The establishment of a poverty lab, a significant collaborative effort between Samarkand State University (SamDU) and China’s Xi’an Jiaotong University, is a momentous step in addressing the universal issue of poverty.  This initiative, to be coordinated by the proposed Uzbekistan and China Centre at SamDU, was the focus of a virtual meeting between top-level officials of both universities on March 14, 2024.

    The meeting underscored the complex causes of poverty, spanning gender, access to technology, ageing, climate, market access, and factor market imperfections. The Chinese framework, which utilised social networking sites and platforms to select villages, could serve as a model for chosen parts of Uzbekistan. 

    The proposed Poverty lab aims to foster discussions, conduct examinations, and develop appropriate solutions for this pressing global issue.  A high-level team from Jiaotong University will visit SamDU soon to discuss this further.