The appointment follows the merger of the Ministry of Preschool and School Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation into a single Ministry of Education and Science. Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, has been tasked with organizing and overseeing the implementation of the education reforms.
A presidential decree introduced the new post of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Science into the Cabinet of Ministers’ executive structure. It also established a secretariat responsible for education, science and healthcare.
The new minister will provide overall leadership and coordination, within his authority, for the work of heads of ministries, committees, agencies and inspectorates, as well as the chairman of the Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan and regional and Tashkent city governors, in carrying out their responsibilities in education, science and healthcare.
Mirziyoyeva will oversee the organization and implementation of the reforms in these areas.
From regional governor to cabinet minister
Born in 1969 in the Koshrabot district of Samarkand region, Turdimov graduated from the Tashkent Institute of National Economy in 1991 with a degree in economics.
He began his career in the banking sector in 1991. In 1995–1996, he served as deputy mayor of Zarafshan for economic affairs, followed by a position as head of the National Bank’s Navoi regional branch from 1996 to 2000.
Turdimov was governor of Khatyrchi district from 2000 to 2008. In 2008, he briefly served as First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Water Management, overseeing economic reforms in rural areas.
He subsequently led four regions. He was governor of Navoi region from 2008 to 2016, Surkhandarya region from 2016 to 2018, and Samarkand region from 2018 to 2024. He took over as governor of Syrdarya region in January 2025.
Education reform brings two ministries together
On October 3, a presidential decree reorganized the Ministry of Preschool and School Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation into a single Ministry of Education and Science.
The stated aim is to establish an integrated system of education, upbringing and science that meets modern requirements, improve the quality and effectiveness of education, and advance the development of human capital.
