Presentation of an international research project

At the Law enforcement academy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the national presentation of the POLCA project (Political economy of legal and governance reform in non‑western societies: A view from Central Asia) took place. The project is planned to be implemented as part of a joint consortium with foreign and national higher education institutions, research, and analytical centers.

The project brings together over 30 partner organizations from Europe, North America, and Asia, offering an interdisciplinary research and educational program. It will be implemented from 2026 to 2029 under the coordination of Lund University (Sweden). Research will be conducted in five Central Asian countries, representing a unique combination of diverse legal traditions.

The POLCA project focuses on studying the challenges of promoting effective governance and the rule of law in non‑western countries. Unlike the traditional approach, which relies on transplanting western institutions and legal models, the project concentrates on examining so‑called alternative institutions and norms, including local, traditional, and informal structures that often shape everyday governance, law, and social relations in practice.

The project aims to develop well‑grounded reform proposals tailored to local conditions rather than relying on universal western models.