Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A delegation of the VEON Group of Companies met with the Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sherzod Shermatov in Tashkent. The global digital operator will continue to invest in IT and telecom, participating in the training of the country’s industry specialists.

VEON intends to increase over the next five years the volume of investments in the development of professional education and advanced training of the country’s IT specialists. VEON CEO Kaan Terzioglu confirmed the willingness of the Group of Companies to participate in the training of professionals for the new digital Uzbekistan.

“In the past two years alone, VEON has contributed to the creation of 170 additional IT jobs, and this number will continue to grow. We strive to show the promise of IT professions, their importance for the future of the country. In particular, thanks to the Beeline Academy project and partnership with ASTRUM Academy, about 1,000 young IT talents will be trained during the year,” said the CEO of VEON Group.

Kaan Terzioglu invited the Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan Sherzod Shermatov to visit the recently opened headquarters of a new specialized company VEON AdTech in Tashkent, which has become another resident of the IT park of Uzbekistan. At a meeting with the government of the country in October 2022, the Group’s management announced plans to launch a new digital advertising division and create several dozen jobs. The company is already hiring talented young professionals from Uzbekistan. VEON AdTech will develop digital marketing and digital advertising services, develop products for all countries where VEON has a presence, broadcasting international experience and expertise in AdTech. At a meeting with Kaan Terzioglu, Minister Sherzod Shermatov stressed that partnership in the field of IT education is especially important now.

“We want the VEON Group to pay special attention to creating new high-paying jobs in Uzbekistan and increasing the export of its IT Park resident divisions. I am sure that the opening of VEON AdTech will also contribute to the growth of interest in innovative technologies, the choice of professions in the field of IT, especially increase the interest of girls, which will only strengthen the position of Uzbekistan as a new IT hub,” said Sherzod Shermatov, head of the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the country.

With the support of VEON and Beeline Uzbekistan, a number of projects have already been implemented in Uzbekistan to develop young IT professionals, for example, cybersecurity hackathons for future programmers.

“Together with the IT park in the international project Tumaris.TECH, we supported female programmers and continue to strengthen the principles of gender equality in IT. Our partnership with the leading universities of Uzbekistan is actively developing, an internship program for students and future specialists of the Bee Generation is running,” said Andrzej Malinowski, CEO of Beeline Uzbekistan.

Members of the VEON delegation also paid special attention to the launch of advanced technologies in Uzbekistan, which expand opportunities for developing the professional competencies of young professionals in the country. The level of development of IT skills plays a key role in building the digital economy and becomes a driver of its growth.

“The popularity of new professions, in particular in the field of AdTech digital advertising, definitely contributes to strengthening the economy and raising the status of Uzbekistan. The very fact that AdTech services for all countries where VEON operates will be developed in Uzbekistan can attract young professionals and make them international experts,” said George Held, CEO of VEON AdTech.