Uzbekistan’s Islamic Civilization Center plans to expand cooperation with Russian scientific and cultural institutions. A memorandum of cooperation with the State Hermitage may be signed in the near future, opening new opportunities for joint research, exhibitions and museum projects. Tursunali Kuziev, scientific adviser to the director of the Islamic Civilization Center, announced the preparations on the sidelines of the III International Symposium “Creating the Future” in Moscow, which brought together representatives from more than 100 countries. According to him, the document is intended to set out long-term directions for scientific and cultural partnership.
Key Takeaways: The Islamic Civilization Center is preparing a memorandum with the State Hermitage. The planned agreement is expected to cover manuscript research, archival documents, archaeology, museum work and exhibition projects. The center already works with the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian National Library, Kazan Federal University, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia and the National Center “Russia”.
The context is the center’s effort to strengthen research into Islamic heritage, Central Asian history and oriental manuscripts within Uzbekistan’s broader cultural and academic agenda. For the Islamic Civilization Center, the priority is not one-off meetings but systematic cooperation among scholars, museum specialists and cultural organizations. Russia has substantial expertise in Oriental studies, archaeology, Islamic studies and art history, areas that are relevant to the center’s work. The prospective memorandum is therefore seen as a framework for exchanging expertise and developing joint projects, including digital collections and modern multimedia programs.
Kuziev said cooperation would focus on scientific, cultural and exhibition activities. Key areas include research on manuscripts, archival documents and historical sources, as well as archaeological projects and the exchange of museum experience. Earlier reports said Hermitage specialists would help establish a restoration department and a research laboratory at the Islamic Civilization Center for the study and restoration of historical artifacts. These plans build on existing contacts with Russian academic and religious institutions and are expected to give the partnership a practical, project-based dimension.
The final terms of the memorandum have not yet been disclosed, and the sides are continuing to discuss formats and priorities. Once signed, the document is expected to provide a basis for joint research, exhibitions, conferences and educational initiatives. For Uzbekistan, such cooperation could strengthen the research capacity of the Islamic Civilization Center and widen access to international museum expertise. The next steps will be watched for the timing of the signing and the first joint projects, which should demonstrate whether the announced partnership moves from intentions to concrete results.
Source: podrobno.uz