BOOK REVIEW: SHAKHNOZA GANIEVA’s CONCEPT ON NATIONAL HERITAGE IMPACT IN SHAPING SOFT POWER DIPLOMACY

Abstract:

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the monograph by Dr. Shakhnoza Ganieva, Heritage as a Factor in Uzbekistan’s Soft Power Diplomacy. A Territory of Meanings. The review highlights the fundamental scholarly value of Ganieva's work, which conceptualizes Uzbekistan's rich historical and cultural heritage as a vital resource for foreign policy image-building and "soft power" projection. The monograph systematically examines Central Asian manuscript collections and museum artifacts preserved in the UK, Germany, Russia, the US, Turkey, and France, while providing an in-depth analysis of Uzbekistan’s contemporary cultural diplomacy initiatives (2017–2025). The reviewer emphasizes the interdisciplinary strength, empirical richness, and practical utility of the monograph for international relations scholars, cultural diplomats, and Orientalists.

Keywords: Book review, Shakhnoza Ganieva, soft power, cultural diplomacy, cultural heritage of Uzbekistan, manuscripts, international relations, Oriental studies, Center for Islamic Civilization.