Casa Asia and the University of Cádiz They have resolved the call for the awarding of the Ruy de Clavijo scholarships for the current year.
Specifically, four Ruy de Clavijo 2025-2026 scholarships have been awarded to carry out research or cooperation projects related to Central Asia, with a financial award of €3.000 each, to the following projects:
1. Alfonso E. de la Fuente Ruiz, with the project "Mapping the AI Ecosystem in Central Asia: Models, Applications, and Key Players in the Era of Generative AI"
Countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Mongolia and Iran
The objective of this project is to analyze the organizational and business ecosystem linked to the development and application of generative artificial intelligence (LLMs, chatbots, VLMs, etc.) in Central Asian countries, as well as in Iran, Afghanistan, and Mongolia. It aims to map key actors such as research centers, technology startups, and universities, evaluate their innovation and international cooperation models, and study the impact of AI on the regional economy and society.
Through interviews, document analysis, and data review, the project will generate a strategic benchmark report on the state of generative AI in the region, highlighting opportunities for collaboration with Spanish institutions. Broadly speaking, this initiative seeks to strengthen academic and technological ties between Europe and Central Asia, facilitate knowledge exchange on disruptive technologies, and provide a rigorous analytical basis for decision-making regarding international cooperation, scientific development, and digitalization.
2. Javier Millos Castro, with the project "Crossed letters: Doñana and the Mar Aral: Intercultural dialogue, epistolary literature, and the memory of water»
Country: Uzbekistan
The objective of this project is to promote intercultural dialogue between students from Spain and Uzbekistan through epistolary literature and ecological awareness, taking as a symbolic reference the endangered landscapes of Doñana National Park and the Mar from Aral. The project revolves around the reading of authors such as José Cadalso and Alisher Navoi, the exchange of letters between young people, and the creation of video poems as a form of critical and artistic expression.
Using an interdisciplinary approach that links literature, global citizenship, and environmental education, the proposal aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promotes active pedagogy centered on critical thinking and empathy. Broadly speaking, this project seeks to build cultural and educational bridges between Spain and Central Asia, use words as a tool for social transformation, and strengthen youth engagement in the face of current challenges.
3. MarRosano Alloza and Lorenzo Lage Estrugo, with the project "A Millennium of Globalizations in Central Asia"
Country: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
The objective of this project is to analyze and compare the historical processes of globalization in Central Asia since the 19th century. XIII to the present, through the study of imperial structures such as the Mongol Empire, the Timurid Empire, the Soviet Union, and contemporary Chinese influence. A critical reading of the past is proposed to understand the dynamics of regional integration and its relevance to current global debates.
In collaboration with the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan and experts from prestigious Central Asian universities, the project includes an international seminar organized by the Modern History Group of the University of Cádiz and the publication of a specialized academic monograph. In general terms, the initiative seeks to promote academic cooperation between Spain and Central Asia, generate high-impact knowledge in global history, and contribute to consolidating research networks on globalization processes from a comparative and transregional perspective.
4. Michael Ángel Acosta Sánchez, with the project "Comparative Study on International Border Control: European Union – Central Asia"
Countries: Mongolia and Kazakhstan
The objective of this project is to comparatively analyze border control regimes in the European Union and Central Asia, focusing on Kazakhstan and Mongolia as key case studies due to their strategic location between Russia and China. From a legal, institutional, and public policy perspective, the project explores aspects such as regulatory frameworks, migration management, security, and the protection of human rights in border areas.
Based on the experience of Kazakhstan and Mongolia's borders with Russia and China across Central Asia, the project proposes a scientific study of this issue with the publication of the final report in the journal Peace@Security, a photography exhibition, and the educational implementation of the results through an international seminar on comparative EU-Central Asia border control within the framework of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Immigration and Human Rights. In the medium term, the creation of a global International Network on Border Control is planned. Overall, the project seeks to strengthen academic cooperation, foster the exchange of good practices, and offer tools for border governance in complex contexts.
Beneficiaries must notify in writing to Casa Asia Acceptance of the scholarship must be received within a maximum of 15 calendar days from the publication of this resolution. If acceptance has not been received within this period, the application will be rejected.
Acceptance of the scholarship by the beneficiary implies compliance with each and every one of the rules of this call.
The return of non-selected projects may be requested within a maximum period of two months from the date of publication of this resolution.
This call for Ruy Clavijo Scholarships, organized and jointly financed by Casa Asia and the University of Cádiz, aims to award four scholarships to carry out cultural and academic research and cooperation projects related to Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia) in the cultural, educational, economic and socio-political fields.
The Ruy de Clavijo Scholarships are part of the Central Asia Observatory de Casa Asia and the University of Cádiz, which aims to facilitate rapprochement between Central Asia and Spain from the political, economic and academic spheres. This collaboration between Casa Asia and the University of Cádiz part of the Signed agreement between both institutions last March 2023.
