IRCICA’s joint conference series with Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Tashkent), entitled “Ubaydulla Karimov Conference of Young Orientalists”, is an authentic periodical forum in many respects including its encouragement of young scholars to participate in exploring and applying new knowledge and the best methods in the study and preservation of historical manuscripts. The eighteenth edition of the conference was held on 4-5 August 2022. Together with Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies, the conference benefited from the cooperation of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, and Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. An exhibition titled “Conservation and Restoration of Manuscripts from the Holdings of Al-Beruni Institute of Oriental Studies, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences” was opened on the occasion of the conference. A Round-Table titled “Experience of Uzbekistan in the Preservation and Research of Ancient Written Sources” was conducted on its sidelines. The session themes would also reflect the thematic orientations of the papers contained in the book: “Current State of the Preservation, Restoration and Cataloguing of Manuscripts”, “Historical Source Studies”, “Central Asian History and Historiography”, “Language and Literature”, “Islamic Studies”, “Arts of the Book”. From among the 80 papers presented, 67 were selected for publication. Their languages are Uzbek, Turkish, and Russian, with Abstracts in English.
