National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek is one of the top-ranking universities in Uzbekistan. By the government’s decree, NUU must enter the top 500 of international rankings by 2030. Since 2021, NUU is led by Inom Madjidov, former Minister of Higher and Professional Education of Uzbekistan. He is considered to be the architect of current reforms in Uzbekistan’s higher education.
TSU and NUU started collaborating in 2019 with double bachelor’s degree programs. For two years students study at NUU and then are transferred to TSU, at the end receiving a diploma from each institution. Currently, the two universities intend to open new double-degree programs with the Institute of Economics and Management (in Finances, Accounting, and MBA-Agribusiness) and with the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (a double master’s degree program that will be a continuation of the already existing bachelor’s degree program).
During their stay, the NUU rector and deans met with TSU rector Eduard Galazhinskiy, representatives of the Higher IT School, faculties specializing in physics and mathematics, Faculty of Chemistry, Faculty of History and Political Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, Biological Institute, Institute of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Institute of Economics and Management, and the Laboratory of Medical Alloys and Shape Memory Implants.
“One of the important tasks at hand for NUU is training teachers for schools and universities, most importantly, teachers of physics. In mathematics we can cooperate in both education and research – in 2022, NUU entered the QS Ranking by Subject in Mathematics. Overall, joint educational programs are the first important area of our cooperation,” notes Artyom Rykun, TSU Vice-Rector for International Affairs.
Moreover, the delegation from Uzbekistan visited a seminar ‘Transforming the university: TSU’s experience’ and a presentation of TSU-developed EdTech products.“One of our strategic goals was to introduce NUU to the technologies of our Institute of Distance Education: the AKTRU system for conducting lectures in a hybrid format, and online platforms for learning English and Russian. The pandemic was not the cause for these inventions, but it significantly sped up the process. Our colleagues from Uzbekistan were interested in our technologies, they would love to use them,” says Artyom Rykun.
Another presentation was dedicated to the University Consortium of Big Data Researchers, with an excursion to TSU’s supercomputer center Cyberia. NUU representatives signed a memorandum of cooperation and took notes for the future NUU supercomputer laboratory.
TSU and NUU partnership will also open new opportunities in the business sector in agriculture, chemical production, and IT.
“NUU’s rector was also very interested in our Higher IT School. He asked many questions after meeting with Oleg Zmeev, Higher IT School Director. We hope that our local companies will follow our IT specialists to Uzbekistan. The status of NUU and its rector are the evidence of the university’s high reputation in the country,” Artyom Rykun summed up.
Currently, 355 students from Uzbekistan study at TSU. As of 2022, TSU has partnered with 19 Uzbekistan universities, the most active partnerships being National University of Uzbekistan, Samarkand State University, and Andijan State University.