Education a vital investment in future for Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan and Korea are expanding education cooperation as Uzbekistan reforms its system to improve quality, modernize curricula and strengthen teachers. The article says the partnership now spans preschool education, teacher training, Korean-language learning and global citizenship education. It also says the two countries are exploring new cooperation in vocational education, digital laboratories and interactive learning environments.

A Korea International Cooperation Agency grant project in Tashkent is building an innovative preschool center for 270 children and a Training and Development Center.

The KOICA-supported project is worth $11.9 million and is expected to introduce new training programs for 20,000 teachers and professional development for 4,000 educators.

Korean is taught as a second foreign language in 68 schools across Uzbekistan, with more than 5,000 students studying it and nearly 100 local teachers and 20 teachers from Korea involved.

Since 2025, Uzbekistan has held a national Korean language Olympiad for school students in cooperation with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Uzbekistan and the Korea Education Center.

Uzbekistan is participating in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding program and implementing the second phase of its strategic plan for 2025 to 2027.

Published Sep 18, 2026 2:26 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev shake hands ahead of their summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Korea plays a key role in developing human capital and preparing the next generation for a changing world.

In recent years, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has undertaken major reforms to improve the quality of education, bring curricula and teaching methods closer to international standards and strengthen the role and status of teachers in society.

A key priority of these reforms is to modernize the content of education while preserving national values and drawing on international experience. Curricula are being updated through a competency-based approach, with greater emphasis on critical thinking, creativity and practical skills.

The ultimate goal is to develop human capital by ensuring that every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to become a skilled and competitive individual.

This transformation goes beyond updating textbooks or improving school infrastructure. It involves reshaping the education system to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.

The reforms being implemented by the Ministry of Preschool and School Education are focused on three interconnected areas: improving quality, modernizing management and updating educational content. At the same time, greater attention is being given to strengthening students’ knowledge and skills through international assessment programs and preparing young people to contribute to the country’s future development.

In this context, cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea in human capital development, science, innovation and digital technologies is gaining growing importance.

Preschool education as foundation for development

A strong education system begins with quality preschool education. Korea’s experience is helping Uzbekistan develop modern learning environments, introduce effective teaching methods and strengthen the professional capacity of educators.

One of the notable examples is the establishment of an innovative preschool center for 270 children and a Training and Development Center with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Tashkent.

The $11.9 million grant project will introduce new training programs for 20,000 teachers and provide professional development opportunities for 4,000 educators.

The project is not simply about creating new facilities. It is about developing a modern model of preschool education in which every child receives the support needed for healthy, well-rounded development.

Teachers are at the heart of any successful education reform. The Korean e-learning Improvement Cooperation Training Program, implemented in cooperation with Seoul's Ministry of Education, is helping teachers in Uzbekistan strengthen their professional skills and gain international experience.

Each year, selected computer science teachers from different regions participate in grant-funded training programs in Korea. The programs focus on digital education, artificial intelligence, STEM and robotics.

Through practical training at leading educational institutions in Seoul, teachers gain new knowledge and approaches that they can bring back to their schools in Uzbekistan.

Such programs are particularly valuable as schools increasingly integrate digital technologies into the learning process. Investing in teachers means investing directly in the quality of education and in the skills of future generations.

Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Korea is playing a key role in developing human capital and preparing the next generation for a changing world. Courtesy of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Korea

Korean language connecting cultures, opening opportunities

Educational cooperation is most effective when it also strengthens cultural and people-to-people ties.

Today, Korean is taught as a second foreign language in 68 schools across Uzbekistan, with more than 5,000 students studying the language. Nearly 100 local teachers and 20 teachers from Korea are currently involved in this work.

Since 2025, Uzbekistan has also held a national Korean language Olympiad for school students. Organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Uzbekistan and the Korea Education Center, the competition provides an opportunity to identify talented students and encourage them to develop their language skills.

For students in Uzbekistan, learning Korean is more than acquiring a foreign language. It can open access to international education, academic exchanges and new opportunities in an increasingly interconnected world.

