, land tenure and the Russian Federation’s agrarian reform.

She has extensive experience in carrying out and coordinating research on Russian agriculture, and in obtaining results in policy processes. She has participated in the work of many international organizations, including the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Her involvement in policy formulation for the Russian Federation’s agriculture sector included participation in drafting several laws and other pieces of legislation. She has been an advisor in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Jamaica and other countries. She holds a Ph.D. and a Doctorate of Economics from Moscow State University.

Welcome Addresses Day 1

Rector of Tashkent State University of Economics, Uzbekistan

Prof. Dr. Sharipov Kongratbay Avezimbetovich is the rector of Tashkent State University of Economics, Corresponding Member of International Academy of Engineering, member of the Supervisory Board of “Uzavtosanoat” JSC. Prior to joining TSUE he was First Deputy Minister of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of Uzbekistan. He graduated from Moscow Institute of Agricultural Engineers and from 2009 professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent.

During 2007-2009 years Prof. Sharipov worked as General Director of the Uzbek-Korean JV “TOSHAFUS”. Later he was general manager of new projects management at General Motors Uzbekistan CJSC. Also, he was Deputy Rector/Rector of the Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent. He is an author of many publications on engineering aspects of agricultural machinery and mechanical equipment used in agricultural industry and Editorial Board Member of a number of scientific journals.

Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Jamshid Khodjaev is the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Prior to joining Ministry of Agriculture, he was Minister of Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He graduated from the Tashkent State Economic University and received an MBA from the University of Birmingham (UK) in 2003.

He started his career in 2003 with the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU), as a leading specialist of the Department for Control over Foreign Exchange Operations and External Relations. At the CBU he worked at various positions up to the Director of the Department for International Reserves Management of the CBU.  In 2017, he was appointed to the post of the First Deputy Chairman of the National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Friedrich R. Wacker

German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL)

Friedrich Wacker has been heading the Department for EU Affairs, International Cooperation, Fisheries at the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture since January 2020. His remit covers EU Affairs, international trade, global food policy, FAO affairs, bilateral relations with EU member states and non-EU countries, international cooperation projects, EU accession and the organization of the annual Global Forum for Food and Agriculture – one of the internationally most renowned conferences on global food security. He has profound experience in EU Affairs, international agricultural and food diplomacy, agricultural politics and rural development. He is an agricultural economist and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Gießen.

From 2010 to December 2019, he served as Head of Directorate for International Cooperation and World Food Affairs at the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. From 2006 to 2010 he was head of the Federal Chancellery’s section for food, agriculture and consumer affairs. From 2001 to 2006, he served as a Minister Counselor for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs at the German Embassy in Washington D.C. From 1995 to 2001 he served as Head of Division for National and EU Policies for Rural Development at the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry. He represents the Federal Government in the Board of Trustees of the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO). He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Ekaterina Krivonos

Deputy Director, Programs at CGIAR, Italy

Ekaterina Krivonos is the Deputy Director, Programs, at the CGIAR System Organization. Her role is to facilitate the development of CGIAR’s new 2030 Research Strategy and the design process leading up to the next portfolio of CGIAR research programs and platforms. She is an Agricultural Economist with 15+ years of experience in high-level policy dialogue and analysis on agricultural trade, commodity markets and agricultural investment projects. Previously, Ekaterina managed the work of the Trade Policy Team in FAO where she was responsible for developing and leading FAO’s work program on international trade negotiations, regional integration, trade and food security and related areas. She has authored numerous research papers, book chapters and analytical reports on agricultural trade and markets and organized multiple high-level dialogues and capacity development programs in this area, training over 500 officials in trade rules in agriculture. She holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Agricultural and Resources Economics from the University of Maryland.

Johan Swinnen

Director General at IFPRI, USA

Johan Swinnen became director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in January 2020. He is a member of the Champions 12.3 Leadership Group to Reduce Food Loss and Waste (SDG Target 12.3) and also serves as the Commissioner of the Food Systems Economics Commission. Prior to joining IFPRI, Dr. Swinnen was professor of economics and director of the LICOS Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance at KU Leuven (Belgium) and senior research fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels.

