Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev is holding a meeting with young people at the Kuksaroy residence.

At the beginning of his speech, the head of state expressed his satisfaction at the opportunity to engage with energetic and determined young individuals, emphasizing that he sees in them both the present and future builders of New Uzbekistan.

"As our great poet Erkin Vakhidov once said, youth is the golden string of the soul. To this, I would add that young people are the golden asset of our nation and our homeland. The fact that 60% of the country’s population consists of young people only reinforces this notion.

Today, we set ourselves ambitious goals and strive for the highest peaks because we believe in our courageous and resilient people, in our dynamic youth. But where will the new Khorezmi, Beruni, Ibn Sina, Mirzo Ulugbek, and Alisher Navoi come from to lay the foundation of the Third Renaissance? Who will fulfill these grand tasks?

I am ready to repeat this again and again: it is you, the youth of New Uzbekistan, who will bring these noble ideas to life," the President stated.

He emphasized that young people serve as role models for their peers through their achievements in various fields.

Currently, more than 1,500 of our students are studying at the world’s leading universities. For Uzbekistan, this is an unprecedented milestone.

Recently, at a major forum in the United Arab Emirates, the Presidential School in Tashkent was recognized as the winner of the most prestigious global category.

"If you ask what the main reason for such achievements is, I would say this: above all, state policy towards youth has fundamentally changed. Recognizing that youth issues have become a top priority in government policy has given our young men and women an incredible boost," the President stressed.

Five years ago, a Youth Parliament was established under the Senate and the Legislative Chamber, where young people were able to experience firsthand what political leadership, democracy, and parliamentary governance mean.

As a result of the latest elections, two members of the Youth Parliament have become deputies of the Legislative Chamber, while 250 young people have been elected to local kengashes.

"From now on, leaders at all levels must hear the voice of youth. Those who fail to understand that young people are the main pillar of our great future have no place among us," the President emphasized.

Every year, more than 600,000 young people enter the labor market, and by 2030, this figure will reach one million.

This places a significant responsibility on both the state and society.

In response, a youth support system has been created.

For instance, under the "Youth Register" program alone, 180,000 young people received assistance worth 345 billion soums last year.

Over the past eight years, the number of young entrepreneurs has tripled, and today, youth make up almost 40% of the business community.

The number of unemployed young people has been reduced by half, while the number of mahallas free from unemployment has reached 1,889.

At the same time, the President noted that youth unemployment remains high in districts such as Shurchi, Buvayda, Furkat, Kasbi, and Forish, which reflects the negligence of local authorities.

Previously, at least ten applicants competed for each university seat.

However, in a short period, the number of universities has tripled, and the higher education enrollment rate has reached 42%.

The number of female students has increased elevenfold, thanks to the state’s initiative to cover tuition fees for girls.

The President stated: "I will never tire of repeating this fundamental truth: if we educate one girl, we educate an entire family. And if families are educated and enlightened, so will be society as a whole. We will continue this work even more actively."

Over the past 25 years, 800 young people were sent abroad for education at the state’s expense. However, in just the past seven years, thanks to the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation, this number has tripled.

Now, the Youth Affairs Agency will share equal responsibility with the Agency for Public Service Development in overseeing each student studying abroad—identifying their needs, facilitating their return to Uzbekistan, integrating them into society, and supporting their career paths.

The number of young scholars with academic degrees has doubled, reaching 4,357. Interest in learning foreign languages has grown significantly.

One striking example is Parviz Tuksanov, who recently achieved a perfect score of 1,600 on the SAT exam. The President warmly congratulated him on this achievement and expressed gratitude to his parents and teachers.

Another noteworthy initiative is the "Reading Nation" movement, which has turned reading culture among youth into a nationwide trend. Participation in the traditional "Young Booklover" contest has grown sixfold, reaching three million participants.

Additionally, thanks to the "Mutolaa" project, created by a group of active young people, over one million individuals have joined the ranks of readers.

In today’s fast-paced era of information exchange, developing national content for younger generations, especially for children, is a top priority. The President emphasized the need to actively integrate such content into the educational process of kindergartens and schools.

