Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The second Uzbek-UK Education Forum will be held on 4-5 March 2024. The Forum is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the British Council in Uzbekistan, the University of Westminster, and Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT). 

The Forum will address core priorities for Higher Education in Uzbekistan and the UK, and highlight key ways in which these priorities are delivered, including through transnational educational (TNE) collaborations. The impact of Higher Education policy, practice, and partnerships will be a focus throughout.

The objectives of the Forum include:

• To address how universities can and do respond to the requirements of global and local contexts and markets and effect positive change
• To respond to national higher education reform and internationalisation agendas by addressing how universities ensure excellence in governance and quality assurance
• To attend to the further development of inclusive higher education in Uzbekistan, through a presentation of the Inclusive University stakeholder mapping exercise and the new Good Practice Guide
• To share good practice in development and innovation in the areas of research, knowledge exchange, and technology transfer, with a focus on impact and how impact is evaluated
• To discuss key trends in TNE, launch the British Council TNE strategy, and explore how Uzbekistan-UK TNE collaborations and international learning can impact positively upon wider higher education developments in Uzbekistan  
• To provide a platform for partnership development discussions to be taken forward. 

The event will see Uzbek Government officials, invited delegates from universities in the UK and Uzbekistan, and representatives from the private sector, international agencies, and think tanks share ideas, knowledge, and expertise. Future collaborative opportunities between Uzbekistan and the UK and developments in higher education policy will be areas of attention throughout the Forum

The Forum will be held at Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT), Uzbekistan. The first day will include a presentation by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations on key priorities and educational developments in Uzbekistan. Forum sessions will address how universities respond to the requirements of and challenges from global and local environments and markets, explore what effective university governance and quality assurance look like, and outline concrete processes for developing inclusive higher education. 
The second day will address innovation and impact in research and knowledge exchange and will explore trends and developments in TNE. A key focus will be on how Uzbekistan-UK TNE collaboration can support wider higher education developments in Uzbekistan.  

Komiljon Karimov, First deputy minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of the Republic of Uzbekistan: ‘’Education is an integral part of the bilateral partnership agenda between Uzbekistan and the UK. We are working together to implement in Uzbekistan a cutting-edge experience in modern higher education. Our joint efforts focus on quality assurance, university governance, the teaching of English, and other areas. It is great to see that the Forum is gradually becoming a tradition in Uzbek-UK relations. This is an important platform where both sides identify and deepen promising areas of collaboration in the education sphere.’’
British Ambassador Timothy Smart: “Education is one of the strongest pillars of our bilateral relations. It is symbolic that this Forum is taking place at Westminster International University in Tashkent – the first UK and the first international University established here, and still one of the most successful. We are very proud with how far the engagement in education has progressed, under the British Council’s leadership. We now have more than 10 strong partnerships between British and Uzbek higher education institutions and are expecting these numbers to grow.”

Denise Waddingham, Director, British Council Uzbekistan: “The Forum represents an exciting opportunity for stakeholders from both countries to come together face to face to discuss the issues facing the HE sector today.  We’re delighted to be welcoming the British Council’s global Director Education, Maddalaine Ansell and Regional Director, Adrian Chadwick to Tashkent to see first-hand the strength of Uzbekistan-UK collaboration”. 

Bakhrom Mirkasimov, Rector of WIUT: “We are excited to continue this initiative and to host the second Uzbekistan – United Kingdom Education Forum with our partners. Our TNE partnership with the University of Westminster is unique within the UK and internationally. Through this Forum, we look forward to strengthening international collaboration and higher education policy and practice impact in Uzbekistan.”

Peter Bonfield, Vice Chancellor and President, University of Westminster: “The Forum brings together stakeholders from Uzbekistan and the UK for two days of dynamic discussion, addressing opportunities and challenges facing Higher Education in both nations. I’m delighted to be able to share perspectives drawn from our longstanding and unique TNE partnership with Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT). And I’m excited to be part of the Forum’s energetic exploration of how transnational educational connections can support the further growth of capacity building work and excellence in Higher Education in Uzbekistan and the UK.”