INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM “ADVANCED RESEARCH IN ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT”, SEPTEMBER 19, 2025
745
PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION IN UZBEKISTAN:
TOWARD A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR INVESTOR–
BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT AMIDST ACCOUNTABILITY
CRISES
Foziljon Rus amo
Uni e si y o Žilina, Resea che
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17307456
Abs ac . This pape examines Uzbekis an’s e ol ing landscape o p i a e highe
educa ion (HE), cha ac e ized by inc eased in es o in e es , egula o y igh ening, and ongoing
licensing con o e sies. D awing on ecen inciden s o suspended and e oked licenses, his
s udy a gues o he u gen de elopmen o a clea , s a egic policy o os e accoun abili y,
anspa ency, and long- e m in es o and s uden con idence. I analyzes he egula o y
en i onmen , ecen scandals, in e na ional compa isons, and p oposes s a egic di ec ions o
policy.
Keywo ds: Uzbekis an, p i a e highe educa ion, licensing, in es o engagemen ,
egula o y s a egy, accoun abili y.
1. In oduc ion
Uzbekis an has wi nessed a apid expansion in p i a e and ansna ional highe educa ion
ins i u ions beginning in 2018, con ibu ing o sec o di e si ica ion and in es men in e es .
Howe e , ecen egula o y ac ions—including ab up license suspensions, pe asi e “ echnical
mal unc ion” explana ions, and mo a o ia on new licensing—ha e unde mined in es o
con idence and dis up ed p i a e HE ope a ions. This pape assesses he need o a na ional
s a egy o s abilize and guide in es o –business engagemen in p i a e HE.
2. Regula o y and S a egic Con ex
Se e al laws, p esiden dec ees, esol ions and o he documen s ha e been adop ed on
highe educa ion pas decade. These legisla ions and ins umen s aim o mode nize HE, ensu e
quali y, and se s a egic di ec ion. Fo ins ance, he la es and impo an legisla ion o imp o e
he highe educa ion sys em in he Republic o Uzbekis an include:
A new e sion o he Law o he Republic o Uzbekis an “On Educa ion” (2020);
The P esiden Dec ee o he Republic o Uzbekis an “On App o ing he Concep o
De elopmen o Highe Educa ion o he Republic o Uzbekis an un il 2030” (2019);
Resolu ion o he P esiden o he Republic o Uzbekis an “On addi ional measu es o
imp o e he quali y o educa ion in highe educa ional ins i u ions and ensu e hei ac i e
pa icipa ion in he la ge-scale e o ms ca ied ou in he coun y” (2018);
The P esiden Resolu ion “On measu es o he u he de elopmen o he highe
educa ion sys em” (2017).
Na ional s a egies such as he De elopmen S a egy o 2022–26 en ision inc easing
highe educa ion pa icipa ion by 250,000 s uden s, doubling o e seas s udy, and expanding non-
go e nmen al HEIs, including es ablishing a la ge campus in Sama qand. Addi ionally,
ansna ional educa ion (TNE) expansion has been no able, making Uzbekis an one o he op
coun ies globally in b anch campuses by 2023. Suppo o p i a e sec o in es men — ia
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM “ADVANCED RESEARCH IN ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT”, SEPTEMBER 19, 2025
746
au onomy, inno a ion g an s, and public–p i a e pa ne ships—has been pa o mode niza ion
e o s.
3. C isis: Licensing Scandals and In es o Disillusionmen
Since mid-2024, no new p i a e HE licenses ha e been issued, wi h a singula
excep ion—Acha ya Uni e si y—g an ed by go e nmen esolu ion. On Augus 29, 2025,
se e al uni e si ies unexpec edly saw new p og am licenses—e.g., o dis ance lea ning o
mas e ’s p og ams— lagged as “inac i e” by he licensing po al, allegedly due o a echnical
mal unc ion. The Minis y o Jus ice, howe e , denied any sys em ailu e, deepening con usion.
Rep esen a i es om p i a e ins i u ions ha e publicly ques ioned ecu ing “ echnical
e o s,” desc ibing hem as a bi a y and inconsis en . One lawye ecoun ed mul iple ins ances
whe e licenses we e issued—allegedly ollowing a hacke -like sys em e o —and subsequen ly
e oked, wi h no anspa en c i e ia o e e sal. Ano he sou ce epo ed ha license
deac i a ions occu ed o e nigh wi hou inspec ions, epo s, o legal g ounds, causing
subs an ial epu a ional, inancial, and en ollmen damage—a ec ing housands o s uden s and
millions in in es men s. In legal p oceedings, cou s in Tashken ha e ecen ly dismissed he
Minis y’s a emp s o e oke p i a e uni e si y licenses.
New egula ions e ec i e Oc obe 4, 2025, manda e ex ensi e licensing c i e ia: a $2
million minimum cha e capi al, physical acili ies ≥ 5,000 m², a i e-yea s a egic plan,
signi ican ein es men equi emen s (≥ 80% o p o i s o i e yea s), and ad anced quali y
sys ems. Also, licensed ins i u ions mus epo e e y diploma o a cen alized da abase—
noncompliance isks e oca ion—compliance equi ed by Janua y 1, 2026.