The President also announced that he had signed three major documents today that will usher in an entirely new era in the development of youth entrepreneurship.

According to the first document, a Youth Entrepreneurship Development Fund will be established under the Youth Affairs Agency, with an allocation of US$100 million.

Young entrepreneurs will now be able to obtain preferential loans of up to 2.5 billion soums, while up to 2 billion soums in investments will be allocated to support startup projects initiated by young people.

Currently, 90,000 university graduates are facing challenges in securing employment in their respective fields.

To address this issue, a second resolution introduces a new system for ensuring graduate employment. For this purpose, the National Bank will allocate US$100 million.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the bank will implement new financial services aimed at transforming graduates’ initiatives and ideas into real projects.

Additionally, a commission comprising regional governors, banking executives, and business leaders will be established to oversee job creation, assess workforce demand, and facilitate the employment of young professionals.

According to a third document signed by the President, Aloqabank will serve as the primary "youth bank" to support business projects initiated by young entrepreneurs, with US$200 million allocated for this initiative.

The bank will provide preferential microloans of up to 100 million soums for a period of seven years to young individuals engaged in self-employment.

Furthermore, young entrepreneurs operating as sole proprietors, those who have established a small business employing at least 20 young people, or those who have opened a training center, will be eligible for preferential loans of up to 5 billion soums for seven years. At least 30% of the bank’s loan portfolio will be dedicated to supporting women’s entrepreneurship.

Youth business incubators will be established across the regions to nurture startup ideas, providing support for a period ranging from six months to three years and developing them into fully operational businesses or enterprises. Through the Aloqa Venture fund, investments ranging from US$50,000 to US$1 million will be made in startups, facilitating product and service sales in both domestic and international markets, securing business partnerships, and attracting additional investment.

It was emphasized that in 2025, Uzbekistan’s efforts to combat youth unemployment will enter a new phase. Officials were cautioned about the negative consequences of youth unemployment, including the risk of unemployed young individuals—whether knowingly or unknowingly—becoming involved in undesirable activities, falling under the influence of religious radicalism, or engaging in criminal activities.

Concerns were specifically raised regarding the unsatisfactory situation in Yunusabad, Asaka, Sharof Rashidov, Chirakchi, and Pastdargom districts, as well as in the cities of Almalyk and Bukhara.

To equip young people with professional skills and foreign language proficiency and ensure their employment in high-income positions, a large-scale employment program has been launched this year, with an allocated budget of 126 trillion soums.

Under this program, 378,000 microprojects will be implemented at the mahalla level, while new financial products offered by mahalla-based banks will provide income opportunities for 250,000 individuals.

To train young specialists capable of making strategic decisions in managing technological processes, eight advanced engineering schools have been established at technical universities. This year, an additional 17 such schools will be opened.

Last year, 56,000 hectares of land were allocated to young people, yielding positive results: currently, 153,000 young individuals are engaged in agricultural activities.

This year, 3,300 hectares of free land will be leased under a new system in Karakalpakstan, as well as in the Andijan, Jizzakh, Fergana, and Tashkent regions. Young people who have previously received land, successfully cultivated crops, and earned at least 100 million soums will also be eligible for land under these conditions.

Youth cooperatives will be established to enhance the knowledge and skills of young people in the agricultural sector.

Young entrepreneurs acquiring buildings in youth industrial zones under the industrial mortgage program will be able to obtain loans of up to US$500,000 for purchasing equipment. Simply put, young entrepreneurs who receive a ready-made production site will also be able to acquire the necessary equipment on preferential terms.

Opportunities for youth employment in the service sector will also be expanded.

Entrepreneurs who hire young employees and pay them a salary of at least 3 million soums per month will be subject to a reduced social tax rate of 1%. This benefit will remain in effect for three years, allowing businesses to benefit while providing young people with official employment and increased income.

It was noted that the time has come to update and transform the “Youth Register” system. Officials have been tasked with conducting a full inventory of all social benefit programs available to young people, optimizing them, and improving their efficiency.

