News

The IT Education Association Launches an Important Social Initiative — “Digital Inclusion for the Deaf” Project

The project is implemented with the support of the Stirling Foundation.

In the coming days, the IT Education Association, with the support of the Stirling Foundation and in cooperation with the Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan, will launch the “Digital Inclusion for the Deaf” project.

The project aims to expand digital education opportunities for people with hearing impairments in Uzbekistan, develop their practical IT and English language skills, and support their integration into the modern labor market.

The first phase of the project will be implemented in Tashkent. In the next stage, the project is planned to be introduced across 15 regional branches of the Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan.

Within the framework of the program:

✅ digital literacy training courses will be organized;

✅ classes will be conducted with the participation of sign language interpreters;

✅ participants will gain access to international online learning platforms;

✅ measures will be taken to establish a sustainable IT learning environment in regional branches.

👨‍💻 In addition, the branches of the Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan will be equipped with the necessary technical equipment, including laptops, to establish IT Labs and create conditions for participants to use them during the learning process.

This initiative will contribute to the development of inclusive education in our country, reduce digital inequality, and create equal opportunities for all members of society.

On May 2, a ceremonial award event was held in the capital city to honor the winners of the “National Competition” announced within the framework of the “Five Million AI Leaders” initiative, launched at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The event was opened by the Minister of Digital Technologies, Sherzod Shermatov. In his speech, the Minister highlighted the initiatives of the President, who recognizes youth as the country’s greatest asset, and emphasized the remarkable progress Uzbekistan has achieved in the field of digital technologies within a short period of time.

The award ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Preschool and School Education, E’zozxon Karimova, and the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Kongratbay Sharipov.

The “Five Million AI Leaders” initiative is an important project aimed at developing the field of artificial intelligence in Uzbekistan, enhancing youth potential, and preparing globally competitive specialists.

Launched by the Head of State in November 2025, the project has already provided educational opportunities to nearly 1 million young people. The aileaders.uz platform offers nearly 100 free courses from international educational platforms, including AI and IT-related courses provided by major organizations such as Coursera, Oracle, Huawei, Apolitical, and Eoppiva. Notably, nearly 3,000 of these courses have also been translated into Uzbek.

Within the framework of the “National Competition,” nearly 500 schools, 45 higher education institutions, and around 10,000 young participants and their mentors actively participated.

As a logical continuation of the “One Million Uzbek Coders” initiative, the “Five Million AI Leaders” project was officially launched by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during the International Artificial Intelligence Forum on November 28, 2025.

To ensure the continuous improvement of AI-related knowledge and skills among the population and youth, the aileaders.uz platform was launched within the project.

At the initiative of the Head of State, the “National Competition” was organized within the framework of the project to encourage teachers, students, and educational institutions across several categories.

In 2025, more than 640,000 participants successfully completed training and received certificates through the “One Million Uzbek Coders” and “Five Million AI Leaders” initiatives.

Based on the results of 2025, participants with the highest achievements were recognized as winners in the following categories of the “National Competition.”

In the “Most Active Higher Education Institution” category, the following universities received one-time cash prizes:

Tashkent University of Information Technologies — 100 million UZS Bukhara State Technical University — 50 million UZS Bukhara State University — 25 million UZS

Winners were also determined in the “Most Active Participant” category. In this category, 705 school students, 116 university students, and 9 young participants were recognized as winners. They were awarded laptops, tablets, and other valuable devices.

In the “Most Active Informatics Teacher” category, 107 winners were selected. Among them, 97 teachers received a one-time cash prize of $1,000 each.

Additionally, 10 Informatics teachers won international travel opportunities.

Winners were also announced in the “Most Active School” category. As part of the “National Competition,” the specialized school in Bogot district of Khorezm region and School No. 13 with specialized classes in Zarafshan city of Navoi region were awarded the grand prize — a “Presidential Gift” electric vehicle.

The first day of our visit within the framework of the 2026 Sixth Annual Meeting of the Global Education Coalition, currently taking place in France, has successfully concluded.

During the day, our association actively participated as a member of the newly established Alliance of Alliances of the Global Education Coalition, advancing its position on educational reforms in Central Asia and Uzbekistan, education development, IT standardization, and establishing partnerships with global companies.

Additionally, the first day included several important workshops, practical seminars, and meetings. These interactions facilitated experience-sharing with international organizations and member institutions, defined new directions for cooperation, and helped form joint initiatives.

In particular, practical solutions for integrating digital transformation and artificial intelligence into the education system, as well as developing IT education based on global standards, were discussed.