De elopmen ends o highe educa ion in Uzbekis an
Yea s
Numbe o
highe
educa ion
ins i u ions
( o al)
(Uzbekis an)
including
Numbe o
s uden s
s uden s in
highe
educa ion
o ganiza ions
( o al)
including
The
numbe o
o eign
highe
educa ional
ins i u ions
Non-s a e
highe
educa ional
o ganiza ions
Numbe o
s uden s in
non-s a e
highe
educa ional
o ganiza ions
2000
61
0
183576
2001
61
0
207162
2002
62
2
232254
2003
62
2
254363
2004
63
2
263576
2005
62
2
278674
2006
62
3
286341
2007
62
4
296563
2008
62
5
297915
2009
63
6
286222
2010
65
6
274520
2011
64
6
253026
2013
66
6
258343
2012
64
6
259290
2014
68
7
261332
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM “ADVANCED RESEARCH IN ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT”, SEPTEMBER 19, 2025
747
2015
69
7
264291
2016
70
7
268281
2017
72
7
297689
2018
98
10
1
360204
1300
2019
119
16
4
440991
4700
2020
127
18
5
571512
9400
2021
154
25
17
808439
37900
2022
191
26
42
1042100
97500
2023
219
30
90
1314542
343600
2024
222
30
90
1432810
343600
4. S a egic F amewo k Needed: Recommenda ions
Cu en licence- ela ed issues happening in Uzbekis an be ween Minis y and p i a e
uni e si ies shows ha (Na ional) S a egy o P i a e HEIs/Uni e si ies should be de eloped
and adop ed o make accoun abili y, clea message o p i a e sec o s, wi h possible wo pa hs:
Op ion A: Re-publicize public dominance, akin o Ge many’s model—s ic o e sigh ,
limi ed p i a e ole.
Op ion B: Allow p i a e ma ke mechanisms, demand-d i en, wi h s ic bu anspa en
s anda ds. The la e would equi e clea ly de ined, consis en policies ha suppo in es o
planning and p e en a bi a y ac ions.
Regula ions and implemen a ion mus be codi ied and public. Fo example, clea
imelines o e iew and appeals; s anda dized no i ica ion sys ems and legal pa hways i issues
a ise—no mo e “ echnical e o ” jus i ica ions; ein es men ules aligned wi h g ow h phases.
P i a e uni e si ies in e na ionally o en hi e placemen o ice s, build employe
ne wo ks, and emphasize g adua e employabili y—key o sus ainable epu a ion and s uden
ou comes. Examples include UK uni e si ies like Glasgow and Bi mingham, which assign
dedica ed oles o suppo g adua es in hei home coun ies—bu Uzbekis an has ye o emb ace
such models. Emphasis on employabili y me ics alongside academic excellence (e.g., QS
G adua e Employabili y Rankings) could bols e quali y and in es o appeal. P i a e HE can
os e inno a ion, esea ch, and di e si ied unding. S a egic amewo ks may include: wuali y
assu ance aligned wi h in e na ional s anda ds; incen i es o pa ne ships wi h o eign
uni e si ies o ins i u ions; compe i i e inno a ion unding (e.g., Academic Inno a ion Fund
model) o p omo e esea ch and ele ance.
5. Conclusion
Uzbekis an s ands a a c oss oads in i s highe educa ion e o ms. The su ge o p i a e
and ansna ional ins i u ions o e s oppo uni ies o educa ional g ow h and economic
dynamism. Howe e , ecen licensing c ises— oo ed in opaci y, egula o y con adic ions, and
ad hoc e e sals—ha e impe iled in es o us . Mo ing o wa d, he go e nmen mus a icula e
a cohe en , anspa en , and accoun able s a egy o guide p i a e HE and in es o –business
engagemen . This en ails codi ied egula ions, p edic able en o cemen , ins i u ional capaci y-
building, and in eg a ion o employabili y and accoun abili y. Failu e o ac may e e se he
gains slow e o ms ha e achie ed.
Al hough he ollowing legisla ions ha e been adop ed, cu en scandals happening in
Uzbekis an be ween Minis y and p i a e uni e si ies shows ha (Na ional) S a egy o P i a e
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM “ADVANCED RESEARCH IN ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT”, SEPTEMBER 19, 2025
748
HEIs/Uni e si ies should be de eloped and adop ed o make accoun abili y, clea message o
p i a e sec o s
REFERENCES
1. Minis y o Highe Educa ion denies epo s on issuing new licenses due o echnical
mal unc ion and subsequen in es iga ions. UzDaily.com (Aug 29, 2025). UzDaily.uz
2. Some p i a e uni e si ies mis akenly issued licenses; Minis y o Jus ice denies mal unc ion.
NOVA24 (Aug 2025). NOVA24.UZ
3. Inside Uzbekis an's p i a e uni e si y boom, conce ns o e quali y and licensing suspension.
The Diploma (May 2025). The Diploma
4. Go e nmen igh ens ules on p i a e uni e si y licensing: esolu ion June 30, 2025. Kun.uz
(July 2025). Kun.uz
5. Addi ional licensing condi ions e ec i e Oc obe 2025: concep , capi al, acili ies,
ein es men . Tashken Times (Jul 2025). Tashken Times
6. Diploma epo ing equi emen ; compliance by Jan 1, 2026. Fe ghana News (July 2025).
Fe gana News
7. Cou ejec s license e oca ion cases o p i a e uni e si ies. Zamin.uz (2025). Zamin.uz
8. De elopmen s a egy 2022–26: expand HE pa icipa ion, non-go e nmen al ins i u ions,
in e na ional engagemen . QAA epo (Feb 2024). Quali y Assu ance Agency
9. T ansna ional highe educa ion expansion: 23 o eign b anch campuses (2018–2022). Ba h
Uni e si y esea ch (2024). he Uni e si y o Ba h's esea ch po al
10. Wo ld Bank mode niza ion ini ia i es: academic inno a ion g an s and p i a e sec o
pa icipa ion. Wo ld Bank blog (2021). Wo ld Bank Blogs
11. Economy and p i a e HE oles such as TEAM Uni e si y ocusing on en ep eneu ship.
Wikipedia – Economy o Uzbekis an / TEAM Uni e si y
