On October 15, 2025, the Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) hosted a research colloquium featuring Sarvinoz Mamadjonova, a PhD candidate in Econometrics and Statistics. She presented her study titled, "Empirical Analysis of Gender Differences in Environmental Decision Making."

The research provides a comprehensive investigation into how factors related to gender equality and women's economic and political empowerment influence environmental performance at both the enterprise and country levels. Despite the global focus on sustainable development, empirical evidence linking gender-inclusive governance to concrete environmental outcomes has been limited.

The presentation offered valuable insights into the critical role of gender-inclusive policies in achieving sustainability goals and will likely spark an engaging discussion on the intersection of gender equality, governance, and environmental management in Uzbekistan and beyond. Valuable recommendations were suggested to PhD candidate to improve the quality of the dissertation.

On October 10, 2025, a Scientific Seminar was held for the discussion of a dissertation in the specialty of Econometrics and Statistics.

Farrukh Ataev (Economics Department) presented his dissertation on “Total factor productivity estimation: Evidence from the Great Silk Road region.” The research provides a comprehensive econometric analysis of total factor productivity, offering new evidence and methodological approaches specific to the economies of the Great Silk Road region.

The seminar committee, which included his supervisor, Dr. Zohid Askarov, and reviewers Dr. Evangelos Koutronas and Dr. Muhammad Bilal, engaged in a thorough discussion of the dissertation's theoretical and empirical contributions.

Based on the outcomes of the seminar and its adherence to academic requirements, the dissertation was recommended for defense at the Scientific Council DSc.22/30.12.2019.I.85.01 on awarding academic degrees at Westminster International University in Tashkent.

On October 8, 2025, Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) hosted a research colloquium featuring Zarrukh Rakhimov, PhD candidate in Econometrics and Statistics, who presented his study titled " Bootstrap Confidence Intervals in Linear Models”.

The research explored the reliability of bootstrap confidence intervals in linear regression analysis, particularly in situations where classical model assumptions—such as normality and homoscedasticity—do not hold. Using a series of Monte Carlo simulations, he compared bootstrap techniques with traditional OLS-based intervals, demonstrating that bootstrap methods often provide more consistent and robust inference under non-ideal data conditions.

The discussion highlighted the practical value of bootstrap approaches for researchers working with small samples or irregular data patterns. After several discussions, his research was approved to move to the next stage of development.

After several discussions, his dissertation was recommended to proceed to the next stage of defense/VIVA according to Supreme Attestation committee requirements.

On 19th of September 2025, Westminster International University in Tashkent held discussions on two dissertations in the specialty 08.00.06 – Econometrics and Statistics:

Alisher Suyunov presented his dissertation on “Econometric Modelling of Labour Market Patterns: Job Creation and Job Destruction.” His research provides econometric insights into labor market dynamics, with a focus on the processes of job creation and destruction.

Olmas Isakov presented his dissertation on “Improving Econometric and Statistical Bases for Credit Risk Assessment in Credit Institutions.” The study offers methodological contributions to enhance risk assessment practices in financial institutions through advanced econometric and statistical tools.

Based on the outcomes of the seminar, the following dissertations were recommended for defense at the Scientific Council DSc.22/30.12.2019.I.85.01 on awarding academic degrees at Westminster International University in Tashkent.

On June 18, 2025, Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) hosted a research colloquium featuring Vafokulova Mekhruza, PhD candidate in Management, who presented her study titled "Transforming Local Economies through Family-Run Tourism Enterprises: A Socio-Economic Management Perspective in Uzbekistan."

The research examined the socio-economic role of family-run tourism businesses in Uzbekistan, focusing on their impact on employment generation, income creation, and regional development. Despite their growing importance in the national tourism economy, empirical evidence on their management practices and economic influence remains limited.

The presentation offered valuable insights into the potential of family enterprises to contribute to inclusive economic growth and sparked an engaging discussion among attendees on the future of community-based tourism in Uzbekistan. Valuable recommendations were suggested to PhD candidate in order to improve the quality of the dissertation.

On May 28, 2025, the School of Business and Economics (SOBE) at WIUT hosted a research colloquium featuring Sanemkhan Nurillaeva, a PhD candidate in Management.

Her presentation, titled "Improving the Mechanisms of Corporate Social Responsibility in Commercial Banks of the Republic of Uzbekistan," focused on enhancing the effectiveness of CSR initiatives within the country's banking sector. The research highlighted current challenges, regulatory gaps, and proposed practical frameworks to align CSR practices with international standards while addressing local socio-economic needs.

The session drew strong interest from faculty and students, sparking meaningful discussion on the evolving role of banks in promoting sustainable development and social accountability in Uzbekistan.

On May 27, 2025, Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) hosted a research colloquium featuring Zarrukh Rakhimov (PhD candidate in "Econometrics and statistics"), who presented his research study titled "Bootstrap Confidence Intervals in Linear Models."

The presentation focused on the reliability of bootstrap confidence intervals in linear regression analysis, especially under conditions where classical assumptions—such as normality, homoscedasticity, or complete data—may be violated. Using Monte Carlo simulations, Rakhimov compared traditional OLS-based intervals with various bootstrap methods across multiple challenging data environments, including small samples, outliers, and missing data not at random (MNAR).

Particular attention was given to the “bootstrap pairs” technique, which showed strong performance in delivering consistent interval coverage when traditional assumptions did not hold. The findings suggest that bootstrap methods can serve as a valuable alternative or complement to standard techniques, especially in empirical research involving imperfect or non-ideal data.

The session generated keen interest among faculty, researchers and students, providing practical insights for improving statistical inference in applied research.

On May 14, 2025, WIUT hosted a research colloquium featuring PhD candidate Durdona Umarova, who presented her study titled "Improving the Mechanism for Ensuring Sustainable Growth of E-Government System Management Indicators."

The presentation focused on the integration of key components of the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) namely, the Human Capital Index, Online Service Index, and Telecommunication Infrastructure Index—into a unified system dynamics model. Umarova addressed the challenge of Uzbekistan’s low e-government index rankings and proposed a dynamic analytical framework to identify actionable solutions for sustainable improvement.

The seminar fostered thoughtful discussion on digital governance and provided valuable insights for policy development in the digital public sector. Positive suggestions and feedback were provided to PhD candidate in order to strengthen her research analysis and conclusion.

On May 1, 2025, a Scientific Seminar was held at WIUT to discuss the PhD dissertation of Dildara Gapparova in Management (08.00.13), titled "Talent Management in the Age of Digitalization and Automation in Uzbekistan." The event was attended by faculty, reviewers, other PhD candidates and the Rector Komiljon Karimov.

The dissertation, supervised by Farkhod Karimov and reviewed by Dr. Anil Kumar and Dr. Temur Makhkamov, received positive feedback for its timely focus and scholarly contribution. Following the discussion, the dissertation was formally recommended for proceeding to the next stage.

The Graduate School community congratulates Dildara Gapparova on this important academic achievement.