Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 14-17 October, Tashkent hosted the Education Week: Uzbekistan-United Kingdom, which served as a forum for the exchange of experience of leading leaders, practitioners and experts in the field of education. The program is a joint initiative of the British Council, the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the El Yurt Umidi Foundation and is a series of international events.

The purpose of the program is to discuss national and international trends and opportunities in the field of higher education, as well as its inextricable connection with the processes taking place in modern society and the economy, to present educational opportunities in UK universities, to contribute to the development of concepts, strategies and capacity building in accordance with the National Strategy the development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017–2021 and the Strategy for the Development of Education until 2030, to acquaint with the best practices of the United Kingdom in the field of teaching English Iy language, educational reforms and assessment of knowledge, help strengthen partnerships with the UK and other countries.

Activities for the week included:

On 14-15 October - National Program for the Training of Trainers in Teaching English Programs

On 15 October - round table discussion on the topic "Opportunities for transnational education in Uzbekistan"

On 15 October  - Exhibition "Study UK 2019 Uzbekistan"

On 16-17 October - Conference "The Role of the English Language in Higher Education and its Impact on the Employment of Graduates"

The round table “Opportunities for transnational education in Uzbekistan” (15 October) was aimed at creating an open discussion platform for key stakeholders in transnational education (TNO) in Uzbekistan, raising awareness and understanding of existing opportunities and problems for TNO and developing a mutual agreement on recommendations at the political and institutional levels to support TNOs.

The objectives of the event are to discuss key market opportunities and challenges for THO, share best practices in THO in higher and public education sectors: an institutional view of transnational education and its place in internationalization strategies and discuss various forms of transnational education, new stakeholders and funding partners to strengthen THO with British partners.

Representatives of the Ministries of Education of Uzbekistan, representatives of the El Yurt Umidi Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Professional Associations, the State Testing Center, major international universities and educational centers providing Foundation programs in Uzbekistan, the Presidential Schools Network, Major employers and industry representatives, Suppliers of international exams, Education Agencies in Uzbekistan, British universities and other educational institutions took part in the event.

The Study UK 2019 Uzbekistan exhibition (On 15 October) was the first British educational exhibition in Uzbekistan to bring together 8 British universities. The aim of the exhibition was to inform local students, university staff and other interested parties about the diverse educational opportunities in the UK. Representatives of British educational institutions will provide information on undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, opportunities for distance learning, scholarships, as well as continuing education courses in various specialties.

The conference "The Role of the English Language in Higher Education and its Impact on the Employment Opportunities for Graduates" (on 16–17 October) was part of the British Council’s Higher Education for Employment regional program launched this year in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) , in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) in Ukraine and Turkey.

This was the first conference in a series of three strategic forums that brought together leaders and experts in higher education and practitioners from the UK and seven countries covered by the program. They shared their experience and methods of effective work. The first event was aimed at exploring how we can increase the potential of higher education institutions in response to the ever-increasing need for international cooperation, participation in the global knowledge economy and international research partnerships by improving the knowledge of English by their teachers, students and staff.

In addition, the conference examined the larger role of the English language in higher education at the regional and international levels, and how it can be used as a tool to solve problems at the university level, fill in the gaps between the knowledge that institutions of higher education and requirements of employers and