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https://youtu.be/nGztcBFQIGQ?si=cOkQKsrYrDAyEweS

This video gives more information about what initiatives our government is implementing for Youth Policy👆

I couldn't post yesterday, because I was too exhausted and immediately fell asleep as I got home.

Let’s begin the story with the collapse of the USSR.

In 1991, Uzbekistan’s economy was heavily reliant on agriculture, with nearly 40% of its GDP coming from agricultural exports. With vast territories and the largest population in Central Asia, we exploited these advantages to produce "paxta," fruits, and vegetables. Even school students and teachers were required to collect cotton instead of focusing on learning/teaching. All we could do was cultivate and collect something.

Unsurprisingly, such exploitation and low wages forced 90% of competent male school-teachers to leave their job, because they simply couldn't feed their family working as a teacher in school. Moreover, a significant portion of the national budget was allocated to agriculture, while crucial sectors like education and entrepreneurship lacked financial support. Due to poor education, we also lacked the skilled professionals and advanced technology needed to extract valuable resources, such as gold, oil, and gas, that are abundant in our country. As a result, we signed unfair contracts with foreign companies—most of them Russian—allowing them to extract these resources while taking a significant share of the profits. Additionally, our country remained largely closed to international tourists, despite our rich history and cultural heritage.

By the early 2000s, the Aral Sea had turned into a desert, and the economy was stagnating. Prices for basic necessities continued to rise while salaries remained stagnant. Life was far from easy. Frustrated by the limited prospects in education and entrepreneurship, many ambitious young people chose to study abroad, seeking better academic experiences, a higher quality of life, and greater career opportunities. Having witnessed these advantages, many of them had little desire to return to Uzbekistan after their graduation.

However, Uzbekistan has undergone significant changes. Today, it ranks among the top 30 fastest-growing economies globally and is in the top three among Central Asian and European countries. The tourism and IT sectors are booming, and the government has created numerous opportunities for young entrepreneurs and scholars. Given that Uzbekistan has the largest youth population in Central Asia—while many developed countries struggle with aging populations and declining birth rates—the government has made youth education and development a priority. Listing all the initiatives implemented for young people would take too long, but one thing is clear: Uzbekistan is becoming increasingly attractive to its youth.

From my personal network, I can see that many young Uzbeks who got into top abroad universities are planning to return home and contribute to the country’s development. As youth policies continue to improve, young people will no longer leave without considering coming back.

The commenters on this topic seem to be from an older generation who directly experienced the difficulties of the past. From their perspective, Uzbekistan remains unchanged. While it is true that many challenges persist, the government is now taking the rightest approach by prioritizing education and investing in the youth—who will, in turn, grow into skilled professionals and solve these issues in the future.

I will share my thoughts on this post in a long text as I get home😅

Be tuned..

In the summer, I was volunteering as an attache for the delegation of Malaysia, and on the 30th june (Youth Day in Uzbekistan), Malaysians came to the event in their national cloth, while other people (Uzbeks) wore formal dark suits. The delegates also shared with me that they always wear national clothes on the official events, and I got excited about it. I, actually, really like this idea to be employed in my country as well.

I mean, look at the reactions..
Do they really hate our cultural clothes or what?