Uzbekistan has introduced a national ranking system for secondary specialized and vocational education institutions, alongside financial incentives for top-performing technical schools, under a new regulation registered by the Ministry of Justice on April 15.
Under the new framework, national rankings of technical schools and academic lyceums will be maintained separately by the Education Quality Assurance Agency, with results published annually by October 10 based on the previous academic year.
The rankings will be compiled using data from government information systems, documents submitted by educational institutions, and the results of nationwide surveys conducted among students, teachers, and employers.
These surveys will be carried out each year by May 30 to assess education quality, relevance, and stakeholder satisfaction.
According to the regulation, the top 50 technical schools in the national ranking will receive financial incentives amounting to 3,000 times the base calculation unit, equivalent to approximately UZS 1.24bn (around $97,000).
The allocated funds can be used primarily to strengthen material and technical infrastructure, which will receive 80% of the funding, while the remaining 20% can be directed toward financial incentives for management and staff.
The initiative builds on reforms outlined in a presidential resolution dated October 23, 2025, aimed at modernizing the vocational education system and improving its alignment with labor market needs.
From 2026, national rankings will be conducted annually at the end of each academic year, alongside the introduction of a presidential “National Skills Competition” among technical school students.
Earlier in April, authorities also approved procedures for organizing the “Builders of New Uzbekistan” national skills competition, further supporting the development of professional competencies in the education system.
Additional reforms in the education sector include the introduction of the “New Uzbekistan” scholarship program, which will fund up to 500 international students annually, as well as broader higher education initiatives such as national university ranking systems, digital and artificial intelligence integration, startup support structures, and endowment funds.
Uzbekistan is also planning to grant research status to 10 universities under the U10 program, allocating up to UZS 150bn ($11.9mn) per institution, with at least 50% of funding directed toward priority research areas.
