“In the name of the Motherland, in the name of the Nation, in the name of the People!”
Training qualified specialists is a priority of state policy, especially in the context of modern challenges and the needs of the economy. Thanks to the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation, established for this purpose, about 2,300 scholarship recipients were sent to study in 45 countries of the world between 2018 and 2025.
To date, more than 1,400 graduates have returned to Uzbekistan and are fruitfully working in the fields of economy, education, science, medicine, and public administration. Over 740 scholarship holders are currently studying at prestigious universities included in the world’s top 300.
By the decree of the Head of State of May 5, 2025, “On additional measures to support the training of gifted specialists abroad, to develop their professional skills and to provide incentives”, the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation was reorganized into the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation for Training Promising Personnel under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The purpose is to organize the training of gifted youth and specialists in prestigious educational, research, and other institutions abroad, as well as to further enhance the professional skills, knowledge, and experience of civil servants through training and internships in foreign countries.
The reorganization is aimed at expanding the scope of personnel training. In cooperation with the Academy of State Policy and Administration and the Agency for Management Efficiency, a unified cluster for personnel training has been established as a strategic platform for investing in human capital.
The primary mission of the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation is to form a team of leaders and specialists of a new generation who have studied at prestigious universities and research centers around the world. Upon returning to the Motherland, they will make a worthy contribution to building New Uzbekistan by introducing advanced knowledge and experience, strengthening state institutions, and elevating healthcare, education, the economy, digitalization, culture, and other key sectors to a new level.
The Foundation serves as a bridge between gifted youth and the global education system, thereby strengthening human capital as a key resource for sustainable growth.
Within the framework of the new strategy, special attention is given to supporting talented youth, women, representatives of science, and public administration in the regions, regardless of their location or social status. This is in line with the global Sustainable Development Goals, including the vital principle of “Leaving no one behind”.
The First 100 Days after the Transformations
In the first 100 days following large-scale reforms, the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation has become a dynamic center for attracting talent and an open platform oriented toward international standards and the strategic interests of the country.
The renewed structure, new requirements and criteria for conducting transparent competitions, and the expansion of international ties have all become part of a systemic approach to integrating global academic experience into the national system of personnel training.
In short, significant work has been carried out to elevate the Foundation’s activities to a qualitatively new level and to shape an innovative approach to personnel training. These measures create a solid foundation for large-scale initiatives that will enable Uzbek youth and specialists to acquire world-class knowledge and skills and apply them in practice.
A New Team – New Opportunities
At the heart of the reforms is the formation of a team of specialists who studied at leading foreign universities and gained experience working in international organizations.
In line with the newly set large-scale tasks, the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation’s team has been formed from young and promising professionals who graduated from prestigious educational institutions.
The average age of employees is 34. One-third of the staff are women, and 95 percent of team members hold higher education degrees, nearly half of whom possess a master’s degree in various fields.
Notably, nine employees are former El-Yurt Umidi Foundation scholarship recipients who studied abroad and are now contributing to the further development of the professional skills, knowledge, and expertise of a new generation of leaders, talented youth, and specialists capable of shaping the bright future of New Uzbekistan.
Such a personnel structure will serve as a guarantee for the introduction of advanced educational practices and approaches.
Open and Transparent Competition
Within a short time, a special online platform integrated into the my.gov.uz system was launched. This made it possible to significantly reduce bureaucratic procedures and eliminate the influence of the human factor, serving as an effective measure to prevent corruption risks. The platform operated 24/7, allowing applications to be submitted from anywhere in the world.
While in 2024 the number of applicants for the Foundation’s open scholarship competition was 4,100, in the first open scholarship competition of 2025, this figure exceeded 8,000 candidates.
Special attention was given to the composition of the selection committee. At least 50 percent of its members were representatives of the private sector and civil society institutions. The interview process was conducted in an open-access format through online broadcasting via the Internet.
Clear criteria were established for passing the selection stages: the minimum passing score for tests and interviews was set at 61 and above.
International Educational Diplomacy
The Foundation is actively expanding its circle of international partners. In a short period, negotiations have been held with representatives of leading universities, research centers, international educational institutions, and other organizations.
In particular, close contacts have been established with the College of Public Service, which implements professional development programs for civil servants and government leaders in the United Kingdom and other countries worldwide, and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University – widely recognized as one of the leading research and educational institutions in the United States in the fields of public administration, public policy, and social sciences – with active negotiations on cooperation underway.
The Foundation is working on organizing internships and developing joint projects with the USC Price School of Public Policy and International Public Policy and Management Program at the University of Southern California, the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, and the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. The Foundation is also in the process of signing cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding with the University of Warwick, Vanderbilt University, and the Stanford Center for Innovation and Design Research.
Opportunities for World-Class Education
The Foundation has set ambitious goals: expanding the geography of cooperation and optimizing the list of recommended foreign universities. Scholars, professors, lecturers, and researchers with a high Hirsch index (h-index) in the Scopus system who are working abroad will be attracted to Uzbekistan. Joint educational programs with foreign universities ranked in the world’s top 300 will be implemented, and their branches will be opened in Uzbekistan. The education of young people from foreign countries, primarily from Central Asia, at domestic universities will also be funded.
These measures will strengthen Uzbekistan’s position as a regional educational center. In addition, a friendly academic environment will be created to foster cultural exchange, the development of joint scientific projects, and long-term cooperation.
As part of its long-term development strategy, the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation plans to become a full-fledged educational hub linking Uzbekistan’s state institutions with leading foreign universities, research centers, and professional communities.
This will not only expand the scale of cooperation with prestigious international universities but also create a solid foundation for the deeper integration of the country’s personnel training system into the global educational space.
