Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), with financial support from a substantial grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), has signed a historic agreement with the Government of Uzbekistan to fund an educational project aimed at significantly improving the quality, inclusivity, and efficiency of the country's preschool and school education system.

During the ceremony, IsDB President Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser signed the agreement with the Minister of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Hilola Umarova. The signing took place at the Human Capital Development Initiative (HCI) conference in Riyadh. GPE Director General Laura Frigenti was also present at the event.

The Smart Education program, approved by the boards of IsDB and GPE on December 15, 2024, and October 18, 2023, respectively, has become IsDB's largest investment in Uzbekistan's education sector to date. The total project cost is US$220.25 million, of which US$160.25 million is provided by IsDB, US$40 million is a GPE grant, and US$20 million is allocated by the Government of Uzbekistan.

The project fully aligns with Uzbekistan's national education strategies aimed at enhancing the quality and efficiency of the education system and will contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 (Quality Education). Additionally, the project reflects the second direction of the IsDB's 2023–2025 strategic restructuring — "Inclusive Human Capital Development."

The implementation of the five-year project has already begun, with key tasks including the construction of schools and finalizing agreements with UNICEF and UNESCO for implementation.

Given the rapidly growing number of schoolchildren and the urgent need to expand infrastructure and improve education quality, the Smart Education (Smart ED) project will create modern learning conditions and strengthen systems for sustainable, inclusive, and competency-based education. The project will build 58 inclusive schools and 2,431 classrooms across 11 regions of the country and the city of Tashkent, all fully equipped with laboratories, furniture, and digital infrastructure.

In addition to infrastructure, the project includes large-scale systemic reforms, including the development of competency-based curricula, the updating of educational materials, the improvement of teacher training, and the implementation of effective student assessment and education quality monitoring mechanisms — with a special focus on inclusivity.

The project is expected to benefit over 72,930 students, including girls and children with disabilities, and will train 36,115 teachers and staff. The SmartEd initiative directly supports the IsDB's strategic goals of developing inclusive human capital and expanding access to quality education in member countries.