Uzbekistan Ministry of Education warns about scammers offering illegal student transfers to courses

In Uzbekistan, the 'From Poverty to Prosperity' program is being implemented, under which over 2,300 loans totaling 35.9 billion soums have been provided to citizens. These funds are intended for the purchase of equipment and machinery, enabling residents to start their own businesses, work for themselves, and develop small-scale production.

According to Central Bank data as of October 1, 2026, a significant portion of the loans was allocated for the purchase of sewing machines—925 units amounting to 13.2 billion soums. Additionally, 419 loans totaling 7.1 billion soums were used to procure equipment sets for food production. Citizens also acquired 496 laptops worth 5.6 billion soums and 272 motor vehicles valued at 5.4 billion soums. An additional 4.5 billion soums was allocated for other types of equipment through 250 processed loans.

Leaders in Support Volume

Among the financial institutions providing support, People's Bank provided the largest volume of loans, issuing 1,600 loans worth 23.6 billion soums. 'Microcreditbank' processed 569 loans for 8.6 billion soums, and 'Agrobank' provided 206 loans for 3.6 billion.

Regional Indicators

In terms of regional performance, Jizzakh region leads with 321 loans received by its residents. It is followed by Tashkent region with 307 loans and Syrdarya region with 262 loans.

The regulator emphasizes that this initiative not only provides financial assistance to the population but also helps realize personal ideas into a sustainable source of income. The main goal of the program is to support small entrepreneurship and increase family incomes. Furthermore, Uzbekistan plans to provide greenhouse farms and private greenhouse owners with preferential loans of up to three billion soums, as well as subsidies, tax benefits, and compensation for part of electricity costs.

Starting in 2027, medical residency training in Uzbekistan will become free, and students will receive a monthly allowance of 3 million soms. Additionally, future medics will begin working with patients earlier, and additional financial rewards are provided for medical staff who complete their training.

These changes were announced by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a meeting with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare sector. Currently, 15 thousand doctors graduate annually from 11 state medical universities, but the head of state noted that not all graduates are ready to immediately engage in full-scale patient care.

Mirziyoyev emphasized that building modern clinics and acquiring advanced equipment is pointless without highly qualified specialists. Therefore, closer integration of medical training with practical activity is planned. Starting next year, students will spend three days a week working with patients, and their final academic year will be spent directly in medical institutions.

The changes will also affect the postgraduate education system. The family medicine residency program will last two years, while the surgery program will last five years. Student training will not be paid, and they will be assigned a monthly stipend of three million soms.

The President also issued an instruction to develop scientific research at the base of medical universities. In the future, it is expected that 80% of medical research will be conducted in these institutions, which already operate under the 'university clinic' model. The main focus will be on improving diagnostic accuracy, increasing treatment effectiveness, and minimizing the probability of complications.

Furthermore, bonuses are provided for medical workers for acquired qualifications. Nurses and paramedics with a bachelor's degree will receive a bonus of 1.5 million soms; master's graduates will receive 2.5 million soms. Specialists in the field of family medicine can expect a bonus of 5.5 million soms.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed the responsibility of medics, stating that unlike specialists in other fields, a future doctor cannot make a mistake because a human life is behind every action they take. He had previously proposed creating a state award for medical workers named after Ibn Sina.

There is a decline in interest in studying abroad among citizens of Uzbekistan. In the first nine months of 2026, 16,522 people traveled to foreign countries for educational purposes. This figure is 8.1 thousand people, or 33%, less than in the same period last year.

Changes in Popular Destinations

The list of most sought-after countries for study has changed. While Tajikistan led the way last year, Russia now holds the top spot. Previously, Tajikistan held the first position, but in the current period, it dropped to seventh place in the ranking.

According to data from the National Committee on Statistics, in January-September 2025, 5.5 thousand Uzbeks chose Tajikistan for their studies, whereas in 2026, this number decreased to 904 people.

Russia is currently the leader, with 3.8 thousand Uzbek citizens traveling there in nine months. The Republic of Kyrgyzstan is in second place with 2.8 thousand people, and the Republic of Korea is in third place, having accepted 2.1 thousand students.

Among other popular destinations, Turkey remains, chosen by 1.8 thousand Uzbeks during the reporting period. Additionally, 1.2 thousand people went to China for education, and 1.1 thousand to Kazakhstan.

European countries and the USA did not make it into the top seven most popular destinations. 784 Uzbek citizens traveled to the United Kingdom for study, 374 to Germany, and 231 to the United States. Furthermore, almost 1.3 thousand Uzbeks chose other countries for their studies.

The trend of a decrease in the number of Uzbeks leaving the country for study was observed previously as well. In the first two months of 2026, this figure was 3.9 thousand people, which is 1.2 thousand less than the previous year.