Digital Education to Unlock New Opportunities for Youth
Uzbekistan
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on the development of a digital education ecosystem.
The target of creating 300,000 jobs in the IT sector by 2030 has already been met this year. Now, by developing new areas within the digital economy, the goal is to create an additional 500,000 jobs by 2030.
To achieve this, a unified digital education ecosystem must be established—one that encompasses every stage, from training and the certification of professional skills to the eventual employment of young people. The presentation outlined approaches to train 5.5 million young people by 2030 through both traditional and remote learning formats.
For school-age students, plans include expanding the "Heirs of Al-Khwarizmi" and "Five Million AI Leaders" initiatives, while also integrating the resources of higher education institutions with those of private training centers.
The Head of State set a target to train 1 million young people annually in fields such as robotics, computer game development, startup creation, and other high-potential areas. This will require building a corps of national instructors, accelerating the launch of online platforms and short-term digital skills courses, and fostering scientific research—with a focus on the practical application of its findings.
The presentation also addressed the need to align university-level professional training with emerging technologies and shifts in the labor market. Proposals were put forward to expand education in areas such as artificial intelligence, microchip design, unmanned technologies, and computer game development, as well as to increase student participation in practical, hands-on projects. Discussions also covered professional development for computer science teachers in the field of artificial intelligence—including the issuance of certificates—as well as expanding university students' access to international educational courses on digital technologies. Proposals were approved to establish training centers for iOS developers, drawing on the experience gained in Fergana, and to train mentors for private educational centers.
Special attention was given to integrating scientific research and development into the educational process. Specifically, proposals were put forward to train university specialists in embedded systems, microelectronics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), alongside providing support for engineering projects and research laboratories.
To ensure that young people can apply the knowledge they have acquired and secure employment, plans were reviewed for the development of the "Digital Youth" platform. This platform will consolidate information regarding an individual’s education, professional skills, language proficiency, and certifications, while assisting in matching them with suitable job openings and tracking their employment status.
The importance of actively engaging global technology companies in digital education was highlighted. Last year, $22 million in grants was secured for these purposes. Through systematic collaboration, the goal is to increase this figure to $60 million by the end of the current year and to $100 million by 2030.
It has been decided that half of the grant funds secured this year will be allocated to digital education, while the remaining half will support professional development programs and the establishment of digital education centers in remote regions—equipped with modern technology for teaching artificial intelligence, robotics, and programming.
The President emphasized that, in addition to broad coverage, the key criteria for the development of digital education must be the quality of instruction and its impact on employment outcomes. Those responsible have been tasked with ensuring that the set goals are achieved through specific programs, expanding learning opportunities in the regions, and strengthening cooperation with the private sector and international partners.
The presentation also included an update on the progress made toward establishing the operations of the International Center for Digital Technologies.
To achieve this, a unified digital education ecosystem must be established—one that encompasses every stage, from training and the certification of professional skills to the eventual employment of young people. The presentation outlined approaches to train 5.5 million young people by 2030 through both traditional and remote learning formats.
For school-age students, plans include expanding the "Heirs of Al-Khwarizmi" and "Five Million AI Leaders" initiatives, while also integrating the resources of higher education institutions with those of private training centers.
The Head of State set a target to train 1 million young people annually in fields such as robotics, computer game development, startup creation, and other high-potential areas. This will require building a corps of national instructors, accelerating the launch of online platforms and short-term digital skills courses, and fostering scientific research—with a focus on the practical application of its findings.
The presentation also addressed the need to align university-level professional training with emerging technologies and shifts in the labor market. Proposals were put forward to expand education in areas such as artificial intelligence, microchip design, unmanned technologies, and computer game development, as well as to increase student participation in practical, hands-on projects. Discussions also covered professional development for computer science teachers in the field of artificial intelligence—including the issuance of certificates—as well as expanding university students' access to international educational courses on digital technologies. Proposals were approved to establish training centers for iOS developers, drawing on the experience gained in Fergana, and to train mentors for private educational centers.
Special attention was given to integrating scientific research and development into the educational process. Specifically, proposals were put forward to train university specialists in embedded systems, microelectronics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), alongside providing support for engineering projects and research laboratories.
To ensure that young people can apply the knowledge they have acquired and secure employment, plans were reviewed for the development of the "Digital Youth" platform. This platform will consolidate information regarding an individual’s education, professional skills, language proficiency, and certifications, while assisting in matching them with suitable job openings and tracking their employment status.
The importance of actively engaging global technology companies in digital education was highlighted. Last year, $22 million in grants was secured for these purposes. Through systematic collaboration, the goal is to increase this figure to $60 million by the end of the current year and to $100 million by 2030.
It has been decided that half of the grant funds secured this year will be allocated to digital education, while the remaining half will support professional development programs and the establishment of digital education centers in remote regions—equipped with modern technology for teaching artificial intelligence, robotics, and programming.
The President emphasized that, in addition to broad coverage, the key criteria for the development of digital education must be the quality of instruction and its impact on employment outcomes. Those responsible have been tasked with ensuring that the set goals are achieved through specific programs, expanding learning opportunities in the regions, and strengthening cooperation with the private sector and international partners.
The presentation also included an update on the progress made toward establishing the operations of the International Center for Digital Technologies.
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