Our founder Patokh Chodiev

Patokh-Chodiev

Dr Patokh Chodiev is an international businessman, author and philanthropist.

Born in Uzbekistan in 1953, Dr Chodiev attended the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) – widely acknowledged to be Russia’s leading educational establishment. He graduated magna cum laude in 1976 with a degree in international law and Japanese. He went on to earn a PhD in political science.

In 1976, Dr Chodiev joined the diplomatic service and was posted to Tokyo where, speaking fluent Japanese, he specialized in Russia – Japan commercial relations for more than a decade and developed his love and enthusiasm for the country.

On leaving the diplomatic service in 1989, Dr Chodiev founded a global mining business which trades today as the Eurasian Resources Group (ERG). It is now one of the world’s leading diversified natural-resources companies.

Dr Chodiev also founded both Eurasian Bank (one of the leading banking groups in Central Asia) and the Eurasia Insurance Company (Kazakhstan’s largest insurance company).

He is a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Dr Chodiev is a noted philanthropist, particularly in Russia and Central Asia, who has been working hard for the last 20 years to provide young people with access to education, knowledge and art.

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In 2005, he was awarded the Order of Kurmet by the President of Kazakhstan for his contributions to social, economic and cultural causes.

In 2011, Dr Chodiev was awarded the Order of Barys for special service to Kazakhstan, including for industrial, scientific, socio-cultural and social activities.

In 2014, he was made an honorary member of the Patrons of Japanese Arts by Akie Abe, the First Lady of Japan, and is also Honorary Chairman of the Association of Japanologists of the Russian Federation. In 2019 Dr Chodiev was awarded the Order of the Friendship of the Russian Federation.

In 2019 Dr Chodiev received ‘Patron of the Year’ award at the VIII St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum, “for sponsorship of the tour of the Kabuki Theatre in Russia”.

That same year he was awarded ‘Order of Friendship’ of the Russian Federation, “for great merits in the field of culture and art, and many years of prolific activity”.

In 2020, Dr Chodiev was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, one of Japan’s highest awards, in recognition of his long-standing contribution to the development of economic and cultural relations between Japan and Russia.

Dr Chodiev is married with a son and two daughters.

Dr Chodiev is fluent in Uzbek, Russian, Japanese and English.

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