International standards and global citizenship

Uzbekistan’s schools are becoming more closely connected with the international education community while maintaining the country’s national identity and values.

An important part of this process is cooperation with the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding. Uzbekistan is actively participating in the Global Citizenship Education Curriculum Development and Integration program and is implementing the second phase of its strategic plan for 2025–2027.

The program promotes competencies and values such as critical thinking, media literacy, tolerance, human rights, sustainable development and social justice.

The international workshop held in Tashkent in 2026 on integrating Global Citizenship Education into the national curriculum marked another step in this direction.

Building systems of tomorrow

In 2026, Uzbekistan and Korea are continuing to explore new areas of cooperation, including the digitalization of vocational education, the establishment of digital laboratories, the development of interactive learning environments and the further professional development of teachers.

Education has become one of the key pillars of the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Korea, alongside science, innovation, digital transformation and human capital development.

Korea’s experience in technological development, innovation and investment in education provides valuable expertise for Uzbekistan. At the same time, Uzbekistan’s young population, growing human capital and expanding education system offer significant opportunities for further cooperation with Korea in Central Asia.

Most importantly, the partnership between Uzbekistan and Korea in education is moving beyond individual projects and technology transfer. It is developing into a long-term partnership focused on people, knowledge and innovation — the foundations of sustainable development in both countries.

This article is provided by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Korea.

乌兹别克斯坦正致力于教育改革，以提高教育质量、更新课程并加强教师队伍建设，乌兹别克斯坦和韩国也因此扩大了教育合作。文章指出，两国合作目前涵盖学前教育、教师培训、韩语学习和全球公民教育等领域。此外，两国还在探索职业教育、数字实验室和互动学习环境等领域的新合作。

韩国国际合作机构在塔什干的一个资助项目正在建设一个可容纳 270 名儿童的创新型学前教育中心和一个培训发展中心。

这项由韩国国际合作署（KOICA）支持的项目价值 1190 万美元，预计将为 2 万名教师推出新的培训计划，并为 4000 名教育工作者提供专业发展机会。

在乌兹别克斯坦，有 68 所学校将韩语作为第二外语进行教学，超过 5000 名学生学习韩语，近 100 名当地教师和 20 名韩国教师参与其中。

自 2025 年以来，乌兹别克斯坦与学前教育部、韩国驻乌兹别克斯坦大使馆和韩国教育中心合作，举办了面向中小学生的全国韩语奥林匹克竞赛。

乌兹别克斯坦正在参与联合国教科文组织亚太国际理解教育中心项目，并实施其 2025 年至 2027 年战略计划的第二阶段。

发布于2026年9月18日下午2:26（韩国标准时间）

周一，韩国总统李在明和乌兹别克斯坦总统沙夫卡特·米尔济约耶夫在首尔青瓦台举行峰会前握手。（韩联社）

乌兹别克斯坦与韩国之间的合作在发展人力资本和为下一代适应不断变化的世界做好准备方面发挥着关键作用。

近年来，在沙夫卡特·米尔济约耶夫总统的领导下，乌兹别克斯坦进行了重大改革，以提高教育质量，使课程和教学方法更接近国际标准，并加强教师在社会中的作用和地位。

这些改革的关键重点是在保留国家价值观并借鉴国际经验的同时，实现教育内容的现代化。课程设置正通过能力本位制的方式进行更新，更加注重批判性思维、创造力和实践技能。

最终目标是发展人力资本，确保每个孩子都能获得优质教育，并有机会成为技能娴熟、具有竞争力的个体。

这种变革不仅仅是更新教科书或改善学校基础设施，它还涉及重塑教育体系，以满足快速变化的世界的需求。

学前教育部正在推行的改革主要围绕三个相互关联的领域展开：提升教育质量、推进管理现代化以及更新教育内容。与此同时，教育部也更加重视通过国际评估项目来增强学生的知识和技能，并致力于培养青年人才，使其为国家未来的发展做出贡献。