Dr. Swinnen was a lead economist at the World Bank from 2003 to 2004 and economic adviser to the European Commission from 1998 to 2001. Over the course of his career, Dr. Swinnen has been a visiting professor at various universities, including at Stanford University’s Center on Food Security and the Environment, and a frequent adviser to institutions such as the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Thomas Glauben

Director at IAMO, Germany

Uktam Umurzakov

Rector of Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration, Uzbekistan

Prof. Dr. of Ec.Sc. Umurzakov Uktam Pardaevich is the Rector of Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration (TIIAME). He is the Chairman of the Higher Education Council and member of the Board of the Ministry of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He graduated from Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration and from 1975 started his academic career at TIIAME as researcher, then Senior Researcher, Professor’s Assistant, Associate Professor, Head of Research Laboratory, Dean of the Faculty. From 1999 to 2017 he worked as vice Rector, Acting Rector and Rector’s Advisor at TIIAME.

Along with his academic activities at TIIAME he has assumed short-term assignments with international institutions including Tempus, Chemonics International Inc./ CASE Corporation/Agroteam (Canada), the World Bank. He is an author of many publications on irrigation and water management systems, efficient farming and Editorial Board Member of a number of scientific journals.

Botirjon Sulaymonov

Rector of Tashkent State Agrarian University, Uzbekistan

Zoir Mirzayev

Governor of Kashkadarya region, Uzbekistan

Mirzaev Zoyir Toirovich is the Governor of Kashkadarya region. He is one of the experienced public managers in Uzbekistan, with experience in administrative and political positions.

He started his career from 1994 as an economist at the financial department of the Samarkand regional hokimiyat (administration), served in various positions at the regional level. In 2003, he was appointed as a hokim of Jomboy district. Then worked as Deputy Governor of Samarkand region for economic and social development, Mayor of Samarkand city. In 2016 appointed Governor of Samarkand region. From 2018 Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Agriculture and Water, Head of the Complex for Agriculture and Water Resources, Processing of Agricultural Products and Consumer Goods.

Along with administrative positions he served as a Member of regional Councils, Member of the Committee for Foreign Affairs at the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Qobul Tursunov

The Governor of Navoi region, Uzbekistan

Aziza Umarova

CEO at SmartGOV.consulting, Uzbekistan | Moderator of panel discussion

Aziza Umarova is governance practitioner and CEO of a boutique consulting firm SmartGOV.consulting dealing with the public sector reform in Eurasia. Previously, Aziza served as an expert at the OECD, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank. Her area of expertise covers innovations in public sector, anti-corruption and integrity, public service delivery, eGovernance and digital transformation, as well as regulatory quality.

Aziza is in the roster of the Regional Hub on Civil Service in Astana. She also served as the associate editor for Eurasia and columnist at the GovInsider media platform dedicated to innovations in public sector covering the audience of over 1.1 million government officials worldwide. Aziza was involved as the OECD monitoring expert in assessing compliance of selected countries under OECD’s Anti-Corruption Network in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Over the recent years, she lived and worked in Austria, China, Singapore, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan. Aziza is a graduate of St Andrews University, UK.

Adkham Bekmuradov

Executive Director of the “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation, Uzbekistan

Prof. Dr. Adkham Bekmuradov is Executive Director of the “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation (Foundation under the Agency for the Development of Public Service under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan). Member of the Executive Board of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan. Editorial Board Member of several scientific journals.  He is a member of several national academic and policy-related advisory and management bodies.

He started his professional career as a researcher from Tashkent State University of Economics, worked as a Vice-Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Vice-Rector at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Tashkent, vice Rector at Tashkent State University of Economics, Acting Rector of the Banking and Finance Academy of the Republic of Uzbekistan. His works have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. His areas of interest include macro-economy, money markets, international financial markets, marketing in agricultural industry.

