The youth of a new era: how Uzbekistan is building the future from within

In Uzbekistan, wherever complete 60 per cent of nan organization is nether 30, Youth Day has emerged arsenic a nationalist reflector reflecting creativity, method ambition, and argumentation shifts that are reshaping nan state from nan crushed up.

This year’s Youth Day gathering astatine nan International Congress Centre successful Tashkent wasn’t conscionable astir speeches and ceremonies. It became a shape for existent group pinch existent impact, from artists and coders to inventors and educators.

In a world wherever invention often starts successful glossy labs aliases world tech hubs, Elmurod Polvonov is proving that alteration tin statesman successful a shop successful Tashkent pinch cables, sensors, and a bold imagination for nan early of engineering education. As nan caput of nan Innovation Centre astatine Tashkent Chemical International University, Polvonov is starring a quiet but powerful gyration by training Uzbekistan’s adjacent procreation of engineers.

Raised astir machines and factories, his fascination pinch exertion began not successful mentation but successful practice. “Since my youth, I’ve been drawn to mechanics,” he said.

 “Being astir existent instrumentality made maine want to understand really things worked not conscionable connected paper, but pinch my hands”.

That hands-on accuracy is now nan cornerstone of his work. At nan centre of Polvonov’s effect is nan locally developed Industry 4.0 training stand, nan first of its benignant successful Uzbekistan. Globally, akin business simulation systems are typically imported from companies for illustration Germany’s Festo, often priced complete $1 cardinal (€850,000). Polvonov and his squad built their ain type 5 to 7 times cheaper, while preserving each nan halfway features.

The guidelines simulates a existent smart mill and integrates mechatronics and electronics, pneumatic sensor systems, and robotics programming. “Students tin model, design, code, and assemble: each successful 1 system,” Polvonov explained. “It mirrors what really happens connected nan accumulation level successful companies for illustration Artel”.

Unlike galore theoretical labs, this guidelines walks students done nan full chain: from conception to execution. They commencement pinch designing elemental movements,  specified arsenic really a autobus doorway opens and closes, and advancement to afloat automated systems. 

By graduation, they’ve already handled devices and processes that companies actively use. That realism has already paid off. Graduates from his programme are now employed astatine apical section and world companies specified as  Technopark, Solar Nature, and Hyundai Elevator.“Some employers show us: your students already cognize really to run nan systems we use. That’s nan biggest compliment”.

Polvonov knows that nan effect of invention multiplies erstwhile it reaches nan classroom. That’s why his centre besides runs training for educators, not just students. 

“Many method teachers person ne'er seen a smart factory. If they’ve ne'er touched a robotic limb aliases assembled a panel, really tin they thatch it?”

To lick this, he launched an acquisition way wherever instructors summation 60-70 per cent applicable familiarity pinch business systems. These teachers past transportation caller skills and methods backmost to location colleges and vocational schools, creating ripple effects nationwide.

Introducing creation engineering

Everyone knows engineering arsenic thing very difficult. It’s each astir cables, physics, and calculations. But nary 1 talks astir creation engineering, wherever productivity meets code, and beauty meets function. That’s precisely nan abstraction Polvonov and his squad are now exploring.

Students are invited to build emotionally expressive useful utilizing method tools, specified arsenic a three-dimensional image of Einstein made wholly from discarded keyboard keys.

“When students create thing ocular and affectional utilizing engineering tools, they statesman to spot themselves not conscionable arsenic technicians, but arsenic inventors,” he said.

The Art Engineering School now hosts monthly showcases and intends to grow crossed nan country. Its extremity is to make engineering consciousness approachable, inclusive, and relevant, particularly for students who mightiness not spot themselves successful a accepted lab.

Coding's future: From Excel to AI

Another standout fig from Youth Day is Akbar Turdiboyev, wide known successful Uzbekistan arsenic nan “Excel Guy”. What started arsenic a individual passion for spreadsheets turned into a nationwide organization of complete 200,000 followers and now, a tech start-up building AI-powered devices for Google Sheets.

“We didn’t pursuit medals,” Turdiboyev said. “We conscionable solved existent problems. And nan state noticed”.

In 2021, he launched his first online learning course. The merchandise didn’t return disconnected immediately. But alternatively of quitting, he pivoted, rethinking his model, gaining followers done viral short videos, and building simple, functional devices that mini businesses need.

Within 2 years, he deed 100,000 users and now operates a increasing level that merges infobusiness and innovation, offering Excel templates, custom-built automations, and microlearning courses.

Turdiboyev’s start-up has received government-backed support and mentorship, but his strategy remains user-driven. “Our extremity is not conscionable to thatch Excel aliases AI,” he explained, “but to show that integer skills tin build existent careers, moreover from home”.

The creator who hammers threads into portraits

One of nan astir captivating voices of nan time was Aziza Pulatova, a drawstring creator and co-founder of nan M.O.C. imaginative collective. She creates large-scale portraits from thousands of nails and threads: useful that are some profoundly method and highly emotional. She is besides nan laminitis and shaper of a imaginative agency focusing connected commercialized video and documentary movie production.

What began arsenic a DIY research has grown into a nationwide imaginative movement. With her team, Pulatova has organised complete 50 taste festivals successful cities specified as Tashkent and distant Muynak, and is now launching imaginative acquisition programmes for children successful underserved regions.

“We don’t conscionable organise festivals,” she said. “We build moments wherever creativity, community, and meaning converge”.

M.O.C. besides useful to supply financial sustainability for young artists, making judge creation isn’t reduced to a passion task but becomes a viable profession path. “We want young group to spot that they tin unrecorded creatively, meaningfully, and professionally,” Pulatova added.

$145 cardinal for young start-ups

Uzbekistan now ranks among nan fastest climbers connected nan Youth Development Index, and is 1 of nan apical 10 countries implementing nan UN Youth 2030 Strategy.

The authorities has invested $145 cardinal (€125 million)  in younker start-ups, pinch a extremity to standard it to $1 billion. The authorities has besides introduced grants and prototype backing via nan Youth Venture Fund, created 9,000 younker activity positions successful districts crossed nan country, launched nan One Million AI Leaders programme successful business pinch nan UAE, ensured 30 Uzbeks are studying astatine nan apical 10 world universities, pinch different 1,500 students successful nan apical 300.

As a symbolic milestone, Tashkent was named nan Youth Capital of nan Commonwealth of Independent States, while Bukhara earned nan title Youth Capital of nan Turkic World.

Addressing nan young attendees, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasised a semipermanent vision.

“Every occurrence of our younker multiplies our power. You are nan aureate procreation that will create a caller history, nan creators of nan New Uzbekistan,” he said.