Mr. Azizuddin Jalal (Afghanistan), 34, is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Arrow General Supplies Co, Ltd., an Afghan-owned and operated company with an apparel and boots factory in Kabul, Afghanistan. Since 2003, Arrow GSC has been a major supplier of Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) to the U.S. Military in Afghanistan and the Afghan Ministries of Defense and Interior. Mr. Jalal is also a member of the Executive Boards for Hashimy Group, the corporate parent for 1TV - one of the most popular private TV channels in Afghanistan, East Horizon Airline, Arrow GSC, Arrow Petroleum, Hashimy Mining and Parwan Logistics and Transportation Company. Prior to joining Arrow GSC in 2010, Mr. Jalal worked as a Patient Service Manager at CURE International Hospital, a non-for-profit hospital managed and operated by American doctors and medical practitioners in Kabul to transform the lives of disabled children and their families in the country through medical and spiritual healing. Mr. Jalal holds a BS from Kabul Education University (2005) and a BBA from American University of Afghanistan (2014). He has also completed the Management Program at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey and earned a Certificate in the Health Insurance Program from Interhealth Egypt in Cairo, Egypt. Research topic: “The Critical Role of Afghanistan in Central Asia.”

Mr. Parwiz Kawa (Afghanistan), 39, is the Editor-in-Chief of Hasht e Subh Daily, the leading and largest independent newspaper in Afghanistan and winner of the International Press Freedom Prize from Reporters Without Borders in 2012. He joined Hasht e Subh in 2007 as one of the founders and a Senior Political News and Human Rights Editor, and was appointed as the Editor-in Chief in 2012. Mr. Kawa has been working in local and national media outlets since 1998. He has also served as a Senior Advisor of the National Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA). Mr. Kawa is also a member of the Journalists Safety Committee of Afghanistan and is a frequent commentator on Afghan and international TV channels. In addition, Mr. Kawa currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Afghanistan New Generation Organization (ANGO); a board member of Aid Afghanistan for Education (AAE); an advisor and a member of the board of directors of Afghanistan Journalists’ Center (AFJC); and a founding member and the Chairman of Afghanistan Analysis and Awareness (A3), a civil movement and think-tank, composed of young, educated and dedicated Afghans. Mr. Kawa holds a BA in Education from Baghlan Teacher Training Center (1996) and a BA in Law and Political Science from Kabul University (2011). He is also a poet and novelist and has published two collections of his poetries: “A Night from Exile” (2000) and “Two Guns, Two Stones.” (2010). Research Topic: “Afghanistan’s New Generation and the Democratization Trend.”

Mr. Shoaib Rahim (Afghanistan), 31, is a Senior Advisor to the Minister of Defense on administrative and financial systems development including such focus areas as Finances, Procurement, Logistics, Engineering and Maintenance, Communications, and Human Resources. Prior to joining the MOD in 2013, he served as a Program Manager at CeReTechs Ltd., the President of H&S Consulting Services in Kabul, and as an Energy Analyst at Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company in North Carolina. Mr. Rahim was a Fulbright Scholar and Asia 21 Fellow at the Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative. He has also taught English Parliamentary Debating at the American University of Afghanistan. Mr. Rahim holds a BS in Electronics Engineering from Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, Malaysia (2008) and a MA in Engineering Management from Duke University (2011). He co-authored an essay, “Global Youth: Why this Group is more Important than Ever?” in a book titled, Millennials Speak. Essays on the 21st Century, published in 2013. Mr. Rahim is fluent in English, Dari, Pashto, Urdu/Hindi and Arabic. Research Topic: “Afghanistan’s Continuing Strategic Relevance to Regional and Global Energy Markets.”

Mr. Giorgi Pertaia (Georgia), 38, is the Director of the Georgian National Investment Agency which is responsible for Foreign Direct Investment facilitation in Georgia, creating the investment portfolio of Government of Georgia initiated projects, and promoting Georgia’s investment climate. Prior to his current position, from 2011-2012, Mr. Pertaia served as a Business Ombudsman of Georgia, responsible for defending the rights and interests of businesses with the government and protecting the rights and legal interests of taxpayers. In addition, from 2010-2011, Mr. Pertaia served as a Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister of Georgia, advising on issues of private sector protection. His experience also includes working for Booz Allen Hamilton in McLean, Virginia; the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia; and the Department of Customs of Georgia. Mr. Pertaia holds a BA in Finance from Tbilisi State University (1998) and a MBA from Western Illinois University (2009). Research Topic: “Can China’s New Silk Road Initiative (One Belt, One Road) bring Foreign Direct Investments to the CAMCA Region?”

