Five legal professionals from Tajikistan are studying law at US universities this year in an effort to strengthen the rule of law in their home country. Through the Legal Education and Development (LEAD) Fellowship Program for Tajikistan [7], these fellows are earning their LLM to gain a greater understanding of comparative legal systems that they will apply to law in Tajikistan. Below are profiles of these exceptional scholars’ past experiences and plans for the future.
2011-2012 Fellows
Mufarrah Hamidova
Host Institution: University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law [8]
Areas of Focus: Family law, immigration law, and international human rights
Biographical Snapshot: Mufarrah Hamidova graduated from Tajik State National University in 2006. Before her fellowship, Hamidova worked at the non-profit organization, League of Women Lawyers of the Republic of Tajikistan, focusing on family and immigration law.
What will you do when you return to Tajikistan? “After gaining new knowledge through this international experience, I hope to apply new ideas to the Tajik legal system. My goal is to gain more expertise in family and immigration law, as well as international human rights issues. I will keep networking with international students in order to share my work and experiences and further develop the legal system of Tajikistan.”
Saidahmad Ikromov
Host Institution: University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law [9]
Areas of Focus: Corporate law, international law, and securities
Biographical Snapshot: Saidahmad Ikromov graduated with honors from Khujand State University. Ikromov worked as a law teacher at the same university and as coordinator of the Street Law program implemented in Tajikistan by the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative in Europe and Eurasia. Most recently, Saidahmad worked as a legal advisor for four different International Finance Corporation projects, focused on contract law, corporate law, and corporate governance.
What will you do when you return to Tajikistan? “I am hoping to substantially expand my field of expertise, which will enable me to contribute in the development of my country on legal related issues. When I return, I hope that there will be international organizations interested in the establishment and development of a securities market in Tajikistan, and I believe a joint initiative with them will heighten the effect of my newly gained knowledge and skills in the securities market area.”
Alisher Khuchakov
Host Institution: University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law [10]
Areas of Focus: Intellectual property, International dispute resolution, investments, and trade law
Biographical Snapshot: Alisher Khuchakov graduated from Tajik State National University in 2005 and has since worked for the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. Khuchakov first worked as a legal advisor in the Ministry of Interior Affairs and since 2007, as Chief Specialist for the Law Department in the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. He has worked on drafting bilateral and multilateral treaties and agreements on economic and trade issues.
What will you do when you return to Tajikistan? “I believe all gained skills and knowledge will help me achieve my future career goals - to be a leading expert on international trade and business law as well as to lecture on international law at the university. I would also like to contribute my knowledge and expertise to the establishment of the rule of law, the construction of Tajikistan's forthcoming legal civilization, and the improvement of Tajikistan's legal regulation system.”
Aliakbar Nazarov
Host Institution: Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law [11]
Areas of Focus: Business and commercial law
Biographical Snapshot: Aliakbar Nazarov graduated with honors from Tajik State National University in 2008. Most recently, he has worked as the Deputy Head of the Law Department for the Tajik energy company TALCO Management Ltd. Prior to that, he worked as the Head of the International Investment Law Department, among other positions, at the law firm Orien-Sipar.
What will you do when you return to Tajikistan? “ I want to take the legal information I learn here in one of the best law schools in the U.S. and share it with my colleagues, law students, and the law society of the Republic of Tajikistan. I want to teach law and advocate for strengthening the rule of law in Tajikistan. Here in the U.S., I expect to face many interesting and useful laws that I think can benefit the Tajik civil society, and so upon returning to my country, I will advocate for civil society.”
Jamshed Yakhyaev
Host Institution: Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law [12]
Areas of Focus: Comparative, business, and international law
Biographical Snapshot: Jamshed Yakhyaev graduated with honors in 2007 from Tajik State National University; he received his LLM in International and European Law from the Riga Graduate School of Law in 2009. Yakhyaev recently worked for the Ministry of Justice, focusing on the legality of draft laws and international agreements and treaties. He also worked as a program assistant in the Political-Military Department of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office in Tajikistan.
What will you do when you return to Tajikistan? “I believe that knowledge in the field of law that I acquire in the U.S. will facilitate my personal contribution to the development of the overall legal system of Tajikistan. Particularly, I want to work toward reformative laws that are in line with free-market economy demands based on democratic governance, rule of law, and respect for human rights. Upon return home I plan to work on those projects aiming to enhance the legal environment of Tajikistan.”
LEAD [7] is a program of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) [13] of the US Department of State and is implemented by ABA ROLI [14] and IREX.