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Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Japan

Who will study in Uzbekistan based on a state grant


Higher education provides the youth of Uzbekistan with the opportunity to secure a respectable position and earn prestige in society. Supporting individuals who have acquired profound knowledge in the previous stages of continuous education, and utilizing an objective selection system for these purposes, will optimally attract the best candidates into the socio-economic and engineering-technological sectors. These candidates, possessing strong foundational knowledge and a significant drive for higher education, will most effectively harness human capital.

The state grant allocated for obtaining higher education plays an important role in this process. This factor contributes to the effective preparation of the country's necessary personnel, increases the responsibility of universities, and ensures the most objective and qualified admission of students into the most demanded fields and specialties of higher education.

At the presentation given to the President on May 6 of this year, proposals were discussed regarding the optimization of higher education programs and the improvement of admissions and qualification systems. The importance of a more rational and equitable allocation of state grants was emphasized. In this regard, it was highlighted that selecting well-prepared candidates with deep foundational knowledge and a clear goal of obtaining a specific specialty is the most promising approach. Supporting such individuals with benefits ensures the targeted preparation of future specialists. Additionally, directives were issued to ensure transparency and efficiency in the university admissions process, to review admissions quotas for the new 2024/2025 academic year, and to improve qualification requirements by integrating their content with internationally recognized criteria.

During the presentation, the head of state pointed out the necessity of addressing the significant discrepancies in admissions quotas between bachelor's and master's programs and adapting these levels of higher education more rationally to the needs of the modern labor market. Furthermore, the difficulties in providing university graduates with comprehensive qualifications were noted, which created certain challenges in their employment. Instructions were given to develop appropriate measures for setting university admission indicators based on objective and reliable demand and supply, determining the real prospective needs of economic sectors and industries for personnel. This task involves local executive bodies, non-governmental organizations, entrepreneurs, and investors. It was proposed to constructively study and work on reducing outdated programs and forming new, in-demand areas of higher education based on employer needs and the current development of economic and social sectors.

The extensive reforms being implemented in our country across nearly all sectors of the economy and social sphere necessitate a broad demand for highly qualified personnel.

As a result of consistent targeted measures, we have achieved certain successes in a relatively short period. Specifically, the total number of higher educational institutions in the country has reached 211 (compared to 72 in 2016). Of these, 67 are non-state universities, and 29 are branches of foreign universities. This has significantly expanded opportunities for obtaining higher education in the country. Thus, the overall coverage of youth by higher education in the 2023/2024 academic year was 42 percent, compared to nine percent in 2016.

Recently, there has been a growing interest among young people in engineering-technical fields of higher education and research activities. This has been significantly facilitated by the increase in the share of grant admission quotas. For instance, the proportion of students in engineering-technical fields exceeded 35 percent in the 2023/2024 academic year, whereas this figure was only 25 percent in 2019. Additionally, the share of university graduates who chose research activities after completing their master's degrees reached 35 percent in 2023 (compared to 15 percent in 2019).

In these circumstances, the support of highly prepared and diligent young individuals through state grants is a crucial principle in the preparation of professional personnel.

During the recent presentation, another innovation was announced: the state grant will no longer be provided to a student for all four years of study but will be redistributed annually among students who achieve high results. It is no secret that sometimes a student admitted on a state grant may show a lack of diligence and fall behind in their studies. Meanwhile, another student, who just missed the state grant upon admission by a few points, may excel in their studies through hard work and outperform their peers. In such cases, it seems fair to reassign the state grant in the following academic year to the diligent student rather than to the underperforming one who did not live up to the high expectations.

This measure will also promote the principle of social justice, which is always a central focus of the head of state. State grants are also a form of financial support for students. They provide equal opportunities for obtaining higher education regardless of citizens' socio-economic status, thus fostering inclusivity.

It is important to note that during the presentation, the significance of establishing the "Education Projects Center" project office was emphasized. This office aims to ensure continuity and coherence in preschool, general secondary, vocational, and higher education. The project office primarily analyzes the system of training, retraining, and professional development of teaching staff. It also works on expanding opportunities for continuing education in higher education after vocational training and organizing workforce preparation based on three-year bachelor's degree programs. Additionally, its functions include preparing proposals to outsource certain functions of government bodies in the education sector (such as determining the ranking of educational organizations, accreditation of educational programs, and more) to non-governmental organizations, including international ones.

During the presentation, the head of state addressed the issue of optimizing the management tier of higher educational institutions. It was noted that there is a need to review the functions and the large number of dean's offices and other administrative structures. Instructions were given to completely overhaul the university education management system by the new academic year, with a focus on digitalizing management functions.

The head of state highlighted the necessity of aligning qualification requirements with international standards and certifying qualification assessments. Instructions were given to develop qualification standards and digitalize them. To this end, a decision was made to establish the Institute for the Development of the National Qualifications System, which will work with employers to develop the necessary modern qualification requirements.

In summary, the presentation's prospective goals include further developing objectivity and social justice in the higher education system, improving the quality of education, and expanding workforce training in engineering and technology fields.

It is essential to recognize that, under the new conditions, the level of responsibility for the heads of higher educational institutions for the results of the educational process significantly increases. It is also important to note that the pedagogical, scientific, and intellectual potential of higher educational institutions is fully sufficient to achieve the set goals. Most importantly, there is a genuine desire among the teaching staff and the university community as a whole to become an effective driver in the preparation of highly qualified personnel. The primary criteria for this aspiration should be, first and foremost, the quality of the graduates, their demand in the labor market, and high employment rates.

Konratbay Sharipov,

Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan



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