News and Events
Cambridge launches new partnership with Uzbekistan government to help arts and culture flourish
The prestigious partnership comes as ACDF prepares to publish a significant work of social history to accompany the forthcoming exhibition at the Louvre on Uzbekistan civilization and culture, due to open in Paris in 2021.
Cambridge University Press (the Press) signed on the 4th of March in Tashkent, Uzbekistan a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Arts and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) in Uzbekistan – an influential organisation set up in 2017 under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan to help develop national culture and arts.
The prestigious partnership comes as ACDF prepares to publish a significant work of social history to accompany the forthcoming exhibition at the Louvre on Uzbekistan civilization and culture, due to open in Paris in 2021. The Press will help to publish the volume, entitled Civilization, States and Cultures– which is written by the esteemed historian and academician at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Edward Rtveladze.
Through this new partnership, the Press and ACDF have both committed to working together to develop and preserve the arts and culture in Uzbekistan. Situated on a key stretch of the ancient Silk Road trading route in Central Asia, the exchange of goods and ideas– religious, intellectual and artistic – has left a remarkable historical and architectural legacy.
The collaboration between the UK’s oldest educational publishers and a key cultural organisation in Uzbekistan will include activities that aim to deliver transformative education reform – helping to develop high-quality learning materials, learning curricula, teacher training and education systems that will help the arts and culture to flourish across the country and beyond.
Christopher Allan, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain to Uzbekistan, said: “It is an honor for me to attend this event. This week was full of signatures and the establishment of relations between Uzbekistan and the UK in the field of education, trade, and now, the signing of this Memorandum. I believe that Cambridge University Press will be a reliable partner for the Foundation.’’
Annie Michailidou, Head of International Development signing the MOU on behalf of the Press, said: “This is a wonderful project for us to be involved in. The Press is very proud to have the opportunity to engage with and nurture artistic and cultural heritage in the countries where we work. Our values of unlocking potential and improving education are shared by the ACDF, and we look forward to building arts and cultural education in Uzbekistan through our future partnership.”
Lewis Birchon, Head of Publishing and Research at the Press, said: “There is no better way to understand a country’s heritage and history than by engaging with its culture. This is an important step to increasing international recognition of the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan.”
Gayane Umerova, ACDF’s Deputy Executive Director, signing the MOU on behalf on ACDF said: “The ACDF is thrilled to have engaged Cambridge University Press to help us achieve our aim of cultural and artistic preservation and development in Uzbekistan. Introducing the world to Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage will only aid this mission, and partnerships such as this are key to developing appreciation and knowledge of our cultural across the globe.”
Representatives from Cambridge University Press and ACDF will sign the Memorandum of Understanding on Monday, 4 March 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent. The British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Christopher Allan, will be in attendance.
