This report describes the first of these meetings by first describing the workshop itself, listing near and long-term collaboration opportunities, and discussing the essentials for successful cooperation. The appendices of the report include the list of participants, workshop agenda, and a detailed listing of the research efforts presented at the workshop.
Since the Republic of Uzbekistan’s independence in the early 1990s, Uzbekistan has implemented several national and international programs to develop its science and technology research and education infrastructure to support a modern knowledge based economy. This investment focuses on science and technology policy activities with potential impact on socioeconomic development of the country. In the life sciences, the most prevalent issues of interest for Uzbekistan are agriculture, water and land resource management, health care, and biotechnology.
Following its independence, the United States Government has been interested in long term scientific engagement with Uzbekistan, as well as other former Soviet Union countries. Starting in 2002, more than twenty mutually beneficial bilateral cooperative projects have been funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), with support from the Department of State or Department of Defense.1 For over a decade, USDA and Uzbek scientists have worked together to build long term research partnerships, develop genetically enhanced cotton varieties, and promote technology transfer, patenting of newly developed products, and responsible science. The USDA ARS programs were the most successful of all U.S. Government supported programs because their activities were based on mutually beneficial research interests such as cotton research and built on Uzbekistan’s agriculturally based economy.
