The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held an open dialogue and meeting with the country’s youth on the occasion of the traditional Youth Day. The Head of State emphasized that under the conditions of global competition, countries compete not by territory or population size, but by deep knowledge, advanced technology, and human capital, which is why the “Knowledge Economy”—the product of science, intellect, and thought—is becoming a decisive force in New Uzbekistan. The country has set an ambitious goal to increase the gross domestic product to $240 billion by 2030, and innovative startups, young entrepreneurs, and young specialists with modern knowledge will serve as the primary drivers to reach this milestone.
In recent years, the establishment of youth leaders in every neighborhood and the designation of Thursday as “Youth Day” have opened up broad opportunities for the employment, education, and entrepreneurship of young people. As a result of the work carried out, the problems of 1.5 million young people were resolved through the “Youth Notebook,” and the number of young entrepreneurs increased by 5 times, exceeding 287000. Today, a new generation of young entrepreneurs has emerged in the country, including 68 individuals with an annual turnover exceeding 50 billion soums, 194 individuals with a turnover exceeding 100 billion soums, and 15 individuals with a turnover exceeding 500 billion soums. At the same time, over the past 9 years, the local startup ecosystem grew 15 times, exceeding $4 billion, and currently, there are more than 1200 promising projects and 23 venture funds with a capital of $200 million operating in the country.
A new system is being introduced to further develop this positive dynamic and provide at least 300000 young people with the opportunity to start their own businesses. According to this, the Banking and Financial Academy will become a unique “think tank” for the development of youth entrepreneurship, and its students will develop ready-made business plans based on real regional needs. The Youth Entrepreneurship Fund will offer these projects to young people on favorable terms and allocate up to 5 billion soums for highly profitable and high-employment projects. The best business projects will be accepted as master’s theses at the academy, and their creators will become primary candidates for the positions of bank branch managers and deputy khokims for economy and finance. Additionally, the “Youth Mini-Franchise” program will be launched for young people purchasing franchises of local brands, providing them with interest-free loans of up to 300 million soums, with a total of 500 billion soums directed toward these programs.
To support the ideas and solutions of young people at the ministry and khokimiyat levels, the project “1000 Problems – 1000 Solutions from Youth” will be launched. Urgent problems in each sector will be posted on an open platform, and the youth who propose the best solutions will be rewarded. For this purpose, a personal venture fund of at least 10 billion soums will be established under each ministry and khokimiyat, and these funds will be directed to financing the 20 most promising projects. Along with this, the Youth Affairs Agency will select the 100 best projects in business, information technology, and the creative economy to invest up to 1 billion soums in them, and grants of up to 1 billion soums will also be allocated to the startup projects of college and technikum students. Based on the Surxondaryo experience, Youth Hubs providing services for profession and language learning, employment, and entrepreneurship on a “single window” principle will be gradually established in all regions.
An innovative tax incentive is being introduced to ensure the employment of university graduates and encourage employers. According to it, for entrepreneurs who hire a university graduate, the income and social tax for this young specialist will be set at just 1% for 1 year, which will serve as an important incentive to quickly employ nearly 200000 graduates. To support vulnerable youth, including those deprived of parental care, individuals returning from military service, migration, or correctional facilities, and youth with disabilities, the “Guaranteed First Step” social package will be implemented. Furthermore, the “Mentor – Student” program will reward students who assist unorganized and vulnerable peers, and the “Office of Initiatives” with a budget of 50 billion soums will be established to turn youth ideas into real projects.
The “Future Knowledge Ecosystem” will be created to train 500000 young people in modern professions every year. Young people wishing to establish training centers will be provided with land and state facilities on favorable terms, the necessary infrastructure will be built at the expense of the state, and interest rates on loans for the construction and equipment of centers will be compensated. A “professional voucher” system will be introduced for young people who already have a trade but want to acquire new skills, such as Microsoft, IT, or other modern competencies, covering the educational expenses of 50000 young people annually through interest-free loans, while 85000 unemployed youth from low-income families will receive free vouchers, and 120 billion soums will be allocated for this system in the current year alone. The involvement of the private sector in technikums will be expanded, licensing requirements will be simplified, state grants will be allocated to private technikums starting from the new academic year, and winners of international professional competitions and their mentors will be rewarded with large cash prizes.
Unprecedented conditions are also being created for youth in the field of digital technologies and artificial intelligence. The capacity of the 1st supercomputer cluster launched at the “Digital Government” center will be increased 3 times next year, and artificial intelligence laboratories will be established in 20 universities this year. Due to the construction of new IT parks, more than 20000 high-income jobs will be created for young men and women, and through the “My First Computer” program, financial assistance will be provided to 10000 youth from low-income families for the purchase of laptops. The dual education system will be expanded for students studying in IT and artificial intelligence fields, the “Muhammad al-Xorazmiy” state stipend and the “Engineer Girls” stipend for talented girls will be established, and the 1 billion soums incentive reward given to winners of international Olympiads will also apply to the winners of the international Olympiad on artificial intelligence.
To strengthen the national spirit in the digital space and develop the computer and mobile games sector, special incubation centers will be opened in IT parks, and state orders will be issued for the creation of at least 20 games with a national theme every year. To utilize the potential of more than 650000 youth who are fluent in foreign languages to promote the country’s history and tourism potential internationally, a special “digital content” platform will be launched, with 20 billion soums allocated to it annually. A digital communication platform will be created for more than 14000 young people studying abroad to undergo internships in domestic ministries, khokimiyats, and large companies during their holidays, and the “El-yurt Umidi” Foundation will open opportunities to educate youth in prestigious foreign universities based on private sector orders as well.
To increase trust in youth in public administration and select the most talented, the “TOP-100” program will be implemented in 5 directions, and the winners will be recommended for leadership positions, while 2000 young people per year will be sent to international organizations for internships at the expense of the state. The “Uzbekistan Youth League” platform will be launched to unite young people around a single goal, evaluating their achievements based on a rating system and offering those with high results opportunities for grants, tuition discounts, preferential loans, and mortgages. In his speech, the President highlighted the achievements of Uzbek football and the worthy performance of the national team at the World Cup, congratulated young athletes on winning 2245 medals in international competitions and 434 medals in science Olympiads, and noted the need to turn children’s football into a nationwide movement.
Along with this, the Head of State called for a resolute and uncompromising fight against the threat of drug addiction and psychotropic substances, which endanger the nation’s gene pool and the future of youth, and stated that responsibility for child rearing within the family must be raised higher than ever before. In conclusion, Shavkat Mirziyoyev urged the youth of the country to boldly strive toward major goals and master modern knowledge without fearing difficulties, emphasizing with great confidence that behind them always stand the state and a President who believe in them and support them.