The creative economy is rapidly developing in Uzbekistan, with 98% of those employed in the sector being young people. Last year, a separate law on the development of the creative economy was adopted, establishing the legal foundation for this field. An exemplary “Creative Park” has been created in the Youth Creativity Palace in Tashkent. Now, creative industrial parks will also be established in the regions, where the necessary resources and infrastructure will be provided.

Residents of these parks will be granted a preferential tax regime until the end of 2030: social and income tax rates will be reduced by 50%, and turnover tax will be applied regardless of the volume of products sold. Business schools will be set up within these parks to train specialists in creative industries, offering young people the opportunity to learn modern business methods and innovative technologies in e-commerce and services.

Proficiency in foreign languages, alongside one’s native language, plays a crucial role in enabling individuals to operate at an international level, particularly in business. Young people who obtain a C1-level language proficiency certificate will now be able to open specialized language centers in remote areas with the support of an interest-free loan of up to 120 million soums.

Additionally, to encourage young people with foreign language skills to enter the labor market, their education at private language centers will be partially subsidized under a “2+6” scheme: the student covers the first two months of tuition, while the government funds the remaining six months.

This year, Uzbekistan’s IT sector export target is set at US$1 billion, with youth playing a key role in achieving this goal.

An additional 300,000 young people will be involved in the “One Million Programmers” initiative. More than 3,000 courses will be launched on the Coursera platform, enabling youth to study with AI-based learning tools in the Uzbek language.

This year, the "Heirs of Muhammad al-Khwarizmi" project will also be implemented in Karakalpakstan, reaching an additional 1,000 young people.

An agreement has been reached with the UAE to implement the "One Million AI Users" project in Uzbekistan. The Ministry of Digital Technologies has been instructed to commence the initiative.

Last year, 25,000 young women received free IT training. This year, the number of female programmers is set to double. Additionally, 1,000 talented young women will receive specialized training for international IT competitions in dedicated camps.

It was emphasized that artificial intelligence technologies should be used to identify the interests and needs of young people early on, monetize their potential, and engage them in socially significant projects. Officials have been tasked with developing a long-term strategy for integrating a digital social ecosystem.

During the discussions, it was highlighted that education remains the most effective tool for poverty reduction. Therefore, necessary conditions will be created to ensure that at least one child from every low-income family receives higher education.

Children from low-income families will now be provided with interest-free educational loans, additional grants will be allocated, and a portion of tuition fees will be covered by the government.

Another new initiative is the introduction of the “Bright Talent” system to support talented, knowledge-seeking youth who lack financial means to study abroad.

Under this program, socially vulnerable but talented young people will be selected from each mahalla, their potential will be assessed, and an appropriate foreign university will be chosen for them. They will then undergo preparatory courses before admission.

Young people returning from foreign education will be included in the National Talent Pool and employed in government institutions without a competitive selection process.

Each year, 1,000 of the best students selected through this program will be sent to the world’s top 100 universities, with all tuition and living expenses fully covered by the government.

Quotas under the "El-Yurt Umidi" Foundation will be expanded in key fields such as energy, transport, urbanization, modern architecture, and medicine.

Furthermore, young scientists under the age of 35 who obtain a doctoral degree from one of the world’s top 100 universities will be eligible for an interest-free housing loan of up to 800 million soums, repayable over 10 years.

The amount of one-time monetary rewards for winners and prizewinners of prestigious international scientific Olympiads will increase fivefold.

A state scholarship titled "Supreme Commander-in-Chief" will be established for exemplary students of military universities.

The Youth Affairs Agency will allocate grants of up to 100 million soums for the creation of media content aimed at fostering interest in science, as well as for the best intellectual shows.

A Green Initiatives Support Fund will be created to help young people implement projects focused on environmental protection and nature conservation.

In today’s world, the importance of sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology, technology, engineering, and mathematics—collectively known as STEM disciplines—is steadily growing.

In the Almazar district, engineering laboratories have been set up in ten schools. Currently, 2,000 students are studying robotics and advanced technologies in these laboratories.

