Are Youth a Force Needed for Tomorrow or the Resource Driving Progress Today?

Are Youth a Force Needed for Tomorrow or the Resource Driving Progress Today?

Any country that fails to link its future strategy with the potential of its youth risks losing its standing on the path of modern development. In an era where knowledge and innovation have become the main driving forces, young people are viewed as the key strategic resource for the development of the state and society.

Since gaining independence, youth issues have been elevated to the level of state policy in Uzbekistan. However, over the past ten years, this area has acquired an entirely new meaning. Through presidential initiatives, a comprehensive, strong, and effective system covering almost all aspects of young people’s lives has been formed.

Legal Framework and Systematization of State Youth Policy in Uzbekistan

In the strategies of the renewed Uzbekistan, youth issues have been defined as a strategic priority. To achieve this goal, nearly 100 laws and subordinate legal acts have been adopted in recent years to ensure the effectiveness of youth policy.

Through mechanisms such as the “Youth Register,” “Women’s Register,” and “Iron Register,” a system has been established to provide targeted solutions to the socio-economic problems of young people. This system makes it possible to study each youth-related issue individually and support young people in employment, education, vocational guidance, social protection, and entrepreneurship.

Reforms in Education and Science

One of the clearest indicators of the effectiveness of youth policy in the country is reform in education and science. In recent years, reforms in the education system have fundamentally changed attitudes toward learning. Opportunities have been created for young people to study not only at regional institutions but also at prestigious universities worldwide.

As a result of reforms in preschool education, the number of kindergartens increased eightfold to 38,000, and preschool coverage for children aged 3–7 rose from 27.7 percent to 77 percent by 2025.

Significant attention has also been given to school education. Over the past seven years, construction and renovation works have been completed in more than 5,000 schools. Teaching a second foreign language and vocational skills to students has been expanded. Inclusive education was introduced for the first time in 530 schools. Over the past three years, 201 specialized schools for gifted students have been established.

Last year, Uzbekistan’s youth ranked first in Central Asia in admissions to top-500 universities. In addition, 30 young people are studying at top-10 universities worldwide, 500 at top-100 universities, and 1,500 at institutions ranked within the top 300.

Significant changes have also been implemented in higher education. Many universities have been modernized, and the number of higher education institutions increased from 69 to 222. Youth academies, technoparks, and innovation centers have been established.

In addition, a National Science Olympiad Center was created. In the first nine months of 2025, Uzbek students won 166 medals at international science olympiads.

Under the “One Million Programmers” project, 325,000 young people received IT training. Between 2020 and 2025, 245,700 young people scored 5.5 or higher on the IELTS exam, while 68 achieved a perfect score of 9.

The activities of the “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation were expanded, and quotas for STEM fields, energy, transport, agriculture, and water management were increased severalfold.

Engaging Youth in Sports

Over the past eight years, funding for sports increased from 250 billion to 3 trillion soums. More than 250 sports facilities were built, and 14 Olympic and Paralympic centers were fully equipped. At the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, Uzbekistan’s athletes ranked 13th overall.

Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment

Across the country, nearly 15,000 training centers and 7,500 vocational training centers are operating. This year, more than 500 million dollars were allocated to over 40 youth initiatives. A total of 8,300 projects worth 35 billion dollars are being launched, with plans to create 292,000 new jobs.

Today, youth have become not the force of tomorrow’s development, but the decisive driving power of the country’s progress today.