At least 200 Uzbek girls to study abroad annually

Starting this year, at least 200 girls from disadvantaged families in Uzbekistan will be sent to study abroad under the "Bright Future" project. The announcement was made on March 7 during a ceremony at the "Kuksaroy" residence in honor of International Women’s Day.  

"This year, we are launching the 'Bright Future' project to provide talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the opportunity to study abroad. As part of this initiative, at least 200 of our girls will enroll in prestigious universities worldwide every year," President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated.  

Additionally, 250,000 girls will be admitted to higher education institutions this year—3.5 times more than in 2017. As a result, 25 to 30 women from each mahalla will have the opportunity to pursue university degrees. To support this effort, Zulaykho Makhkamova, chairperson of the Family and Women’s Committee, and Hilola Umarova, minister of preschool and school education, will work individually with high school girls to prepare them for higher education.  

The event also highlighted the government’s increasing focus on women’s education. Women now make up more than 52% of students in the country’s 203 higher education institutions. Last year alone, about 15,000 female master's students received state-funded tuition assistance totaling 100 billion sums.  

Currently, more than 6,200 women are engaged in scientific research, contributing to 25% of the country’s scientific developments. Among them are internationally recognized scholars, including microbiologist Dilfuza Egamberdieva, who was awarded UNESCO’s prestigious Carlos Finlay International Prize for her research on cultivating high-yield crops in saline soils.