Tashkent Medical University addresses claims over Nizhny Novgorod program

Reports have circulated on social media claiming that students from Tashkent State Medical University (TDTU) are being forcibly sent to study in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, a region alleged to be under martial law. TDTU has issued an official statement denying the claims of coercion while confirming that students are indeed being sent to study there.

The university clarified that all students involved have been admitted to a joint educational program that requires them to complete their fourth and fifth years at the Privolzhsk Medical Research University (PIMU) in Nizhny Novgorod. Each student has signed a contract outlining this requirement.

According to the statement, PIMU currently implements 12 partnership programs with five higher education institutions in Uzbekistan, with more than 400 Uzbek citizens enrolled full-time.

To ensure favorable conditions, TDTU Rector Shukhrat Boymurodov is in regular contact with PIMU Rector Nikolay Karyakin. They have agreed to allocate a separate dormitory for Uzbek students, allow previously expelled students to resume studies without losing an academic year, and operate a dedicated dean’s office for the partnership program. This office will provide ongoing support, including airport reception and assistance with required documentation for living in Russia.

The university also noted that, by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 421 dated July 6, 2021, entrance exams for the joint programs were conducted in a simplified manner. It dismissed as unfounded the reports about transferring students to universities in Kazakhstan.

TDTU rejected claims that Nizhny Novgorod is under martial law, stating that no such declaration has been made in the region. The city, it added, is home to partner higher education institutions involved in scientific and educational cooperation with TDTU.

On August 11, Rector Boymurodov met with each student in the program and their parents to explain the departure process, living conditions in Russia, and student housing arrangements. The university reported that most participants expressed willingness to continue their studies at PIMU, while only a small number sought to remain in Tashkent, citing false information and violating their contracts.

According to the statement, those spreading false information have deliberately distorted facts, misled the public, and attempted to discredit the university’s leadership and staff. It warned that such actions could lead to legal liability under Uzbek law and urged the public and media to rely solely on official, verified information.

For reference, on August 11, it was reported that one person was killed and two others were hospitalized following a Ukrainian attack on an industrial zone in the Nizhny Novgorod region of western Russia.