A Post-Soviet Intellectual Migration: Uzbekistan’s Boom in Overseas & Private Education
- Bob Liu
- Apr 20
- 3 min read
Amid the global pursuit for higher education, a new wave is shaping the aspirations of Uzbekistan’s youth. Whereas previous generations turned to Moscow, today’s youth has
definitively shifted their ambitions westward, more specifically towards the United States and Canada. In alignment with the younger generation’s shifting aspirations, Uzbekistan’s private education and SAT infrastructure have burgeoned to meet these demands. By 2023, Uzbekistan’s post-secondary education had undergone a quiet yet radical transformation, ranking third in the world for the number of students attending foreign universities, behind only India and China.
As of January 2023, over 150,000 Uzbek students are now enrolled in institutions compared to the 35,000 students heading abroad in 2017. This surge is notably felt in North American institutions, with enrollment at American universities witnessing a 72% spike between 2021 and 2023 alone. Canada also received a comparable, but more modest increase. Yet beyond numbers, it is clear that a narrative is emerging, with demand at all levels of education superseding domestic supply, Uzbekistan’s youth are looking overseas as a means for prosperity.
This exodus is far from spontaneous and has not gone unnoticed by the private education sector, as the infrastructure for private schools and test preparation centers expanded to meet these demands. Since 2018, private schools in the country have ballooned from just 58 to 300 institutions in 2024. Aside from domestic institutions, foreign countries have also invested in Uzbekistan’s education sector, with Britain establishing the British School of Tashkent and Canada’s Canadian School of Tashkent. Taking advantage of the Uzbek youth’s desire to study abroad, these schools simultaneously address Uzbekistan’s appetite for schools and provide a pipeline for the influx of Uzbek international students into the respective countries. Yet, the pursuit of a “Western education” has left many families unhappy, with many viewing it as merely a means to an end, driven by concerns about the public education system. As Saodat, a 42-year-old mother of three from Tashkent, claims, “My children go to school just for the sake of it.”
Amid overcrowding in public schools, with classes of 35-38 per group, there is a notable disparity between the quality of education between public and private education sectors. Yet this does not deter the thirst for a Western education, even with the top 15 private schools ranging from $6500-$15000 tuition-wise, a tremendous burden in a country where the average income is $4200 annually. Many Uzbek families increasingly see private education as an investment in their children’s future that the government could not match. The Uzbek government also recognizes this, fueling the rise of private schools through tax cuts, reduced loan interest rates, and partial utility bill coverage by the state.
But many Uzbeks are conflicted by the new educational landscape. Many youths are eager to experience education abroad, as NYU Abu Dhabi full scholarship winner Mukhlisa Mamatova captures, “some subjects weren’t taught properly due to a lack of teachers,” compared to the much higher expectations in Western universities. Educators in Uzbekistan are particularly divided on the trend. Many voice their concerns about a “brain drain”, seeing the best students leave and possibly not return. Such worries are warranted, given the limited opportunities domestically. Yet researcher Sherzod Eraliev, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, among others, explores a possible “Brain Gain” for Uzbekistan, believing the recent 2016 economic reforms would encourage its citizens trained abroad to share their expertise domestically. The government has turned to a unique strategy, addressing the issue by inviting foreign universities to set up branch campuses domestically, giving students “international” degrees while remaining in the country. The results have been promising; for instance, Webster University (USA) in Tashkent has grown to over 4,200 students in just five years. While it is too early to determine the outcome of this direction, the rise of local opportunities is encouraging for Uzbek youth pursuing education domestically.
Indeed, as Uzbekistan undergoes an educational revolution, our team examines the question: “How can Uzbekistan ensure that the pursuit of international education does not exacerbate socioeconomic disparities, and how does it complement, rather than overshadow, domestic educational development?” As Uzbekistan navigates this new educational era, these considerations are essential towards creating an effective educational system that serves all citizens, urban and rural.
