FAU Delegation Explores Uzbekistan: Academic Exchange and Cultural Knowledge about Central Asia
Our delegation of sixteen people – students from FAU and members from the Chair of Modern and Eastern European History – embarked on a week-long journey to Uzbekistan. The trip combines work and exploration, with plans for numerous meetings at the National Archive of Uzbekistan, the National University of Uzbekistan, and Kimyo University, as well as visits to museums and historical sites across Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara.
On September 28, the very first day of our group’s visit, we had the honor of meeting Prof. Nodira Mustafayeva, a respected colleague at the Academy of Sciences. She warmly invited us into her home, where we commemorated our colleague and former head of the chair, Prof. Julia Obertreis, who passed away in 2023. As the former head of the Chair of Modern and Eastern European History at FAU and an esteemed scholar of Uzbekistan’s history, Julia was a good friend of Prof. Mustafayeva. The meeting was also held in her honor.
Prof. Mustafayeva also guided us through her neighborhood – a traditional Uzbek mahalla – where we were warmly welcomed by the head of the mahalla and his co-workers. Experiencing Uzbek hospitality was a highlight of the trip – from sharing a delicious meal of Plov, Shashlyk, and melon to learning more about the daily life and culture in Tashkent.