VZCZCXRO4913
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHNT #0415/01 0901029
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311030Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0670
INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0076
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0028
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 0088
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0204
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0080

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 000415 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
DEPT. FOR SCA/CEN 
SCA/PPD 
DRL 
AND INR 
ASTANA FOR ALMATY/USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC ECON KPAO PGOV PREL SCUL SOCI UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN:  UNIVERSITIES NOT MEETING DEMAND FOR HIGHER 
EDUCATION 
 
REF: TASHKENT 327; TASHKENT 331 
 
Sensitve But Unclassified 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  At a recent Embassy-sponsored Junior Faculty 
Development Program (JFDP) alumni reunion, one alumnus, a lecturer at 
a private university, revealed that the growth of the higher 
education system in Uzbekistan is not keeping pace with demand. 
Uzbekistan also lags behind its Central Asian neighbors in the ratio 
of students enrolled to total population.  A few private universities 
have opened and their graduates are usually highly sought after by 
employers, but these universities face challenges.  Separately, a 
contact provided poloff with Ministry of Public Education statistics 
on Uzbekistans system of primary and secondary education (reftels). 
End summary. 
 
 
MORE STUDENTS, BUT LIMITED UNIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶2.  (U) With 42 percent of the population in Uzbekistan under 18, 
universities capacity to absorb new students is outpaced by the 
growing number of young people in the country (Note:  While the 
population continues to grow, we see some indication that overall 
enrollment in high schools has been declining. Ref B. End note).  The 
number of students enrolling in institutions of higher education each 
year is growing, from 41,000 in 2000 to 55,400 in 2006.  Total 
university enrollment has also grown in the same period, from 183,600 
in 2000 to 286,300 in 2006. 
 
¶3.  (U) The alumnus pointed out that Uzbekistans literacy rate of 
99.3 percent is on par with other industrialized countries, yet by 
other measures Uzbekistan lags behind developed countries.  He 
explained that on average, 32 percent of the potential workforce aged 
2565 in industrially developed countries has a higher education.  In 
contrast, the World Bank reported that in 2007 a mere 8.3 percent of 
graduating seniors in Uzbekistan were accepted into universities. 
 
¶4.  (U) He noted that the student-teacher ratio has slipped as 
enrollment grows and the universities struggle to retain qualified 
instructors. According to the Uzbek State Statistics Committee, in 
2001 there were 171 students per teacher; by 2006, that number had 
risen to 254. 
 
¶5.  (U) Uzbekistan also lags behind almost all of its Central Asian 
neighbors in university enrollment.  According to the United Nations 
Development Programmes (UNDP) National Human Development Report, in 
2005 the number of students enrolled per 1,000 citizens in Uzbekistan 
was 10.6.  In Kazakhstan this ratio was 52, and even in Tajikistan 
and Kyrgyzstan, the ratios were 17 and 41 respectively.  Only 
Turkmenistan has a lower ratio than Uzbekistan. 
 
PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES  A SOLUTION? 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) The alumnus suggested that one solution is to allow more 
private universities to open in Uzbekistan.  He argued that this 
would establish a competitive education market and could eventually 
improve the quality of education.  He noted that private institutions 
are more market-oriented than their government-supported 
counterparts, and they develop programs according to market needs and 
demand from employers.  In contrast, most state-supported 
universities still determine course offerings and enrollment in each 
department through a top-down process.  With an interest in raising 
prestige and attracting students, almost all the private higher 
educational institutions in Uzbekistan assist their graduating 
seniors to find employment after graduation.  As a result, they tend 
to have better post-graduation employment rates than the state 
universities. 
 
CHALLENGES TO PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES REMAIN 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) Uzbekistan only has six private universities, five of which 
are branches of foreign universities.  Three of the five are branches 
of Russian universities.  In contrast Kazakhstan, which has a much 
smaller population than Uzbekistan, has 130 private universities and 
Georgia has 26. 
 
TASHKENT 00000415  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶8.  (U) Currently, the Uzbek government is not facilitating the 
growth of private universities.  The only private university in 
Uzbekistan that is not affiliated with a foreign university is the 
Kelajak Ilmi International Business School (IBS), which the U.S. 
Embassy, the American Chamber of Commerce in Uzbekistan, and other 
donors have supported in recent years. IBS has encountered numerous 
problems with Uzbek bureaucracy and the government currently does not 
recognize its diplomas (though this is not necessarily a major 
concern for its students, the majority of whom aspire to work in the 
private sector). 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Comment:  Demand for higher education in Uzbekistan is 
outpacing supply and private universities represent one possible 
solution.  The USG should take every opportunity to encourage the GOU 
to allow more private universities to open and should continue to 
support Kelajak Ilmi IBS.  In 2007 the Embassy was able to offer full 
scholarships to several deserving students, providing them with a 
high quality education and supporting the university at the same 
time.  Funds permitting, post will offer more scholarships in the 
future.  End comment. 
NORLAND