One of the main directions of the international activity of the Tajik State University of Commerce (TSUC) is participation in scientific-research programs and academic exchange initiatives. In this regard, international cooperation with Lund University (Sweden), which serves as the coordinator of several international projects, deserves special mention. This collaboration has been initiated within the framework of the Horizon Programme of the European Commission of the European Union and encompasses several joint projects.

Partner universities from Sweden, Switzerland, Lithuania, Finland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan are participating in these projects. The main beneficiaries of the program are universities from these countries, particularly those in Central Asia.

The first project in which the Tajik State University of Commerce is involved is the MOCCA Project, which began in 2022 and is scheduled to conclude in early 2026.

From August 1 to September 30, 2025, as part of this project, a regular internship program was held at Lund University (Sweden) and Karlovo University (Czech Republic) with the participation of representatives from universities in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.

From the Tajik State University of Commerce, the participants were Professor Zarina Halimovna Kodirova, Associate Professor Ismatullo Ubaydovich Ismatulloev, and postgraduate researcher Zamira Tojiddinovna Kodirova from the Department of Economics and Business Organization.

During the internship, a series of educational seminars were conducted focusing on advancing scientific research and its methodology. Participants studied international research standards, including the IMRAD structure, academic writing conventions, the APA 7 reference style, and other methodological elements and requirements of international academic journals such as SCOPUS.

Throughout the visit, TSUC representatives held productive meetings with professors and faculty members from partner universities, including project coordinators from Lund University. During these meetings and academic sessions, the content and scope of upcoming projects for future years were discussed. It is a matter of pride that the Tajik State University of Commerce has also been included as a partner institution in the new projects.

These two new projects, SOCIAL and POLCA, are research-oriented initiatives. The main objective of the first project is to train scientific personnel and create favorable conditions for participation in PhD programs for universities in Central Asia, while the second project focuses on strengthening methods and methodologies of economic research. These projects will start in January 2026 and continue until 2030.

It should be noted that the implementation of these projects will be carried out in cooperation with universities of Northern Europe, Central Asia, and in partnership with the European Commission’s Agency for Science and Research.

Additionally, during the internship, representatives of partner universities visited innovation and technology centers, where they became acquainted with their activities and forms of collaboration with universities.