by Jintao Yang, PhD student at the University of Latvia
Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog! My name is Jintao Yang, and I am a PhD student from the Faculty of Business, Economics and Management at the University of Latvia, Riga, Republic of Latvia. In January 2023, I had the opportunity to participate in the “Central Asian Law: Legal Cultures and Business Environments in Central Asia” research and training project funded by the European Commission. My secondment program took place at the Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT), Uzbekistan, from January to April 2023, where I aimed to determine the influencing factors of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows from European Union (EU) to Central Asia.
My primary objective during the secondment was to explore the influencing factors of FDI flows from the EU to Central Asia. This included determining the factors that attract EU FDI to the region and the challenges that EU companies face when investing in the Central Asian region. During the secondment, I had the opportunity to meet many nice colleagues within our project, including Professor Erhan Dogan, Professor Deniz GENÇ, Dr. Huajing Yang and Professor Meral Balci. I am very grateful for their support and help. Additionally, I would like to express my thanks to every senior in the office of the Law Department of WIUT for their care and concern.
One of the biggest challenges I faced during the secondment was the unavailability of data on FDI flows and stocks from the European Union to Uzbekistan. However, with the help of Mr. Akhtem Useinov, Senior R&D Officer at WIUT, I found the Uzbek version of the data in the library of the university. Really thank him so much! Through my research, I gained new insights into the influencing factors of FDI flows from the European Union to Central Asia. The research experience in the region will be one of the important keys to start my academic career.
Overall, the secondment experience in Uzbekistan was particularly valuable. Not only have I made many new research connections here, but a deeper understanding of the business environment in Central Asia will benefit my future research.
“☀️👉🇺🇿😍And let’s not forget the best part of my secondment in Uzbekistan🇺🇿 – the sunshine☀️! As a researcher🕵️, I can confirm that the UV rays have had a significant impact on my data analysis skills📊🧑💻. So, if you’re looking for a career boost📈and a golden tan🌟, I highly recommend a research secondment in Uzbekistan🇺🇿😉.”
Thanks! Rahmat! Teşekkürler! Paldies! Xiexie!