A decision has been made in Uzbekistan to establish a Higher School of Integrated Programs that will operate under the Tashkent University of Architecture and Construction. This document officially confirms plans for developing international cooperation and implementing joint curricula with foreign higher education institutions.
The existing national structure—the Center for International Qualifications and Assessment, previously established in collaboration with the British organization IQF (Integrated Qualifications Framework)—has received expanded functionality. This center will now be responsible for ensuring that integrated educational programs meet the academic requirements of universities ranked in the top 100 of the QS and THE international rankings.
The center's functions also include developing joint educational models that will be recognized by foreign universities. These models cover various formats, such as '1+3' and '2+2' for undergraduate studies, as well as the '1+1' format for master's students. Furthermore, agreements are planned to establish representative offices of leading foreign universities in Uzbekistan, including campuses, branches, and educational centers.
The new Higher School of Integrated Programs will serve as a platform for integrating advanced global educational experience, allowing students to study according to international standards and increase their chances of competitiveness in the global labor market. The implementation of the International Universities Town project in Tashkent is also being discussed, similar to Education City in Qatar and clusters existing in the UAE and South Korea. Special incentives regarding taxes, licensing, and grants are provided to stimulate the attraction of foreign universities.
Some educational institutions in Uzbekistan have an extremely high student-to-teacher ratio, significantly exceeding the figures in state universities.
According to data from the Unified National Labor System, some branches of foreign universities lacked registered full-time teaching staff. The National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education conducted an analysis of this situation.
According to the agency, over 1.6 million students are currently studying in the country, supported by more than 61 thousand professors and teachers.
The lowest student-to-teacher ratio was recorded in state universities, where it averages 19 students per teacher. In branches of foreign universities, this figure reaches almost 33 students per teacher. The most strained situation is observed in the non-state sector, where the average ratio is 55.3 students per teacher.
The gap is even wider in some institutions. For example, at IT Park University, there are 244 students per teacher, and at Tashkent University of Economics and Pedagogy—236.6. Other noted figures include 140.1 at the Singapore Management Development Institute, 133.8 at the International School of Finance and Technology, and 127.3 students at 'Millat Umidi' University.
The agency emphasizes that such a high teaching load hinders the possibility of conducting individual work with students, organizing practical classes, and stimulating scientific activity. Furthermore, official reports on staffing do not always reflect reality.
According to the Unified National Labor System, no teachers were registered as full-time employees at Webster University and Riga Nordic University, making it impossible for the agency to calculate the ratio of faculty to students in these institutions.
Previously, a document regulating higher education was adopted in Uzbekistan, which establishes rules for the functioning of universities, covering aspects from the organization of the educational process to the rights of both students and teachers.
