MEET OUR FELLOWS
Business Environment and Economic Freedom
Dostonbek Eshpulatov
Dr. Dostonbek Eshpulatov is an Associate Professor of Economics at Gulistan State University, Uzbekistan. He holds a PhD in Economics and specializes in financial behavior and market participation in transition economies.
His research examines the determinants of retail investor participation in Uzbekistan’s stock market, employing quantitative methods to analyze financial decision-making. His recent publications include articles in the International Journal of Financial Studies (2025) and Sustainability (2025), focusing on stock market investment determinants and the economic drivers of pro-social behavior. Dr. Eshpulatov is a native Uzbek speaker, fluent in English, and proficient in Russian. He welcomes academic collaboration and research partnerships.
Education Reform and Capacity-Building
Nozimjon Ortiqov
Nozimjon Ortiqov is an economist and policy analyst with more than a decade of experience supporting Uzbekistan’s reform agenda through evidence-based research and policy diagnostics. He serves as Deputy Director at the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) under the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, where he leads analytical initiatives on macroeconomic forecasting, productivity and regional development diagnostics, SME policy, and reform evaluation in collaboration with international partners.
Mr. Ortiqov holds a Master’s degree in Public Economics from Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo (2017–2019), and a Master’s degree in Corporate Finance and Securities Markets from the Tashkent Institute of Finance (2012–2014).
His current fellowship research examines intergenerational educational mobility and explores how targeted education reforms can expand equal opportunity across regions in Uzbekistan.
Urbanization Dynamics, Transport Safety, and Infrastructure Development
Alouddin Komilov
Alouddin Komilov serves as Policy Analyst and Head of the International Political Development Unit at the Center for Progressive Reforms (CPR) and as Adjunct Assistant Professor at Webster University in Tashkent.
He holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), completed graduate studies at Jilin University and Seoul National University, and earned his BA with honors from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Uzbekistan.
His professional experience includes research positions at public and independent think tanks in Uzbekistan and the Netherlands, including the Centre for European Security Studies (CESS). His work has been published in international outlets such as The National Interest and The Diplomat.
His current research focuses on urbanization, road safety, and infrastructure reform in Uzbekistan, with an emphasis on developing practical, policy-oriented recommendations to improve institutional coordination and infrastructure governance amid rapid urban growth.
Women’s Economic Empowerment
Shoirakhon Nurdinova
Dr. Shoirakhon Nurdinova is an Associate Professor at Kimyo International University in Tashkent. She holds a PhD in Economics from Anadolu University (Türkiye). Her research focuses on behavioral economics, migration, and gender studies in Central Asia.
She is recognized as a pioneer of happiness economics research in Uzbekistan and is the author of the first Uzbek-language textbook on behavioral economics. Dr. Nurdinova has held research and policy positions at leading institutions, including the Center for Economic Research and Reforms, the Foundation for Migration Studies (Türkiye), the Institute for Development of Social Protection, and the Institute for Gender and Family. She has prepared policy briefs, gender action plans, and analytical reports for international organizations and has consulted for UNDP, the Aga Khan Foundation, and EU-funded initiatives. Dr. Nurdinova actively contributes to international academic networks. She serves as a Board Member of the OWSD National Chapter (Central Asia) and as a member of the Regional Outreach Committee of the Central Eurasian Studies Society. She has held visiting appointments at the University of Latvia, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Indiana University, and serves as a reviewer for several international academic journals. Her work bridges academic research and public policy, advancing evidence-based approaches to migration governance, gender equality, and social reform.
Challenges and Economic Dividends of Demographic Trends
Murodjon Khalikov
Murodjon Khalikov is Chief Specialist in the Department for Social Protection Policy Design and Strategic Development at the National Agency for Social Protection under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In this role, he coordinates international projects, identifies strategic policy priorities, and develops and supports the implementation of evidence-based policy recommendations.
Previously, he worked with UNESCO and has experience in international development and policy analysis. He holds a Master’s degree in Politics and Security from the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and pursues graduate studies in European Studies (Law and Economics) at Sapienza University of Rome. His research interests focus on the relationship between investment in the demographic dividend and welfare dependency, particularly through the lens of social protection systems and active labor market policies (ALMPs).