Based on the results of the first day, key directions were outlined to deepen international cooperation and take the quality of education in our region to a new level.

This is just the beginning. Many more productive meetings lie ahead.

We remind you that the IT Education Association is currently participating in UNESCO’s 2026 Sixth Annual Meeting of the Global Education Coalition in France, attended by leading global leaders, policymakers, and education sector representatives.

Stay tuned for updates.

The IT Education Association is taking part in a prestigious international event organized by UNESCO — the Global Education Coalition Sixth Annual Meeting (2026).

The meeting, held in Paris, focuses on discussing the socio-economic impact of digital transformation and investments in artificial intelligence in the field of education. Leading global organizations, policymakers, and education experts have come together to define the key priorities for the future of education systems.

This participation is especially significant for us, as our association has become one of the first organizations from Central Asia to be invited to this global initiative.

It is not only a great honor, but also clear recognition of our efforts to develop IT education, expand digital skills, and create new opportunities for young people in the region at the international level.

We aim to further expand international cooperation, learn from best global practices, and implement them in our country to continuously improve the quality of education.

The International Olympiad in Informatics IOI–2026, which will be held in Tashkent from 9 to 16 August 2026, is being organized with the participation of the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, the Science Olympiads Center, and the Center for the Development of Digital Education. The IT Education Association is also taking part as one of the key co-organizers of the Olympiad.

At present, members of the International Olympiad in Informatics Committee are reviewing the organizational processes of the Olympiad. The official delegation was provided with presentations on the preparation process and was introduced to the competition venues and accommodation facilities.

The review of the preparation processes for the international Olympiad will continue until 13 February.

The IT Education Association has been awarded by the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan for its significant contribution to the development of digital education and the training of qualified professionals.

The award was presented by Deputy Minister of Digital Technologies Rustam Karimjonov.

This recognition was granted as a result of the Association’s educational initiatives implemented in collaboration with the Coursera platform.

In particular, in 2025, more than 825,000 users were engaged on the Coursera platform; over 399,000 participants successfully completed free courses, and 1,821 learners obtained international IT certifications.

In addition, according to the Global Skills Report, Uzbekistan was recognized as the leading country in Central Asia for digital skills development, with the Association playing a key role in this achievement. The Association was also honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award 2025 — Global Finalist at the Coursera Connect 2025 event.

This recognition once again confirms that there is even more work ahead of us in this important direction.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to all our partners, our team, and everyone contributing to the development of digital education.

Together, we will continue building the digital future of Uzbekistan!

Recently, a productive meeting was held between the IT Education Association and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

During the meeting, the Association presented its ongoing education projects, initiatives in the field of digital education, and key performance outcomes. KOICA representatives highly appreciated these efforts and emphasized their strong growth potential.

In addition, advanced practices in digital education and Korea’s unified certification system were shared. Opportunities to implement this system in Uzbekistan, particularly within the digital education sector, were thoroughly discussed.

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was emphasized that KOICA and the IT Education Association share common goals in introducing a unified certification system in the field of digital education. Within the framework of this initiative, proposals were put forward to hold further meetings, study this experience in depth, and implement the project through close cooperation.

This meeting marked an important step toward integrating international best practices into the local education system and advancing digital education in Uzbekistan.

A Memorandum of Understanding on mutual cooperation has been signed between the IT Education Association and the Center for the Development of Digital Education Technologies under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation.

The Memorandum aims to further promote the IT sector in Uzbekistan, develop a sustainable digital education ecosystem, prepare young people for modern IT professions, and increase the export potential of IT services.

Within the framework of this cooperation, the parties plan to technically integrate international Coursera courses into the HEMIS education platform, establish efficient data exchange between education platforms, and introduce international online learning and certification opportunities for IT professionals.

Currently, the HEMIS platform has over 1.1 million users, with around 300,000 daily active users. Under the agreement, students will gain access to nearly 3,000 Coursera courses available in the Uzbek language. In addition, it was agreed to introduce these international courses on the Career Edu platform, which is scheduled to be launched in the coming year.

The parties also aim to elevate cooperation in IT education to a new level by jointly training specialists in IT and foreign languages, collaborating with public and private educational institutions, and organizing industry forums, exhibitions, and professional events.

From December 3 to 12, training camps are being conducted for 100 of the most gifted students selected from various regions of the country, as part of the preparation for the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026). The program features intensive training sessions delivered by experienced international and local experts.

With the support of the Ministry of Digital Technologies and Ucell, all participants received one-year subscription licenses to professional courses on the Coursera online learning platform.

This initiative represents a significant step toward strengthening the international-level knowledge and skills of young talents.