District leaders have been instructed to study this experience, implement it, and equip five schools in each region with similar laboratories.

The rectors of 36 technical universities, including Tashkent State Technical University, the University of Information Technologies, the Chemical-Technological Institute, Turin University, Inha University, and others, will announce the "University Cup" in innovative fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, drones, and cybersecurity. The best startup projects will be commercialized.

Starting from the next academic year, engineering Olympiads and competitions will be held among students. The winners of these competitions will receive grants to study at technical universities.

It was noted that ideological threats have now shifted into cyberspace.

In this regard, the importance of increasing digital literacy among young people, protecting them from disinformation and the negative influence of destructive ideas, was emphasized.

It was also stressed that strengthening the spiritual and moral upbringing of young people, enhancing their ideological resilience, and protecting them from harmful ideologies should be a common goal.

Accordingly, responsible officials have been instructed to intensify efforts to ensure the ideological security of young people, address their problems, and protect them from ideological aggression and harmful information.

A registry of useful local internet resources in the fields of science and education will be created, with free online access provided.

A new system will be introduced to unite young people under the idea of "Descendants Worthy of Their Ancestors’ Legacy," with the involvement of the older generation. Additionally, a youth-led initiative to launch a nationwide movement, "I Am the Son of a Great Nation," aimed at strengthening patriotic spirit, will be supported.

It was emphasized that literature plays a crucial role in the spiritual development of young people. The importance of revitalizing the magazine Yoshlik, founded 40 years ago by the distinguished poet Erkin Vakhidov, and making it a beloved publication among youth once again was highlighted.

As a result of efforts to support "troubled" teenagers, social, economic, and everyday issues of nearly one million young people from this category have been resolved.

This year, 150,000 young people will be personally assigned to ministers and regional leaders, who will be responsible for helping them find their place in life, acquire professional and language skills, gain employment, and engage in entrepreneurship.

District branches of the Youth Affairs Agency, together with youth leaders, will develop their own action plans.

Khokims have been instructed to introduce a system of monthly meetings with young people to address their concerns and ensure employment.

To strengthen patriotic sentiment among the youth, the Vatan Tayanchi movement, initially launched among 10th–11th grade students, will also be introduced in vocational colleges, technical schools, and private educational institutions.

Within the Vatan Tayanchi movement, sports competitions and creative contests will be held at the school, district, regional, and national levels.

Similarly, at the level of each mahalla, youth sports competitions called Shijoat va G’ayrat will be held in the format of "mahalla – sector – district – region – republic." The winning mahallas will receive new sports facilities and necessary equipment.

Winners of the Vatan Tayanchi and Shijoat va G’ayrat competitions will receive recommendations for admission to military universities.

Youth issues should become one of the priority areas in the activities of Parliament and local Kengashes.

It was emphasized that when discussing legislative initiatives concerning youth, it is advisable to involve members of the Youth Parliament and hear the opinions of young representatives at plenary sessions.

Additionally, it was proposed to have responsible officials in youth policy present reports at local Kengash sessions and to establish youth groups within each local council.

It was noted that after the introduction of the youth leader system in mahallas, youth policy has undergone significant changes and has reached a new level.

The need for systematic training of new youth leaders to develop their professional skills was emphasized.

Then, the President held a talk with active young people.

He listened to the opinions and proposals of representatives from higher educational institutions, non-state educational centers, enterprises, farms, young scientists, and athletes from various regions.

"Today, our homeland is entering a new historical stage of its development. During this period, we will inevitably face complex challenges, obstacles, and difficulties that we have never encountered before. However, no matter how difficult they may be, we will undoubtedly achieve the great goals we have set for ourselves.

Because we have a nation that has endured numerous trials throughout its long and recent history, and we have energetic and determined young people who boldly take the lead in all spheres.

We consider your advice and dialogue with you to be one of the key principles of our work.

And I am confident that you will live up to this great trust and be at the forefront of transforming our beloved homeland into a developed, prosperous, and magnificent country—a country of the Third Renaissance," the President stated in conclusion.