Mr. Aibek Djangaziev (Kyrgyzstan), 32, is the owner and CEO of Egoist Group, which operates seven restaurants and three fashion shops in Kyrgyzstan. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors of ENACTUS Kyrgyzstan, an organization that helps young students start projects in social entrepreneurship. From 2014-2015, Mr. Djangaziev served as the President of Rotary Club of Bishkek, where he held many fundraising events and initiated various charity projects. One of these projects, “Give a Cow,” was designed to support poor rural families with disabled children by gifting them a cow. This project improved the quality of life and nutrition of more than 100 families and their disabled children with both the consumption and sales of the fresh milk. Mr. Djangaziev is also a member of the Bishkek Business Club, a business association that promotes and supports the interests of small and medium businesses in the country and aims to create an effective dialogue between the government and business community. He is also the Vice President of the Triathlon Federation of Kyrgyzstan and promotes a healthy way of living. Mr. Djangaziev holds a BA in Economics from Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (2004). Research Topic: “Government and Business Relations and the Prevention of Corruption.”

Ms. Saule Imanova (Kazakhstan), 35, is an Investment Officer at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Almaty, where she is responsible for business development in Central Asia with a primary focus on the sectors of manufacturing, agribusiness and services. Her professional interests include private sector promotion, investment climate in transitional economies, corporate governance and civil society. Ms. Imanova has more than ten years of investment and project finance experience in the countries of Europe and Central Asia and, prior to joining the IFC in 2007, she worked at the Innovation Fund of Kazakhstan and Astana Finance Investment Company. Ms. Imanova holds a BS in International Economic Relations from Karaganda State University in Kazakhstan (2000), a MS in Development Finance from Reading University, UK (2001) and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in economic policy management from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Research Topic: “Kazakhstan: Role of Geopolitics in the Choice of Development Model.”

Dr. Roman Vakulchuk (Kazakhstan), 31, is Co-Founder and Country Director for Kazakhstan at the Central Asian Development Institute and a Senior Researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo. His research interests include economic transition and regional integration, trade, infrastructure and transport, energy policy, investment climate and business culture, climate change and emerging markets. He is an author of numerous articles and a book, Kazakhstan’s Emerging Economy: Between State and Market (2014). In 2013, Dr. Vakulchuk won the prestigious Gabriel-Al Salem International Award for Excellence in Consulting in the category “Consulting without Borders,” for his contribution to the establishment of the Consortium of Consulting and Research Organizations of Kazakhstan. Dr. Vakulchuk has also worked as an expert and project leader for research projects commissioned by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, German Development Cooperation, Economics Education and Research Consortium, Global Development Network and others. In 2015, Dr. Vakulchuk was elected as a Country Director of the Central Eurasia Leadership Academy (CELA) in Kazakhstan and a CELA Board Member. Dr. Vakulchuk holds a BA in International Relations from Kyrgyz-Russian Slavonic University in Bishkek (2005), a MA in International Relations from Bremen University/Jacobs University Bremen in Germany (2008), a MA in Peace and Security Studies from the University Hamburg in Germany (2009) and a PhD in Economics from Jacobs University Bremen (2013). Research Topic: “How to Boost Regional Integration in Central Asia?”

Maj. Bayasgalan Lkhagvasuren (Mongolia), 32, has been a desk officer at the Mongolian Ministry of Defense since 2013. He has been on active duty military service for 16 years, including several overseas deployments including Operation Iraqi Freedom (2004) and U.N. peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone (2006), Liberia (2010), and South Sudan (2012). From 2009-2013, Maj. Lkhagvasuren served as staff officer in J3 of the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces where he was responsible for planning and conducting military training and overseas exercises. During his time at J3, Maj. Lkhagvasuren published a Mongolian Armed Forces Survival Handbook based on his personal experiences of planning and participating in overseas trainings and exercises. Maj. Bayasgalan Lkhagvasuren holds a BA in Business Administration from the Defense University of Mongolia (2003) and is preparing to complete his MA in Security Studies at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.  Research Topic: “Can Mongolia Survive in a Challenging Security Environment in Northeast Asia?”

Mr. Naidalaa Badrakh (Mongolia), 40, is the CEO and Secretary-General of the Mongolian Bankers Association and the Chairman of the Policy and Research Academy of the National Labor Party of Mongolia. He is also a founding board member of “Khugjil Khun” club, an organization focused on pioneering the public for social reform, and a board member of “Tsakhim Urtuu,” the first and largest network of Mongolian expatriates around the world. Prior to joining the Mongolian Bankers Association, Mr. Badrakh worked as a Chief Risk Officer at Anod Bank and Khan Bank, a Head of Business Development at Unitel MCS Group, a Senior Investment Manager at MCS Holding LLC, and the CEO of the Mongolia Economic Forum. In his early career, he also lectured on economics at the Institute of Finance and Economics of Mongolia. His areas of interest include national development, strategies of developmental politics, economics, finance and banking. Mr. Badrakh holds a BA in Business Economics from the Institute of Finance and Economics of Mongolia (1997) and a MS in Economics from the University of Kobe, Japan (2004). Research Topic: “National Development Strategy: The Challenge for Post-Transition Mongolia.” 

