Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan

A delegation from the University of Utah (USA) visited the Ministry of Digital Technologies. The delegation was first given a presentation on the activities of IT Park, covering the development of the IT industry in Uzbekistan, opportunities being created for local and foreign technology companies, the formation of the startup ecosystem, and efforts to expand the export of IT services.

The delegation also familiarized itself with the operations of UZINFOCOM. During the visit, they were presented with projects related to developing digital government infrastructure, digitalizing public services, and implementing modern information systems and digital platforms.

Following this, Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov held a meeting with the delegation from the University of Utah.

The discussion addressed developing Uzbekistan's digital economy, training highly qualified specialists for the IT and artificial intelligence sectors, and expanding cooperation between universities and technology companies.

The meeting highlighted Uzbekistan's young and growing population, the opportunities being created in the country's IT sector, and the rapid development of the technology entrepreneurship ecosystem. It was noted that the growing number of companies operating in the IT sector is, in turn, increasing demand for highly qualified specialists.

In this regard, proposals were put forward for cooperation on forming and developing startups within universities, supporting the technology projects of faculty and students, and creating mentorship and investment opportunities throughout the process from idea to MVP stage. Connecting the University of Utah's experience with higher education institutions offering IT programs in Uzbekistan was identified as an important area for cooperation.

Particular attention was also given to training personnel for the gaming industry and building a startup ecosystem in this field. The parties discussed opportunities to develop this sector in Uzbekistan by drawing on the University of Utah's educational and research expertise in gaming, computer science, and artificial intelligence.

Proposals were also made for cooperation on conducting joint research in artificial intelligence, studying the impact of AI technologies on the labor market, and developing responsible and safe AI solutions. Representatives of the University of Utah noted that the university places strong emphasis on research into responsible artificial intelligence and expressed interest in carrying out joint scientific projects with the Uzbek side in this area.

During the discussion, alongside the development of digital public services, the need to train qualified specialists in cybersecurity was also noted. The parties considered opportunities for cooperation on upgrading the qualifications of university faculty, organizing joint programs, and training specialists with modern cybersecurity skills.

The parties also emphasized the importance of developing cooperation mechanisms in the digital economy, BPO and KPO services, remote employment, computer science, artificial intelligence, the gaming industry, education, and other areas.