As part of the “Diplomatic Perspective” project of the Uzbekistan National News Agency (UzA), interviews and conversations will be organized with the heads of international organizations operating in the country and ambassadors of foreign countries.
In the next issue of the project, we interviewed the British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Timothy Smart.
– Working as an Ambassador is an interesting and, in turn, very responsible profession. Who inspired you to choose this field? In which countries have you worked as an Ambassador during your career?
– During World War Two, both of my grandfathers flew for the Royal Air Force to fight the Nazis. As such, I grew up hearing about the sacrifices that they and their friends made to defeat tyranny and make the World a fairer and more democratic place. Their devotion to public service and belief in the importance of democracy inspired me to become a diplomat.
During my career, I have been so fortunate to have been posted to Israel/Palestine, Iraq, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Madagascar, and now Uzbekistan. The last four of these as a Head of Mission.
– What was your opinion about our country before you came to Uzbekistan as an Ambassador? What are your current impressions?
– I read Ancient History at University, and ancient Persia and Sogdia fascinated me. As such, I have long been aware of the historic importance of Central Asia to the global exchange of ideas, culture, trade, science, and religion. For around two thousand years, this region was at the centre of world for much of these. It was, therefore, a key bridge between East and West. Today, it is great to see Central Asia – reasserting itself on the world stage after around 150 years of being cut off from so many potential friends and partners. In short, I love living and working in such a dynamic and outward-looking country, one that is embracing the best of its wonderful traditions and history whilst looking to new ideas, learning, and technology to thrive as a fair and democratic society in the 21st Century.
– Would you please tell us about the relations between our countries, particularly the results of trade and economic cooperation?
– Our annual trading relationship is worth close to half a billion US dollars but there is a huge opportunity to expand this. We are working closely with UK businesses who are interested in working in Uzbekistan in numerous sectors. These include education, infrastructure, mining, and professional services, amongst others. At the government level, we are making agreements to boost trade and economic cooperation, such as the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding on Connectivity signed by previous Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, and Foreign Minister Saidov in April this year. This will encourage British and Uzbek businesses to work together on Uzbekistan's major infrastructure projects. We also offer competitive financing support through UK Export Finance and Enhanced Preferences to Uzbek businesses exporting to the UK through our Developing Countries Trading Scheme. Of course, the UK is very supportive of Uzbekistan's aim to join the World Trade Organisation and further increase links to international trade.
– At the same time, if you would like to dwell on the projects implemented in the field of education between the two countries.
– Education is the bedrock of pluralistic societies. It plays a crucial role in economic and social development and building resilience. Uzbekistan has made considerable progress in education, including for girls. However, gaps remain in education quality and high levels of inequality. These are being addressed by a number of partners, including with UK funding, through The Global Partnership for Education (GPE). And I’m delighted that the British Council is supporting quality assurance in Higher Education, good university governance and inclusion in addition to their extensive work with English teachers and English assessment as English language is a key driver for development and competitive advantage in the globalised economy.
The UK has launched a new programme this year to apply the UK’s comparative advantage of education expertise to: (i) identify catalytic gaps in educational provision and provide targeted support for equitable and quality education; (ii) provide systemic support to: improve teacher competency; educational quality assurance systems; and English language development across the region with the British Council; (iii) promote a UK education offer built on evidence/learning, with education (including English language skills) being an enabler for economic/social development.
I am proud that UK is a preferred partner for transnational education (TNE) and there are opportunities to develop the TNE landscape to address internationalisation, quality and access agendas. Uzbekistan leads the way for TNE and has the third largest number of international branch campuses globally (International Higher Education - Uzbekistan Ranks Third Globally as Host of International Branch Campuses), with 10 UK TNEs currently working in the country (In addition to the 22-year partnership with the University of Westminster, UK universities currently working in Uzbekistan include Bangor, Sunderland, Teesside, Coventry, Reading, Queen Margaret, London Southbank, Royal Agricultural University, University of London, LSE, De Montfort University, Wolverhampton).
To contribute to better data around TNE, the British Council has commissioned Times Higher Education to research the TNE landscape in Uzbekistan as part of a regional study. As a result, a comprehensive mapping of all UK TNE delivered in Uzbekistan and key findings and recommendations will be published by the end of 2024.
– Currently, about 3 thousand Uzbek students are studying in the UK. What opportunities are there for Uzbek students to study, find a job, and solve visa-related processes?
– We’re delighted that so many students from Uzbekistan are studying at the UK’s world-leading universities and benefiting from the excellent teaching across a range of subjects, on top of the Uzbek master’s degree students who have succeeded in obtaining a prestigious Chevening scholarship. British universities offer a wide range of courses with some of the best teaching and research in the world, across law, finance, engineering, medicine, the arts and more. I’d encourage students thinking about studying in the UK to check out the prospectuses of a selection of universities to make sure the degree they’re looking for fits their needs and will help them on their career journey, and I’m sure they’ll find one.
On visas, the most important advice I can give is to only seek information from official channels to avoid falling victim to visa scams. British universities are well-known for their high calibre of international students and are used to supporting their students obtain the right documents to enter the UK and adapt to life there.
– It is known that extensive relations are being established with the United Kingdom in labor migration. What is being done in the UK regarding employment of Uzbek labor migrants, protection of their rights and interests?
– The primary route for employment in the UK for Uzbek labour migrants is the Seasonal Workers Scheme (SWS). This enables foreign workers to work in the UK’s horticulture or poultry sectors for up to 6 months in any 12-month period. Migrants need to be recruited to the SWS by a scheme operator. These are private companies licenced by the UK government to recruit migrants for the SWS. The scheme operators decide which countries to recruit migrants from, not the UK government. In 2023, 4,091 Uzbek nationals received a UK Seasonal Worker visa.
– As you know, Uzbekistan will soon celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Independence. On the occasion of this holiday, please comment on the reforms carried out in Uzbekistan during the past period.
– Firstly, huge congratulations on the 33rd Anniversary. I am very much looking forward to joining the Independence celebrations. Secondly, it is clear that the pace of reform led by His Excellency President Mirziyoyev since the end of 2016 has been impressive. The social, economic, and political reforms are largely heading in a really positive direction. Over the last few years, we have seen rapid economic growth and liberalisation of the economy, hundreds of political prisoners released, a genuine fight against corruption, diversification of Uzbekistan’s international trade and diplomatic partnerships, much greater co-operation between all Central Asian states, poverty levels reduced massively, Gender Based Violence outlawed, more freedom of religious expression, an explosion of English language learning and some diversification of media outlets.
I – and my wonderful colleagues in the British Embassy – am here to work with the Government and people of Uzbekistan to help make our countries safer, fairer and more prosperous as we face global challenges together as partners and friends. What an amazing time to be in Uzbekistan!
Interviewed by Guzal Sattorova, UzA