Two of our researchers in Sociology of Law, Senior Lecturer Patrik Olsson and Senior Research Fellow Rustam Urinboyev, are currently invited to give policy advise to the Academy of General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan.
During their 10 day visit in the country they gave lectures and advised the staff of the Academy on international experiences and best practices in crime prevention and combatting corruption.
Patrik Olsson and Rustam Urinboyev were interviewed by the Uzbek television news channel “Uzbekistan 24” about the academic cooperation between Lund University and the Academy of General Prosecutors Office of Uzbekistan.
Patrik Olsson told Uzbekistan 24 that the Academy of General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan is currently developing a new model for crime prevention and control.
– This new model is currently being piloted in one of the crime-prone districts of the city of Tashkent. I have visited this pilot crime prevention centre and given my recommendations on how to improve it further. During my visit here at the Academy I am giving lectures on crime prevention and control issues and sharing my research and experience. I am also giving my recommendations on how to incorporate international experience and best practices into Uzbek criminal justice. Other than that I am also learning new things about the Uzbek society and criminal justice system. For example, I have learned about the mahalla institutions in Uzbekistan that are widely used to prevent and control crime in society. Mahallas play a crucial role in preventing crime and deviant behaviour due to their capacity to exercise social control. Every individual living in mahalla is aware that their actions have consequences for their neighbours, family members and friends, so mahalla acts as a powerful crime deterring institution. If we had a social control institution like mahalla in Europe, I think we could have prevented many crimes in our society.
Rustam Urinboyev said to Uzbekistan 24:
– We have discussed the possibilities to further develop academic collaboration between the Sociology of Law Department at Lund University and the Academy of General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan. More specifically, we would like to establish a collaboration within the framework of our EU-funded research and educational projects. The intention is that academic staff and students of the Academy will come to the Sociology of Law Department in Lund for research and educational exchange. Also, the academic staff of the Sociology of Law Department will regularly visit the Academy and give lectures on key socio-legal issues. Such exchanges will be possible within Erasmus+ ICM and the Capacity Building schemes. We have agreed that our academic collaboration will focus on such key themes as anti-corruption, crime prevention and legal culture.
Rustam Urinboyev is pleased with the visit and with how their advise was recieved and says that he is willing to continue the policy advise work and formalise the collaboration with the Academy by signing a memorandum of understanding.
– We have invited Evgeniy Kolenko, head of the Academy, to Lund and he has accepted our invitation so we look forward to welcoming him to in Lund in December.