Mr. Almaz Saifutdinov (Tajikistan), 40, is a Economic/Commercial Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan. In this role, he is responsible for promoting U.S. commercial interests in the region.  He cooperates with the American Chamber of Commerce in Tajikistan and coordinates annual Global Entrepreneurship Week events in Tajikistan. He is also the founder of Economic News Tajikistan Facebook group. With over 5,300 members, including economists, business leaders and government officials, the group serves as a primary source of information and a discussion platform. Prior to joining the U.S. Embassy in 2003, Mr. Saifutdinov worked as the Deputy Manager at the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development in Tajikistan, where he helped to establish one of the first mobile cell phone companies in Tajikistan, and Pamir Energy public-private partnership, which provides hydroelectric power to most of Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region and the bordering regions of Afghanistan. Mr. Saifutdinov holds a BA in English and French languages from Dushanbe State Pedagogical University (1997) and a Master of Development Administration from Western Michigan University (2002). He is an author of numerous analytical articles on economic and commercial issues.  Research project: “Increasing Competition of the U.S., China, Russia, India and the Islamic World in Central Asia and its Impact on the Economic and Political Situation in the Region.”

Ms. Larisa Agiarova (Turkmenistan), 29, is a First Deputy Director and a Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) Reporting Specialist at the General Electric International Inc. (GE) Branch in Turkmenistan. Prior to joining GE, from 2008-2014, Ms. Agiarova worked for international non-for-profit projects funded by USAID and the German International Cooperation agency (GIZ) that facilitated economic and legal reforms in Turkmenistan. Her professional expertise covers accounting, U.S. GAAP, International Financial Reporting Standards, financial statement analysis, anti-money laundering, and valuation. During her professional career, Ms. Agiarova has served both in governmental institutions, such as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy and Development, the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, as well as in non-for-profits, such as the Union of Economists of Turkmenistan and the Union of Accountants of Turkmenistan. Ms. Agiarova holds a BA in Economics from the Moscow Institute of Economic and Humanitarian Sciences, Russia (2009) and a MA in Accounting from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2011). Since 2011 she also holds a valid certification of Fraud Examiner issued by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (U.S.). Research Topic: “Communication Bridge between the U.S. Treasury Department and the Ministry of Finance of Turkmenistan on International Financial Reporting Standards Adoption.”

Mr. Bahtiyor Mirzabaev (Uzbekistan), 36, is a Planning Executive at KNOC Ferghana Operating Company, an Uzbek subsidiary of Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC), the world’s 60^th largest petroleum company. In this capacity he manages government affairs and corporate communications activities. He also serves as the Secretary of the company’s Management Committee and its two Subcommittees jointly run with Uzbekneftegaz. Prior to joining KNOC,               Mr. Mirzabaev worked for UNDP’s “Improving the System of Customs Administration in Uzbekistan” Project, which assisted the government in elaborating a new revision of the Customs Code of Uzbekistan. Mr. Mirzabaev also has an extensive background as a public officer both in local and central state bodies. From 2003-2007, he held different positions at the Ministry of Economy, as well as from 2001-2003 at the Namangan Province Administration of Economics. Mr. Mirzabaev holds a BSc in Business Administration, with a major in Finance from A.J. Palumbo School of Business Administration, Duquesne University, Pennsylvania (2000) and a MBA from Tashkent State University of Economics (2004). Research Topic: “Lifting Intra-Regional Trade Barriers for Sustainable Economic Development of Central Asian Countries.”

Ms. Hilola Suleymanova (Uzbekistan), 33, is a Founder and Managing Partner at DaVinci Solutions, a Human Capital consulting company. Prior to starting her own business in 2014, from 2008-2013, she worked as a Country Manager and an Executive Search Consultant for Pedersen and Partners Uzbekistan and then as a Consultant for Pedersen & Partners in Germany. Earlier in her career, Ms. Suleymanova worked as a Director at the Central Asia Consulting Group and as a Consultant in the Enterprise Management Development Section of the International Trade Centre/UNCTAD/WTO. Ms. Suleymanova studied at Bemidji State University in Minnesota and holds a LLB from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Tashkent. She also holds a certificate of Export Management Development Adviser from ITC/WTO. Research Topic: “Labor Markets in Central Asia: How to Solve the Youth Labor Migration Problem?”