在此背景下，乌兹别克斯坦与韩国在人力资本发展、科学、创新和数字技术方面的合作日益重要。

学前教育是发展的基础

强大的教育体系始于优质的学前教育。韩国的经验正在帮助乌兹别克斯坦发展现代化的学习环境，引进有效的教学方法，并提升教育工作者的专业能力。

其中一个值得注意的例子是在韩国国际合作机构（KOICA）的支持下，在塔什干建立了一个可容纳 270 名儿童的创新型学前教育中心和一个培训发展中心。

这项耗资 1190 万美元的拨款项目将为 2 万名教师推出新的培训计划，并为 4000 名教育工作者提供专业发展机会。

这个项目不仅仅是建造新的设施，而是要发展一种现代化的学前教育模式，让每个孩子都能获得健康、全面发展所需的必要支持。

教师是任何成功的教育改革的核心。韩国与首尔教育部合作实施的“电子学习改进合作培训项目”正在帮助乌兹别克斯坦教师提升专业技能并积累国际经验。

每年，来自不同地区的优秀计算机科学教师都会参加在韩国举办的由科研基金资助的培训项目。这些项目侧重于数字教育、人工智能、STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）以及机器人技术。

通过在首尔一流教育机构进行实践培训，教师们获得了新的知识和方法，可以带回乌兹别克斯坦的学校。

随着学校越来越多地将数字技术融入教学过程，此类项目显得尤为重要。投资教师就是直接投资教育质量和未来一代的技能。

乌兹别克斯坦与韩国的合作在发展人力资本、培养下一代适应不断变化的世界方面发挥着关键作用。图片由乌兹别克斯坦驻韩国大使馆提供。

韩语连接文化，开启机遇

教育合作只有在加强文化和民间联系的同时，才能发挥最大的作用。

如今，乌兹别克斯坦全国有68所学校开设韩语作为第二外语课程，超过5000名学生学习韩语。目前，近100名当地教师和20名韩国教师参与了这项工作。

自2025年起，乌兹别克斯坦每年都会举办面向中小学生的全国韩语奥林匹克竞赛。该竞赛由乌兹别克斯坦学前教育部、韩国驻乌兹别克斯坦大使馆和韩国教育中心联合举办，旨在发掘有语言天赋的学生，并鼓励他们提升语言能力。

对于乌兹别克斯坦的学生来说，学习韩语不仅仅是掌握一门外语。它还能为他们打开通往国际教育、学术交流以及在日益互联的世界中创造新机遇的大门。

国际标准和全球公民意识

乌兹别克斯坦的学校在保持国家民族特性和价值观的同时，正与国际教育界建立越来越紧密的联系。

这一进程的重要组成部分是与联合国教科文组织亚太国际理解教育中心开展合作。乌兹别克斯坦积极参与全球公民教育课程开发与整合项目，并正在实施其2025-2027年战略计划的第二阶段。

该项目旨在培养批判性思维、媒体素养、宽容、人权、可持续发展和社会正义等能力和价值观。

2026 年在塔什干举行的关于将全球公民教育纳入国家课程的国际研讨会标志着朝着这个方向又迈出了一步。

构建未来的系统

2026年，乌兹别克斯坦和韩国将继续探索新的合作领域，包括职业教育数字化、建立数字实验室、开发互动学习环境以及进一步提升教师的专业水平。

教育已成为乌兹别克斯坦和韩国战略伙伴关系的关键支柱之一，与科学、创新、数字化转型和人力资本发展并驾齐驱。

韩国在技术发展、创新和教育投资方面的经验为乌兹别克斯坦提供了宝贵的专业知识。同时，乌兹别克斯坦年轻的人口结构、不断增长的人力资本和日益完善的教育体系也为与韩国在中亚地区进一步开展合作提供了重要机遇。

最重要的是，乌兹别克斯坦和韩国在教育领域的合作正超越个别项目和技术转让，发展成为以人为本、以知识和创新为核心的长期伙伴关系——这正是两国可持续发展的基石。

本文由乌兹别克斯坦驻韩国大使馆提供。