Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 25 June 2025, a meeting took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris between Shokhrukh Daliyev, First Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed strategic cooperation between Uzbekistan and UNESCO, placing special emphasis on priority areas in education, science, and innovation. The talks were prompted by Uzbekistan’s accession to the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education.

The dialogue highlighted the scale of educational reforms carried out in recent years under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Particular attention was given to the steady increase in public spending on education, the implementation of national and international accreditation systems, the modernization of teacher training, the digital transformation of the sector, and the active development of STEM competencies.

The Uzbek side reported that national ratification procedures for the Global Convention are nearing completion and that the country will officially join the agreement in 2025. Uzbekistan will thus become the first country in Central Asia to adopt this international convention.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the partnership and gradually introducing UNESCO’s international standards and approaches into Uzbekistan’s national education system.