Uzbekistan is seeking to strengthen research cooperation with Norway. According to UzDaily, this was discussed in Tashkent on May 21, 2025, at a meeting between Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Norway’s Ambassador, John Mikala Kvistad. The discussion highlighted the Nordic experience and the potential to support joint scientific initiatives (1).

This dialogue is part of a broader set of initiatives to expand Uzbekistan’s participation in European research and education programs. In December 2025, Uzbekistan and the European Union held a conference in Tashkent to increase participation in Horizon Europe (research) and Erasmus+ (education and academic exchange) (2).  On December 3, 2025, UNESCO and the European Union inaugurated a modernized regional training center in Samarkand designed to strengthen training capacity and support education- and skills-oriented collaboration (3).

Existing academic ties involving the Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM) align with these priorities. Geir Bjørklund, founder and president of CONEM, was appointed an honorary professor at Samarkand State Medical University (SamSMU) in 2023 (4). Founded in 1930, SamSMU is a long-established institution for medical education and research  (5). A CONEM research group has the last years been affiliated with SamSMU.

The December 2025 initiatives provide timely context for the Norway–Uzbekistan dialogue and for ongoing academic collaboration involving SamSMU and CONEM (2–3).

References

1. UzDaily. May 22, 2025. Advisor to Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister meets with Norwegian Ambassador. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.uzdaily.uz/en/advisor-to-uzbekistans-foreign-minister-meets-with-norwegian-ambassador/

2. Dunyo IA (Information Agency of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs). December 13, 2025. Uzbekistan and the European Union strengthen scientific and innovative cooperation. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://dunyo.info/en/news/uzbekistan-i-evrosoyuz-ukreplyayut-nauchnoe-i-innovacionnoe-sotrudnichestvo

3. UNESCO. December 24, 2025. UNESCO and the European Union inaugurate the newly modernized Samarkand Regional Training Center in Uzbekistan. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-and-european-union-inaugurate-newly-modernized-samarkand-regional-training-center-uzbekistan

4. Samarkand State Medical University. Geir Bjorklund. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.sammu.uz/en/pages/honorary_professors_geir_bjorklund

5. Samarkand State Medical University. General information about the university. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.sammu.uz/en/pages/information