“New Uzbekistan Scholarship” program to be introduced for foreign students

Uzbekistan is set to launch the “New Uzbekistan Scholarship” program, which will provide grants for foreign citizens to pursue higher education in the country. The initiative was presented on April 3 during a review by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of proposals aimed at further improving the higher education, science, and innovation system.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has carried out large-scale reforms to expand access to higher education, improve the quality of instruction, strengthen research capacity, and develop international cooperation. At the same time, effectively using the system’s existing potential, closely linking science with the economy, and deepening the integration of education and research remain urgent tasks.

Against this backdrop, the presentation reviewed a new package of measures designed to improve the higher education, science, and innovation system.

Among them is the launch of the “U10 – Uzbekistan’s Globally Advanced Universities” program. Under the initiative, 10 higher education institutions will be selected through a competitive process and granted the status of national research universities, where scientific clusters will also be established.

The selection process will be based on such indicators as the capacity of faculty members and researchers, the institutions’ positions in national and international rankings, their scientific infrastructure, and their share of financing.

The scientific clusters to be established will operate as consortiums involving domestic and foreign higher education institutions, research centers, and industrial enterprises.

Universities granted national research university status will be allocated up to 150 billion soums from the Science Financing and Innovation Support Fund to establish scientific clusters.

The proposals also envisage the introduction of performance-based financing mechanisms in the higher education system.

In particular, beginning in 2027, a system of financial incentives for higher education institutions will be introduced based on their results in national rankings.

Under this system, universities will be assessed according to such criteria as education quality, scientific activity, international cooperation, digitalization, and graduate employment.

New approaches have also been proposed for determining the amount of funding allocated to universities for students studying on state grants. From now on, factors such as the complexity of the field of study, labor market needs, university rankings, regional considerations, and incentives for faculty members will be taken into account.

A new system for financing scientific research is also expected to be introduced. In particular, at least 50 percent of funds allocated under state scientific programs will be directed toward priority areas. Project selection will be carried out in cooperation with international experts, scientific and technical councils, and sectoral enterprises.

In addition, a new system aimed at expanding the commercialization of scientific developments in higher education and research institutions has been proposed.

In particular, universities are expected to establish spin-off companies and launch the production of innovative goods and services based on a chain linking sectors, enterprises, higher education institutions, and research organizations.

The goal is to bring scientific results into practice, strengthen technology transfer, and increase the entrepreneurial activity of universities.

As part of efforts to turn Uzbekistan into a regional education hub, new mechanisms have been proposed to attract foreign students. In particular, the “New Uzbekistan Scholarship” program is set to be introduced to provide annual grants for up to 500 talented foreign citizens to study at state higher education institutions across the country.

The presentation also discussed other major initiatives aimed at improving governance efficiency in the sector, developing digital education and artificial intelligence, and supporting young people’s innovative initiatives.