“The effectiveness of the reforms being carried out in Uzbekistan depends, first of all, on expanding the ranks of young professionals who are highly spiritual, independent thinkers, and capable of taking responsibility for the fate and prospects of our Motherland.”
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Uzbekistan
Today’s human life, with its intensity, scale, and complexity of relationships, is significantly different not only from the life of previous centuries, but also from the life of several decades ago. In the face of this intensity and force, it is becoming increasingly difficult for any person to survive – to preserve himself, his identity, his personality, and his intellect.
Now let’s imagine the situation of a young person who has to live in the midst of these informational, economic, social, political, cultural, and spiritual changes. If we consider this situation in the context of the youth of our country, it becomes even more clear how important it is to raise them to be truly mature, complete, and patriotic.
Whatever reforms are being undertaken in Uzbekistan today, the goal is, first of all, to create new opportunities for young people. Most importantly, the implementation of these reforms relies on the strength, enthusiasm, and determination of young people.
Another such reform is the “Bright Future” project. Through this project, a thousand talented young people will have the opportunity to study at the most prestigious higher education institutions in the world every year. The main goal of the project is to support talented young people, create opportunities for them to receive a globally recognized education, and train personnel who will contribute to the development of the country.
Within the framework of the project, young people in need of social protection and thirsting for knowledge will be selected from each mahalla, their potential will be identified, and suitable foreign educational institutions will be selected.
The opportunity to study in preparatory courses for entering foreign higher education institutions will be created, and a thousand selected boys and girls will be sent to study free of charge at the state expense in the world’s “Top-100” universities or institutes.
The “Bright Future” project will have a significant impact on the social stability of the country. First of all, it will serve to reduce inequality in education. Because creating such opportunities for talented but difficult young people will increase their social mobility.
Such young people can gain knowledge and skills and achieve a high position in society. At the same time, the opportunities provided to children from low-income families in the country will strengthen the principles of social justice.
From an economic point of view, this project will help to form highly qualified specialists, which in turn will increase the quality and competitiveness of the country’s workforce.
Young people who have studied abroad will return to their homeland and give impetus to the country’s economic growth by introducing new technologies, creating innovative startups, and developing the economy. In addition, they will play an important role in strengthening international relations and attracting foreign investment and business partnerships.
This initiative will further strengthen trust between the state and society. Because the government’s attention to the education and future of youth is an indication of the central place of youth in the country’s overall development strategy.
In addition, the training of specialists with a broad worldview and international experience will help to increase the efficiency of public administration in the country. They will actively participate in improving politics, law, and public services.
In general, through the project, young people will increase their potential, reach the heights of science, and contribute to the development of the country. That is the brilliance of “Bright Future”.
New opportunities open up for Uzbek youth
A Youth Entrepreneurship Development Fund has been established under the Youth Agency, with an allocation of $100 million. The fund will provide up to 2.5 billion soums in preferential loans to young entrepreneurs, and up to 2 billion soums in investments in startup projects of enterprising youth.
“Aloqabank” will become a bank supporting youth business projects and startups. The bank will be provided with $200 million for this purpose. “Aloqabank” will provide preferential loans from 100 million soums to 5 billion soums for a period of 5 years for young entrepreneurs’ micro and small projects in industry, agriculture, services and other areas. At least 30 percent of the loans issued by the bank will be directed to women.
Entrepreneurs in the service sector will pay social tax at a rate of 1 percent if they employ employees under the age of 30 and pay at least 3 million soums per month. This benefit will be valid for 3 years.
Creative industry parks will be established. A preferential tax regime will be introduced for residents of the Creative Industry Park until the end of 2030. In this case:
social and income tax rates will be reduced by 50 percent;
residents will be recognized as taxpayers of turnover tax, regardless of the volume of sales of goods.
Business schools will be established on the basis of industrial parks to train representatives of the creative sector. In these schools, young people will learn new and modern innovative methods of doing business and providing services.
If enterprising young people with a “C-1” level in foreign languages open specialized foreign language training centers in remote and remote regions, they will be provided with interest-free loans of up to 120 million soums from the new fund of the Youth Agency.
Young people studying foreign languages in private training centers will be reimbursed for their expenses in the “2+6” format. In this case, the first 2 months of training costs will be paid from the students’ own funds, and the remaining 6 months from the state. Through this new system, a program will be implemented to train 100 thousand young graduates in foreign languages at “B-2” level.
In 2024, 25 thousand girls were trained in IT for free. The number of girls learning to program will be doubled this year.
A “digital social ecosystem” will be created based on early identification of the interests and needs of young people, monetization of their potential, and involvement in socially significant projects based on artificial intelligence technologies.
The “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation will be transferred to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The Fund’s quotas will be increased in the areas of energy, transport, urbanization, modern architecture, and medicine.
Young people who have returned from studying abroad will be directly included in the National Personnel Reserve, and they will be employed by government agencies without competition.
A new system for training talented, thirsty for knowledge, but who do not have the opportunity to study abroad due to difficult family circumstances will be introduced – the “Bright Future” project. In this case:
– young people in need of social protection and thirsty for knowledge will be selected from each mahalla, and their talents will be determined;
– a foreign university that matches their potential will be selected and they will be trained in preparatory courses.
Every year, 1 thousand young people who have passed the selection will be sent to the “Top-100” universities of the world, and their study and living expenses will be covered. 300 billion soums will be allocated for these purposes.
Young scientists under the age of 35 who have received scientific degrees from prestigious “Top-100” universities in the world will be allocated an interest-free loan of up to 800 million soums for housing for a period of 10 years.
The amount of a one-time cash prize for winners and prize-winners of prestigious international science Olympiads will be increased 10 times.
The “Supreme Commander-in-Chief” state scholarship will be introduced for exemplary students of military universities.
In 2025, about 150 thousand young people of difficult categories will be assigned to ministries, departments and regional leaders by name.
