International Science Council opens Regional Focal Point for Central Asia and Transcaucasia in Tashkent

Salvatore Aricò - CEO, International Science Council (left), Shavkat Ayupov, President, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences (right) of the

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN, October 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Tashkent, Uzbekistan – The International Science Council (ISC) today launched its Regional Focal Point for Central Asia and Transcaucasia (RFP-CAT), hosted by the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Salvatore Aricò, Chief Executive Officer of the ISC, and Shavkat Ayupov, President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, signed the agreement establishing the Regional Focal Point at a ceremony held on the margins of InnoWeek 2026 in Tashkent.

Based in Tashkent, the RFP-CAT will act as a hub for the ISC in the region. It will facilitate scientific collaboration, support regional scientific dialogue, promote joint research and innovation, and connect the region’s scientific priorities with the international work of the ISC.

The launch follows the Tashkent Declaration on science priorities and collaboration in Central Asia and Transcaucasia, adopted in October 2025 at a consultative meeting held during InnoWeek 2025.

“The countries of Central Asia and Transcaucasia have long scientific traditions and a great deal to contribute to global science. A year ago in Tashkent, the region’s academies asked the ISC to help them work together more closely. Today we are answering that call. The Regional Focal Point gives the region’s scientists a direct channel into the ISC’s global work, and gives the ISC a stronger understanding of the region’s needs.” said Salvatore Aricò, Chief Executive Officer, International Science Council.

“Hosting the ISC Regional Focal Point is a responsibility the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan takes seriously. Our countries share many of the same challenges, from water and food security to the need to keep talented young researchers in the region. Working through the Regional Focal Point, we can address these together and make sure our scientific communities are heard in international discussions,” said Shavkat Ayupov, President, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The launch brought together representatives of national academies of sciences from across the region – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – as well as from neighboring countries Türkiye and Russian Federation, which maintain close scientific ties with the region.

The RFP-CAT will be led by Regina Sattarova, Director, with Azizbek Ernazarov as Programme and Communications Officer, working under the strategic coordination of Shahlo Turdikulova.

The RFP-CAT joins the ISC’s existing regional offices in Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and upcoming offices in MENA and Africa. Together, these offices help strengthen the ISC’s connections with its Members and the wider scientific community, and bring regional voices into global science.

About the International Science Council (ISC): The ISC is a non-governmental organization that brings together 250 international scientific unions and associations, national and regional scientific organizations including academies and research councils, international federations and societies, and young academies and associations. Its vision is to advance science as a global public good.

Media contact

Zhenya Tsoy, Head of Communications
zhenya.tsoy@council.science

Zhenya Tsoy
International Science Council
+33 6 17 71 49 91
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