15TH ANNUAL SILK ROAD CONFERENCE 

YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND. . . THE 15TH ANNUAL SILK ROAD CONFERENCE  |  Friday, September 17, 2021

• Keynote Speaker - Ambassador George Krol  
• Highlighting Silk Road Week  |  (See Below for FREE Daily Business Activities)
• Northern Illinois University Conference Center, 1120 E. Diehl Road, Naperville, Illinois (access off I-88)  |  “In the heart of Illinois High Technology Corridor
• FREE Parking
• ORGANIZED AND MANAGED BY: CENTRAL ASIAN PRODUCTIVITY RESEARCH CENTER (A Non-profit organization building International relations) Celebrating 22 years of success

SPONSORS

• Global Programs, College of Business, Northern Illinois University
• Illinois Soybean Association
• Clinton Regional Development Corporation

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

• College of Business Hacettepe University,  Ankara, Turkey
• Illinois Chamber of Commerce
• International Trade Association of Greater Chicago
• Pan Asian Business Council
• Quality Training Institute, Inc.
• Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce

The Central Asian Productivity Research Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Contributions are always welcome, especially to help the CAPRC Business and Professional Institute.

CENTRAL ASIAN PRODUCTIVITY RESEARCH CENTER: SILK ROAD WEEK SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

MONDAY, SEPT 13 10:00 AM - NOON Zoom Presentation

• AN ALTERNATIVE MODE OF DOING BUSINESS
• Professor John Kalaras Dr. Kalaras, is CAPRC’s quality management chairman; a prolific writer, known worldwide for his work in the field of quality management and has been lecturing at the MBA level for decades. This seminar will discuss an innovative way of operating your business that leads to operational excellence. This approach has been successfully tested in some 15 countries, with great results. Following his presentation, Professor Kalaras will conduct a round table discussion with 10 - 15 executives.

MONDAY, SEPT 13, 2-3:30 PM. Zoom Presentation

• SEMINAR: THE PANDEMIC AND CHALLENGES TO PRODUCTIVITY
• MODERATOR: Kasi Paturi, Chairman, CAPRC Productivity Committee, CEO, Global Cyber Security Initiative and President, Pan Asian American Business Council
• PANELISTS: Ronald Melka, co-chairman, CAPRC’s Productivity Committee; adjunct, Illinois Institute of Technology; Exec. Director Lyons Township Mental Health Commission (TBA) The CAPRC, a member of the World Confederation of Productivity Science (WCPS), has been organizing management training events focusing on productivity on-site in Central Asia and on-line for 22 years .

TUESDAY, SEPT 14, 10 Am-Noon Conference Center, Consulate of the Republic of Turkey

• CAPRC’s ANNUAL ENERGY SEMINAR
• Presented by members of the Center for Energy And Value Issues CEVI
• Chairman: Professor Ozgur Arslan-Ayaydin, Chairman of the CAPRC’s Energy Committee
• OPENING REMARKS Professor Harry C. Lepinske, CAPRC chairman
• COMMENTS Professor Ozgur Arslan-Ayaydin CAPRC’s chairman, energy committee and award-winning Professor of finance at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
• OFFICIAL WELCOME: Hon. Engin Turesin, consul general Consulate, Republic of Turkey
• FINANCIAL STRUCTURE of RUSSIAN COMPANIES - Professor Yusuf J. Ugras, associate professor LaSalle University Philadelphia, PA Dr. Ugras has held leadership positions in academia an within Professional organizations. His current interests include Integrating analytics into strategy and financial performance Measurement.
• Presentation Dr. Ugras will discuss the capital formation strategies of the three largest Russian Oil and Gas companies, paying a pivotal role in the Russian economy.
• COMPETITION BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY TO BECOME A NATURAL GAS HUB IN THE REGION - Professor Mehmet Baha Karan Hacettepe University Ankara, Turkey Dr. Karan is co-chairman, CAPRC’s energy committee and CAPRC regional coordinator, founder of the university’s Financial Research Center (HUFAM), organized main Courses for the Istanbul Stock Exchange, serves on the board of some of Turkey’s prominent corporations, former chair of the Finance Society-Turkey and a has a long record of academic and professional achievements.
• Presentation His presentation will focus on regulators’ need to define a framework for ESG reporting, applying artificial intelligence methods to identify the topics contained in ESG reports and assess their information value.
• THE THERMATIC CONTENT OF ESG REPORTS A TOPIC MODELLING APPROACH - Professor James Thewissen, Professor of finance Universite’ Catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve. Belgium Dr. Thewissen’s expertise focuses on the development of methods to automatize the extraction of unstructured information incorporate disclosures such a annual reports, earnings press releases and documents disclosing nonfinancial information.
• Presentation In response to regulators’ need to define a framework for ESG reporting. We apply artificial intelligence methods to identify the topics contained in ESG reports and assess their information value
• ENERGY, CEVI AND TURKEY - Professor Andre Dorsman Professor and President, Center for Energy and Value Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  Dr. Dorsman has retired from serving as a finance professor of leading universities, is a prolific writer of finance and capital markets, and president of his own company He will focus on Turkey: a main pillar in CEVI Energy research.
• ESG AND ENERGY SECTOR - Professor Ozgur Arslan Ayaydin, finance professor University of Illinois-Chicago Dr. Ayaydin is an award-winning professor in the fields of International financial markets and investments; is a prolific writer of technical books and professional journals; is an expert evaluator to the European Union’s research projects and treasurer of CEVI.
• Presentation Assessment of the energy industry from the social, environmental and governance perspectives.

