The President of Uzbekistan signed a decree on additional measures to ensure the academic, organizational and managerial independence of state higher educational institutions.
So, starting from the 2022/2023 academic year, the following additional powers are provided to state higher educational institutions, which have been granted financial independence.
In the field of academic independence:
- approval of curricula, qualification requirements based on professional standards, definition of the language and form of education, taking into account the peculiarities of areas of education and specialties;
- setting the duration of training in the areas of undergraduate education and graduate specialties;
- determination of the cost of training in doctoral studies on a paid-contract basis, admission to doctoral studies on a competitive basis in addition to the quota by allocating grants at the expense of off-budgetary funds;
- approval of the procedure for the implementation of scientific leadership by doctoral students and independent applicants;
- the introduction of correspondence, distance and evening forms of education at the master’s stage, the introduction of a dual qualification system, including practical qualifications, in areas of education and specialties.
In the field of organizational and managerial independence:
- creation of structural divisions, commercial and non-commercial organizations, the main activity of which is related to education, science, implementation and commercialization of their results, not financed from the State budget;
- approval of the structure and determination of the number of staffing units of the institution, regardless of the standards established for higher educational institutions;
- the opening of new and the abolition of existing areas of education and specialties based on the demand in the labor market;
- establishment of the procedure for hiring, dismissing, internal rotation of teachers and other employees.
The document also defines the main powers of the supervisory boards of universities.
Within three months, a unified information system will be developed for concluding e-contracts, online payment of training costs on a paid-contract basis and keeping records of funds for students of state universities, as well as ensuring its integration with the information systems of the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank. Connection to it is mandatory for all state universities, regardless of departmental affiliation.
