Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- UNDP and the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) organized official closing of Human Development course 2009 for the MA level students of the University. The pilot HD course was introduced into UWED’s curriculum in 2007/2008, with support of UNDP, and noting the success of this course, UNDP and UWED have decided to continue their fruitful cooperation in the 2008/2009 academic year.

The University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) plays a special role in educational system of Uzbekistan. It prepares highly qualified specialists in such areas as international relations, economics and law, who consequently become key decision-makers in their sphere and image-bearers of the country abroad.

This year 50 Master and Bachelor degree students of the International Relations, International Law, International Economic Relations, International trade and foreign Investments faculties have taken the HD course, while 30 of them (13 girls and 17 boys) got certified based on outstanding test results.

This year’s HD course has shown that economic and social policies should be designed to provide long-lasting positive impact on people, especially in times of global financial crisis. To give a better understanding on how to pursue such policies, UNDP had invited some visiting lecturers who delivered master class presentations and shared with the students their international experience in the fields of Human Security, Human Rights, Gender aspects, Ecological factors and sustainable development, Globalization and Influence of global financial crisis on Human Development.

According to the results of the questionnaire and a Round Table with students conducted on the eve of the course closure, the students expressed their views and concerns about the HD discipline. Bachelor’s degree students, namely the second, third and the fourth year students already apply the HD concept in their course works and consider the HD concept very useful and important.

The Human Development (HD) concept puts human being at the center of the development. The core pillar of the concept is about enlarging people’s choices and enhancing human capabilities and freedoms, enabling them to live a long and healthy life, have access to knowledge and a decent standard of living, and participate in the life of their community and decisions affecting their lives. As a way to spread the HD concept wider in Uzbekistan, UNDP helps academic institutions introduce academic courses on Human Development. These courses aim at building national capacities and institutions through development of knowledge and skills in designing and implementing human-centered public policy at different levels.