THURSDAY, SEPT 16

• ILLINOIS SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION WILL HOST A SPECIAL ONE-DAY AGRO-EXPORT TOUR FOR FOREIGN DIPLOMATS
• A specially-designed Illinois agricultural tour of foreign diplomats Is being hosted by the Illinois Soybean Association as part of the Silk Road Week, Diplomats will see soybeans loaded onto containers for export; observe grain being loaded into a large along the Illinois River; meeting with farmers to discuss modern farm operations; visit a lock and dam facility; and a tour of a container facility with railroad systems.
• For information and registration: David Headley Team Leader Illinois Soybean Association davidglobalag@gmail.com 

15th Annual Silk Road Conference Agenda - Friday, September 17, 2021; 8 AM – 5 PM -

• Northern Illinois University, NIU Outreach Conference Centers; 1120 E. Diehl Road, Naperville, IL 60563
• Agenda: Speaker Status (C) Confirmed (I) Invited

08:00 Registration and Networking

08:30 Welcome: Professor Harry Lepinske, CAPRC Chairman; Professor Paul Prabhaker, Associate VP Emeritus, College of Business, NIU

08:45 Opening Remarks: Erin M. Cole, 2021 CAPRC Silk Road Conference Chair and President & CEO Clinton Regional Development Corp.

09:00 Keynote Address: U.S. Ambassador George A. Krol, former U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State

09:30 Overview of How to Do Business in the Silk Road Countries: Erin M. Cole, CGBP; Garret Mitchell, U.S. Department of Commerce

10:30 Break

10:45 Panel: Business Opportunities in Central Asia - Moderator TBA; Panel Matthew Edwards, Director Office of Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia; U.S. Department of Commerce; Garrett M. Mitchell, U.S. Department of Commerce; Tatyana Bystrushkina, Executive Director, American Chamber of Commerce in Uzbekistan; Elena Son, Director of the American - Uzbek Chamber of Commerce, U.S. - Kyrgyz and U.S. Tajik Business Councils, and U.S. Afghan Business Initiative

12:00 Lunch and Presentation by the Illinois Soybean Association

13:30 TURKEY TBA Consul General of the republic of Turkey in Chicago Engin Turesin

14:00 PAKISTAN TBA Consul General of Pakistan, Tarik Karim

14:30 AZERBAIJAN TBA Natiq Bakhishov, Executive Director of the United States - Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce

15:00 Break

15:15 Belt and Road Initiative: Better Future based on Extensive Consultation, Joint Contribution and Shared Benefits; Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago, Zhao Jian

15:45 Doing Business in Central Asia: A Round Table discussion with experienced Multi-National Business Executives. Moderator: Prof. Harry Lepinske, President, International Marketing Services Ltd., Western Springs, Illinois. Panelists: Captain Shahid Naseer, President and CEO, SHAARS International Inc., Rockford, Illinois; Michael Krzyston, President and CEO, Multiple International Corporations; Azad Sharapov, President, Euroexport Holdings, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

16:15 Closing Remarks

16:30 Networking / Reception

15th Annual Silk Road Conference Registration and Pre-Convention Events

Silk Road Conference $45.00 Associates $55.00 Non-Associates

Please complete and mail payment to 5220 Ellington Avenue, Western Springs, Illinois 60558

Name_______________________________________ Title________________________________________ Company/Organization_____________________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________________________________ City ____________________________State___________ Zip ______________Country________________ Principle Business____________________________________________ Number of Employees __________ Email Address ________________________________ Website ____________________________________ Telephone (__________) ________________________ Fax (_____) ___________________________

Interest (Circle one)   Find an Agent    Find a Distributor    Joint Venture    Exploring the Market    Licensing

_____ Alternative Mode of Doing Business Sept 13, 10:00 AM (No Cost)

_____ The Pandemic and Challenges to Productivity Sept 13, 2:00 PM (No Cost)

_____ CAPRC / CEVI Energy Seminar Sept. 14, 10:00 AM (No Cost)

Private One Day Agro-Export Tour For Diplomats (Contact David Headley ISA davidglobalag@gmail.com

_____Exhibit Table $250._____ Pop-Up Banner $50 _____Program Add $25/$50/$100 _____Electric Outlet

To Register Electronically Go To www.CAPRC.org or Mail completed registration form to CAPRC, 5220 Ellington Avenue, Western Springs, Illinois 60558-2035

Deadline: Monday Sept 13, 2021