More than 100 executives and senior decision-makers from over 25 leading organizations in Uzbekistan have joined the AI Leaders 2026 executive education program, delivered in partnership with Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute, OpenAI Academy, and Silkroad Innovation Hub.
On April 8, 2026, the AI Leaders 2026 executive education program was officially launched in partnership with the Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute (Stanford HAI), the educational platform of ChatGPT developer OpenAI — OpenAI Academy, and the Silicon Valley-based international hub Silkroad Innovation Hub.
The AI Leaders 2026 program is directly aligned with the vision of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of The Republic of Uzbekistan on February 24, 2026, calling for the preparation of the next generation of Uzbekistan’s leadership through engagement with the world’s leading universities and centers of excellence.
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
Among the program participants are executives and senior decision-makers from more than 25 of Uzbekistan’s leading public and private sector organizations, representing government bodies, national agencies, the financial sector, and the technology industry.
Government and Public Sector participants include the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Higher Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Youth Affairs Agency, the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy Development, and the Digital Government Project Management Center.
Development and Education Institutions are represented by New Uzbekistan University and the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation.
Innovation and Technology Ecosystem participants include IT Park Uzbekistan, IT Park Ventures, Yoshlar Ventures, Startup Garage, CLICK, and Fido Biznes.
Financial Sector organizations include Kapitalbank, Xalq Bank, Aloqabank, Agrobank, Orient Finance Bank, and HUMO.
The Asian Development Bank serves as a strategic partner of the program, supporting the participation of senior representatives from six public sector organizations. The program has been implemented without direct financial contributions from government entities, reflecting both strong institutional engagement and the role of international partnerships in enabling access to world-class education.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The AI Leaders 2026 program represents the largest executive education initiative dedicated to AI leadership development in the Central Eurasian region. It brings together world-class academic expertise and applied organizational practice, enabling participants to translate advanced knowledge into real-world impact.
In addition to its core organizers, the program is supported by partner platforms Lovable and CAYU, which provide tools and capabilities for the development of AI agents and digital solutions. The program is also supported by the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) at Nazarbayev University, contributing regional academic expertise and research-driven perspective.
The program’s Academic Director is Peter Norvig – Professor and Distinguished Research Fellow at Stanford HAI, co-author of the globally recognized textbook Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, former Director of Research at Google, and one of the most influential figures in the global AI field.
Under his academic leadership, the program curriculum has been specifically designed and adapted to reflect the strategic priorities, economic context, and institutional realities of the Central Eurasian region.
STATEMENT — PROGRAM PARTICIPANT
“The AI Leaders 2026 program gives our organization direct access to the most advanced expertise in artificial intelligence, from institutions that are defining the global frontier of the field. The program’s structure — combining academic rigor with practical application — equips our leadership with the tools and frameworks needed to drive real transformation. This is exactly the kind of initiative that accelerates Uzbekistan’s path toward a knowledge-based, AI-enabled economy.”
— Azamat Karamatov, CEO, IT Park Uzbekistan
PROGRAM FORMAT AND METHODOLOGY
The program includes over 30 hours of live instruction with simultaneous interpretation into Uzbek, Russian, and Kazakh, ensuring accessibility for a diverse regional audience.
The curriculum is designed around a team-based participation model, enabling organizations to develop AI competencies simultaneously across key management roles — from middle to senior leadership. Each participating organization will develop its own AI strategy, tailored to its specific operational objectives and processes. This is particularly significant in the context of the Head of State’s mandate for the systematic integration of artificial intelligence across all key sectors of the national economy, enabling institutions to progress from exploratory use of AI tools toward the development of comprehensive, results-oriented AI strategies.
The program’s methodology is built on a structured three-phase framework:
- Phase I — Academic Foundation (Stanford University HAI): Participants establish a rigorous theoretical grounding in artificial intelligence, covering foundational principles, technological limitations, and implications for business operations and organizational governance.
- Phase II — AI Tools and Applications (OpenAI Academy): Participants develop practical proficiency in prompt engineering, large language model utilization, and the application of AI to real-world organizational challenges.
- Phase III — AI Agents and Sector-Specific Solutions (CAYU & Lovable): Teams learn to design, develop, and deploy AI systems and agents tailored to the requirements of their respective industries and institutions.
REGIONAL SCOPE
The AI Leaders 2026 cohort is internationally representative, with participants drawn from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkiye, and Qatar, collectively representing more than 150 organizations across the Central Eurasian region.
STATEMENT — SILKROAD INNOVATION HUB
“Our objective is to provide the region with direct access to the world’s most advanced knowledge in artificial intelligence and to the global technology ecosystem. We design programs through which participants receive knowledge directly from those who are building the industry today and shaping its future. In doing so, Central Eurasia becomes a visible and active participant in the global technology and AI ecosystem.”
— Asset Abdualiyev, Founder and CEO, Silkroad Innovation Hub
Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive an official certificate issued by Stanford University HAI and will become members of the largest AI leadership community in Central Eurasia.
ABOUT AI LEADERS 2026
AI Leaders 2026 is an 8-week executive education program for C-suite executives and senior decision-makers, developed in partnership with Stanford University HAI, OpenAI Academy, and Silkroad Innovation Hub. The program runs from April 8 to May 31, 2026, and is delivered in a live session format with simultaneous interpretation into Russian, Uzbek, and Kazakh.
Contact: apply@aileaders2026.com • +1 650-468-7927 • aileaders2026.com
