Asrorjon Sattorov
In Uzbekistan, over 54% (18.9 million) of the population are under 30, with a near-even gender split. Highlighting their importance, the state adopted over 50 youth-focused laws (2017-2021) and designated June 30th as “Youth Day.”
As a result of the socio-political and economic reforms implemented in our country in recent years, a step has been taken to a completely new level of development. Youth, culture, and sports issues were established in the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan. A “Youth Parliament,” consisting of 100 active and enterprising young people under the Senate of the Oliy Majlis and 250 active and initiative young people under the Legislative Chamber, was created. Additionally, a commission on youth issues was established in the Legislative Chamber.
Currently, 22.9 percent of business entities operating in the republic, or 106,574 of them, belong to young people under the age of 30. Furthermore, 21.5 percent of individual entrepreneurs are young people under 30 years old. Additionally, more than 3,500 young farmers and about 7,800 young craftsmen are working in the country.
In the 2019 elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 9 (6 percent) young people were elected as deputies, and 10 percent of local council deputies are young people.
The “Brave Boy” state award and the “Builder of the Future” medal were established to reward young people between the ages of 14 and 30 who set an example for their peers through their activity and initiative in the social and political life of the country, as well as those who have achieved great success in their studies and work. These practical results are founded on consistent and effective reforms carried out under the renewed strategy of reforms and the strong will of the head of state regarding youth policy.
The strategic goal of the state youth policy implemented in the republic is to create conditions for every young person to receive a free education, engage in productive work, realize their potential, develop creatively, and elevate the level of social life in all aspects. This approach has enabled the accumulation of valuable experience in our country.
It is important to emphasize that, along with state organizations, non-governmental organizations in our country are actively involved in identifying and supporting talented young people. For example, one of the main directions of state policy regarding youth is aimed at supporting the talents and abilities of young people. In 2019, by a special decree of the President, the “Hope of the Country” fund was established under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Thousands of talented young people have received educational grants awarded by this foundation.
Our country provides opportunities for students to study at prestigious universities in developed foreign countries and learn from advanced international experiences. For the 2022-2023 academic year, 420 students and master’s candidates received scholarships and grants for studying abroad from the “Hope of the Country” fund. These efforts align with the goals of the development strategy for New Uzbekistan.
According to the 50th goal of the development strategy for 2022-2026, the “Hope of the Country” fund aims to double the number of free-thinking and creative young people sent to study at prestigious foreign universities. This includes ensuring that fifty percent of these students are trained in technical, exact sciences, and IT fields, and conducting open selection contests for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies at the most prestigious universities abroad.
As a result of the Foundation’s practical efforts, numerous young people have acquired the knowledge and skills demanded by contemporary times and are applying them to various areas of reform in our country.
One of the urgent tasks of this organization is to encourage and support initiatives in education, science, technology, information technology, culture, art, sports, and entrepreneurship.
As the President of Uzbekistan stated at the Youth Forum of Uzbekistan, “No matter what reforms we try in our country, we will first of all rely on young people like you, on your energy and determination. As you all know, today we have set ourselves huge goals. We have begun to create the foundations of the Third Renaissance in our Motherland. We consider the family, pre-school education, school and higher education as well as scientific and cultural centers to be the most important links of the Renaissance. For this reason, we are implementing fundamental reforms in these areas. I believe that in creating a new foundation for the development of our country, you, our devoted and patriotic youth, will actively participate and make a worthy contribution.”
The “New Development Strategy of Uzbekistan” serves as a unique roadmap for the renewed reforms aimed at realizing the potential of such determined young people.
One of the priority directions of the state policy regarding youth in our country is ensuring youth employment, providing them with education, and training them in various professions. During the 2021 Youth Forum, the head of state called for new and highly relevant proposals in this regard. It was decided that from now on, governors of regions, districts, and cities, ministers, and responsible leaders should hold regular meetings with young people. Governors are to develop and implement “road maps” aimed at solving the problems of young people and report to local councils on this issue every six months, detailing the plans for the next six months.
An important initiative introduced at the forum was the organization of vocational and entrepreneurship training for unemployed and unorganized youth within the framework of the “Youth: 1+1” program. Based on the principle “Each entrepreneur helps young people,” the initiative to connect one unemployed youth with one entrepreneur received strong support from many entrepreneurs. The head of state approved this noble action, which aims to provide employment to at least 500,000 young people.
Within the framework of this initiative, numerous activities have been carried out to train young people, provide them with jobs, and guide them towards entrepreneurship, significantly reducing youth unemployment.
To further accelerate youth reforms, reduce unemployment, expand vocational training, and provide comprehensive support to talented young people, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the “Youth-Oriented State Policy Development until 2025” concept on January 18, 2021. As a result of the state policy statements on youth, opportunities will be created to further strengthen the economic potential of the country and widely apply advanced practices.
Additionally, it is expected that by 2030, Uzbekistan will be among the top 30 advanced countries in the world according to the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) ratings.
At the same time, educational programs will be adapted to international standards (PISA, STEAM), and the coverage of children in pre-school educational institutions, youth comprehensive schools, and higher educational institutions will be gradually increased through the expansion of opportunities for non-state educational institutions. Specifically, 80 percent of children aged 3-7 in the republic are enrolled in pre-school education organizations.
To enhance the cultural level of young people, the number of libraries, theaters, cinemas, museums, parks, and other cultural institutions will be gradually increased. Additionally, the capacity of sports facilities will be expanded by 30%, creating more opportunities for young people to engage in mass sports.
Conditions will be created for youth to engage in public sports in neighborhoods. IT-parks will be established in all regions, and digital technology training centers will be set up in districts and cities. Approximately 200,000 young people will be trained under the “One Million Uzbek Programmers” project.
Efforts will be made to ensure that young people have access to high-quality, fast, and affordable internet services. The provision of double growth in communication and information services will be a key outcome of the “Youth of Uzbekistan – 2025” concept.
In conclusion, by 2030, our country aims to become one of the “countries with an income above the average,” with the gross domestic product exceeding four thousand dollars per capita, and our economy doubling from its current state. The effective implementation of the “Youth of Uzbekistan – 2025” concept, which serves as an important legal foundation, is of great significance. The intellectual potential, knowledge, and modern professions of young people remain crucial factors in the country’s development.
*The author is an Associate Professor at the University of Public Safety of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
**The opinions in this article are the author’s own and may not represent the views of The Diplomatic Insight. The organization does not endorse or assume responsibility for the content.
