The British Council and the British Embassy in Tashkent held an “Uzbekistan UK Alumni Networking and Learning and Development Day”, bringing together more than 200 participants, including young professionals – graduates of UK universities, Chevening Scholarship alumni, winners of UK Alumni Awards.
The event aimed to provide new career advancement and professional development opportunities and strengthen the UK Alumni Network in Uzbekistan. It also began a series of events focused on enhancing collaboration between the UK and Uzbekistan in education and skills development.
The demand for UK education in the Republic of Uzbekistan is growing due to the Government support and overall focus on internationalisation. There were 615 Uzbek students studying in the UK in 2020-2021, 115 of which were recipients of the National El-Yurt Umidi Foundation scholarships. In addition, there are more than 250 Chevening, 11 Hornby scholarship, and 2 Women in STEM scholarship alumni in Uzbekistan. The Uzbekistan-UK Transnational Education market is growing, with 10 UK TNE providers well established in Uzbekistan. Moreover, in 2024, the FCDO’s flagship Chevening Scholarships Programme is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Uzbekistan.
The event started with the Opening Ceremony at the Wyndham Hotel, with Mr. James Roed-Moor, Deputy Head of the Mission to Uzbekistan, and Ms. Jamilya Gulyamova, Deputy Director of the British Council in Uzbekistan, extending a warm welcome to the participants. They highlighted the significance of the Uzbekistan UK Alumni network and its constructive contribution to the country’s educational sector, emphasizing collaborative efforts with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovations of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
“It’s fantastic to see the vibrancy of exchanging knowledge and experience among our UK alumni community. Their commitment to continuous learning and professional development is inspiring and embodies the spirit of collaboration and excellence that defines our alumni network in Uzbekistan. Our alumni are an amazing advert for the quality of education in the UK and great ambassadors for the UK’s prestigious scholarship schemes, including Chevening”, says Mr. James Roed-Moor, Deputy Head of Mission to Uzbekistan.
“We are delighted to bring together outstanding UK programme Alumni from Uzbekistan to share success stories and facilitate some important discussions around the themes that matter to young professionals today. Today we are also launching UK Alumni Awards in Uzbekistan to celebrate the achievements of UK programme alumni from Uzbekistan”, says Ms. Jamilya Gulyamova, Deputy Director of the British Council in Uzbekistan.
The event featured a talk by the esteemed speaker, Mr. Rui Barros Silva, an Entrepreneurship Manager at South Bank Innovation, part of London South Bank University. During his presentation, Mr. Rui Barros shared valuable insights on the forward-looking integration of AI Development Skills and their profound influence on enhancing Business Systems across diverse industries in the modern world.
“I am super excited to be visiting Uzbekistan to engage with key colleagues, partners, and the dynamic community in Tashkent. During this visit, I will have the opportunity to meet with a wide group of exceptional Chevening Scholars and UK Alumni from Uzbekistan. Our discussions will focus on exploring collaborative opportunities, advancing educational initiatives, and fostering stronger connections between entrepreneurial education, artificial intelligence, and real-world applications. I look forward to the valuable conversations and innovative ideas that will emerge from this visit”, says Mr. Rui Barros Silva, Entrepreneurship Manager at South Bank Innovation, part of London South Bank University.
This was followed by a panel discussion around leadership with outstanding UK programme alumni – leading national business, enterprise, and education experts. The session, chaired by Mr. Alisher Faizullaev, a visiting Professor at Webster University Tashkent and a former Ambassador of Uzbekistan in the United Kingdom, explored leadership-related topics such as adaptability to modern business standards, inspiring confidence, and ethical behaviour, and building strong communications and stability to inspire leadership at all levels.
The event continued with a speech by Mr. Iskandar Sattibaev, global winner in the “Culture and Creativity” category of the 2023 Alumni Awards and a literature graduate of Edinburgh University. Iskandar shared how studying in the United Kingdom helped advance his career, allowing him to draw on his experience as a public school teacher in Andijan to create a mobile application to help students learn languages more easily and effectively.
Nasiba Ziyodullayeva, UzA