Adrian Neal

Ministerial Advisor of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan

Mr Neal has worked as a Ministerial Adviser to eight Ministers of Agriculture over his extensive career in the sector, including in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia and Malta.  In these roles, he has supported and led a wide range of sector policy assessments and reforms in areas such as institutional reform, agricultural land reform, agricultural subsidies and state support, agriculture trade agreement negotiations, agricultural advisory services, agri-business value chain development, agricultural taxation and rural development. 

He is currently the team leader of an EU funded project supporting the Ministry of Agriculture in Uzbekistan, providing technical assistance for the implementation of the newly adopted Agriculture Strategy (2020-2030), including the establishment of a Reform Support Team, which includes the introduction of a local team of policy analysts, providing evidence-based analysis to guide priority reform actions in the sector.

Shuhrat Amanov

Head of Strategic Department at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Erkinjon Turdimov

Governor of Samarkand region, Uzbekistan

Eugenia Serova

Director on agrarian policy at HSE Moscow, Russia

Eugenia Serova is a professor and a director on agrarian policy at the Scientific University “Higher School of Economics” in Moscow. She was the first coordinator for FAO’s Strategic Objective 4 – Enable inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. Later she was a director of the FAO Liaison office for Russia. Prior to joining FAO’s Investment Centre in September 2007, she served as adviser to the Russian Federation’s Minister of Agriculture. Since 1994, she has been team leader at the Institute for Economy in Transition (the Gaidar Institute), President of the Analytical Centre on Agrifood Economics, and acting professor and chair of agricultural economics at Moscow Higher School of Economics. Before 1991, she worked at the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its institutes. Her main expertise is in agricultural economics, agrifood policy and trade, farm cooperatives, land tenure and the Russian Federation’s agrarian reform.

She has extensive experience in carrying out and coordinating research on Russian agriculture, and in obtaining results in policy processes. She has participated in the work of many international organizations, including the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Her involvement in policy formulation for the Russian Federation’s agriculture sector included participation in drafting several laws and other pieces of legislation. She has been an advisor in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Jamaica and other countries. She holds a Ph.D. and a Doctorate of Economics from Moscow State University.

Kamiljon Akramov

Senior Research Fellow and Leader of Central Asia Program, at IFPRI, USA

Prior to joining IFPRI, Dr. Akramov was a Doctoral Fellow at Pardee RAND Graduate School (where he obtained his Ph.D in Economic Policy Analysis), a consultant for Asian Development Bank on governance and regional cooperation, and Director of the Monetary Policy Research Center at the Central Bank of Uzbekistan. He also has a Master’s Degree in Development Economics from Williams College, USA.

Olim Murtazaev

Director of Samarkand branch of TSUE, Uzbekistan

Sherzod Mustafakulov

Director of the “University 3.0” International Educational and Scientific Innovative Research Centre at TSUE, Uzbekistan

Dr. Mustafakulov Sherzod Igamberdievich is the Director of the “University 3.0” International Educational and Scientific Innovative Research Centre at TSUE. Prior to this position he worked as a Vice-Rector for Scientific Activities and Innovations at TSUE.

He graduated from Samarkand State Architectural and Civil Engineering Institute (SamSACI) and received his PhD and Dr. of Ph. degrees from TSUE.  His academic career started in 1999 as a Trainee Researcher from SamSACI. In 2000 he joined TSUE as a PhD student and worked as Assistant, Associate Professor, Director of “Centre for innovative education technologies”, Head of “Industrial economy” department. From 2013 to 2017 he worked at Banking and Finance Academy of the Republic of Uzbekistan (BFA) as Head of “Investment” department and Dean of the Faculty of Retraining and Advanced Training.

He is an author of many publications on Microeconomics, Poverty, Labor economy, Regional development and Investments He is an editorial board member of a peer-reviewed scientific journal.