Oxford’s Said Business School may train Uzbekistan’s top civil servants

Advisors to the President of Uzbekistan, Sardor Umurzakov and Suma Chakrabarti, recently held discussions on enhancing civil service efficiency, advancing the country's World Trade Organization (WTO) accession, and attracting foreign direct investments.

One of the key outcomes of the meeting is the potential opportunity for Uzbekistan's high-performing civil servants to undergo professional training at the prestigious Said Business School of Oxford University in the United Kingdom. This initiative was revealed by Suma Chakrabarti, the Presidential Advisor on Economic Development, Effective Governance, and International Cooperation, in a LinkedIn post.

In his post, Chakrabarti shared a photo with Umurzakov from their meeting in Tashkent and highlighted their focus on improving the productivity of government employees. During the discussion, Umurzakov emphasized the importance of structured working hours, advocating for civil servants to adhere to a full-time schedule. He suggested that this approach would not only boost workplace efficiency but also allow employees to spend more time with their families, thereby enhancing their overall effectiveness.

"I fully support this idea, having implemented flexible working arrangements at the highest levels of the UK civil service in the past," Chakrabarti noted.

The advisors also discussed Uzbekistan’s progress in WTO membership negotiations and the launch of a new program to attract foreign direct investment. Both initiatives are pivotal to the country's economic strategy.