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Paper short abstract:

This paper reports the findings of a desk-research inquiry into the pattern of research ethics frameworks in higher education institutions in Uzbekistan. The paper examines the pattern of adoption, adaption, and abstention in the policy process, affecting relatively new political regimes.

Paper long abstract:

New regimes need to make crucial decisions about the continuity of public policy. The new incumbents will decide whether to continue the previous administration's policies or make radical changes. The choice between continuity and change may favour the former in the early stages. However, the propensity to introduce new services or means of delivery may increase with time. In the Central Asian experience, the pattern of policy development reflects in part the process of gaining independence and the dominant autocratic regime type. The first change of leader presents a significant choice between continuity and change. This paper reports the findings of a desk-research inquiry into the pattern of research ethics frameworks in higher education institutions in Uzbekistan. The paper examines the pattern of adoption, adaption, and abstention in the policy process, affecting relatively new political regimes. It does so by examining how Uzbekistan’s higher education system addressed the issue of ethics in the face of increased pressure for greater research productivity. Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991, and, like many new countries, in many policy areas, public policy mirrored that of the previous regime. However, new structures needed to be put in place concerning research ethics. Policy-makers were faced with adopting arrangements already used in other countries, adapting them to local conditions or abstaining to concentrate on other issues.

Keywords: Central Asia, higher education, research ethics, social sciences, humanities, public policy.

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Paper short abstract:

It is officially considered that the work with repatriates in Central Asian countries is gender sensitive. The paper argues that gender-sensitive approach is used nominally, since it does not pay attention to the differences between "sex" and "gender" and such aspects as gender role and identity.

Paper long abstract:

The return of foreign fighters and their families who went to Iraq and Syria to live in the Islamic State has been considered as very urgent political and security issue since the mid-2010s. In some countries, the return of such individuals has taken place by their own initiative. In several countries, such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, repatriation and rehabilitation has been organized by the state. It is officially considered that the work with repatriates is gender-sensitive. Is this really the case and what is the gender sensitivity meaning in this case?

The research, which included in-depth interviews with female returnees, shows that, in fact, rehabilitation and reintegration in Central Asian countries either focuses almost exclusively on women and children (Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) or does not make any gender distinction between returnees (Tajikistan). The dominant approach in Central Asian countries is one takes into consideration only sex status of the returnee and does not distinguish between ”sex” and “gender”.

The reintegration of women is mainly based on a traditional understanding of the role of women in the family and society. This actively uses the desirability and possibility, on the one hand, of placing women in the position of an "invisible", inactive and dependent member of society, and, on the other hand, of imposing standardized, "traditional" model of behavior on women. This approach can be considered gender-sensitive only nominally, since it does not take into account the differences between "sex" and "gender" and such aspects as gender role and gender identity.

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Paper short abstract:

The paper describes challenges experienced by lonely elderly in getting social services in Uzbekistan. The study based on qualitative data collection: focus group discussion with lonely elderly and with service providers during June-July 2021.

Paper long abstract:

The study revealed challenges experienced by lonely elderly people (LEP), living alone in their apartments, in Uzbekistan. Some LEP pointed that they have financial difficulties to purchase medicines due to having polymorbidity and limited provision of medicines covered by government within the guaranteed package of services.

Social workers (SW) noted that LEP frequently experience lack of communication taking SW's time for chatting. This statement can be supported with a reply from FGD with LEP where they expressed interest in communication due to loneliness, mainly with younger generation, pointing that they get by this way more energy from them.

There are many distracting works which are not listed in SW's job description, such as assisting with elderly's household payments, gardening works etc. Moreover, SWs need more infrastructure to realize their current tasks, namely, every month food products should be delivered to lonely elderly and absence of service vehicle frequently cause delivery delay and non-satisfaction by LEP.

Next recommendations can be given to the government to manage challenges of social care quality: conduct trainings for lonely elderly on usage of modern technologies to realize their household payments; implement new social technologies to meet current demands of lonely elderly, namely renting gardens/cooperation with relative bodies, attraction of more younger generation to different social clubs or creation of centers for social services with provision of different events (talking clubs, movie clubs etc.) for both younger and elderly generation; and finally, infrastructure of available system requires updates with vehicles, tablets, PC and Internet.