Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Higher Education has launched an inspection following reports of possible violations in the transfer of students to senior courses at private universities using forged academic records.

The investigation was prompted by materials published by lawyer and blogger Khushnudbek Khudoyberdiyev, who revealed the involvement of intermediaries charging between 10 and 30 million soums to arrange the transfer of applicants directly into the second to fourth years of private universities in the country. The scheme allegedly relies on fabricated certificates of prior study at educational institutions in CIS countries.

According to Khudoyberdiyev, such certificates are often not handed over to students but sent directly to universities, after which the students’ information is entered into the HEMIS system — a process he stressed would not be possible without the participation of university staff themselves.

Since the beginning of 2025, data on more than 41,000 students transferred to private universities has been entered into HEMIS, with about 26,000 of them enrolled in part-time programs. In some institutions, an abnormal surge in transfers to senior courses was observed, including over 3,200 students at one university and more than 1,500 at another.

In its official statement, the Ministry emphasized that transfers are permitted solely in accordance with established procedures and only on the basis of authentic documents certified by competent authorities.

Universities found to have committed violations as a result of the audit may face legal and administrative liability.