In historical sources, Bukhara Sharif, referred to as the “peer of Rome” and the “Paris of the East,” has long been famous worldwide as one of the centers of secular and religious sciences. It was on this land that the Bukhara State Pedagogical Institute was established in September 1930. In the first years of independence, namely on the basis of the Decree of the President dated February 28, 1992 No. PF-356 and the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers dated March 11, 1992 No. 125, it was granted the status of a university. Today this higher educational institution is celebrating its blessed 85th anniversary.
Bukhara State University is considered one of the oldest higher educational institutions in our republic. Initially, 17 pedagogical staff members worked there, whereas currently the number of teaching staff amounts to 489. Until the years of independence, as a pedagogical institute this educational institution trained only teachers, but after receiving university status in 1992 its opportunities expanded significantly. If in 1990–91 it had only 16 fields of study, today the number of educational programs has reached 35.
Until the establishment of the present Urgench (1934), Karshi (1955), and Termez (1956) State Universities, Bukhara higher education institution played a leading role in preparing qualified pedagogical personnel for these regions. Later, the university also served as the basis for the establishment of Navoi State Pedagogical Institute and the Bukhara branch of the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration.
Scientific schools have been formed at the university in philosophy, Uzbek language and literature, folklore studies, history of Uzbekistan, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics and informatics, psychology, pedagogy, and economics. During the years of independence, 26 doctoral and 201 candidate dissertations were successfully defended by the university’s professors and teachers. At present, the activities of these scientific schools, which were formed over many years, are effectively continued by local specialists who graduated from these very schools.
Currently, Bukhara State University has 6 faculties and 26 departments, where 6,246 students study in 35 fields of education and 129 master’s students study in 14 specialties. At the same time, within the existing 21 specialties, 22 senior research fellows are conducting their research at the institute of senior scientific researchers.
Among the university’s professors and teachers, who selflessly serve in educating competitive scientific, scientific-technical and scientific-pedagogical personnel possessing professional qualities, deeply aware of their responsibility for the fate of the country and the people, and imbued with patriotism, 19 hold the degree of Doctor of Science and 128 hold the degree of Candidate of Science.
In our country, under the leadership of our respected Head of State, great attention and care are given to the education and upbringing of youth. This attention is also reflected in the annually increasing funds directed toward strengthening the material and technical base of higher educational institutions. In particular, on the basis of the Resolution No. 1533 of May 20, 2011 “On measures to strengthen the material and technical base of higher educational institutions and fundamentally improve the quality of training highly qualified specialists” by President Islam Abduganievich Karimov, a number of buildings and structures of Bukhara State University were included in the capital repair program. In 2013–2015, construction and repair works worth 45,551,000.0 (forty-five billion five hundred fifty-one million) soums were carried out. For these buildings, modern furniture worth 1,540,340.0 (one billion five hundred forty million three hundred forty thousand) soums, laboratory equipment worth 93,574.0 (ninety-three million five hundred seventy-four thousand) soums, and sports equipment worth 48,321.0 (forty-eight million three hundred twenty-one thousand) soums were purchased. As a result, two academic buildings and six student dormitories were brought into compliance with modern standards.
Classrooms were equipped with modern computer equipment, video projectors, and electronic boards. The university’s internal local network system was improved and connected to high-speed internet.
In recent years, decisive steps have been taken to replenish departments with young promising pedagogical staff, introduce innovations into the educational process, ensure the integration of “science–education–production,” restore traditional scientific schools, create new scientific schools, educate spiritually mature individuals, and introduce achievements of information technologies into education. For these noble goals, a strategic conceptual program for the modernization of Bukhara State University for 2015–2025 has been developed.
Considering that the development of science is one of the main criteria determining the progress of the country, and in order to strengthen the spiritual immunity of the younger generation, supporting and widely promoting the achievements of talented and creative students engaged in science, as well as assisting in the development of their new internationally competitive projects, is one of the main directions of the university’s strategic development.
The team of Bukhara State University actively participates in project competitions within the framework of state scientific and technical programs. In terms of international cooperation, the university maintains scientific relations with more than 20 scientific-educational centers and universities abroad, as well as foreign organizations. Obtaining foreign grants within international programs and funds has always been one of the university’s priorities. Within the framework of the “Tempus” foundation, six projects aimed at developing higher education are being implemented. In the 2015 competitions, four more projects were won.
Prospective scientific directions at the university are increasing year by year. These include the use of alternative energy sources, optics, heliotechnology, problems of soil science and land corrosion, creation of composite materials, philology (linguistics, literary studies and folklore), historiography and source studies of the history of Uzbekistan, актуальные проблемы истории восточной философии, problems of involving women in sports, creation of new varieties of agricultural crops, development of national programs in information and communication technologies, use of microscopic and higher aquatic plants to increase fish productivity and biotechnological treatment of wastewater, algebra, geometry, ornithology, pedagogy, psychology, economics and tourism services. These scientific areas achieve high results and open the way for strengthening the university’s scientific potential year by year.
To enhance the effectiveness of research activities and apply their results in various sectors of the national economy, establish an effective mechanism of innovative corporate cooperation between science and production, strengthen the role of production in training highly qualified personnel and ensuring their employment, and ensure corporate cooperation in implementing scientific-technological developments, scientific laboratories such as “Biotechnology Problems,” “Heliophysics and Use of Solar Energy,” “Heliopolygon,” “Desert Ecosystem Problems,” as well as the “Ecological Center,” “Psychological Service Center,” “Sociological Research Center,” and “Innovative Science-Education Technologies Center” operate effectively at the university.
In 2015, more than forty developments included in the university’s research “Catalog” were distributed to industrial enterprises, organizations, and farmers, and more than ten contracts worth over 200 million soums were signed at republican and regional innovation fairs.
The university has sufficient conditions to elevate the mentor–apprentice system to a higher level, increase the training of young scientists and talented students, and strengthen young people’s love and motivation for science.
Automated electronic systems for monitoring the educational process and document execution with the participation of professors and students have been created and are currently being improved. To intensify scientific work in this area, a software engineering laboratory was established at the department. Within its main scientific directions, efforts were made to expand and improve the functionality of the information system supporting educational-information processes – BUIS; the software system supporting modular preparation of curricula and educational materials – LMS Moodle; and the software system supporting and monitoring document flow information processes at the university – CuteFlow.
In 2015, at the university’s agricultural plot, in cooperation with breeders of PSUEAITI Bukhara ITS, a collection of 22 varieties of medium-fiber cotton was organized to create high-yielding, high-quality, early-maturing varieties resistant to all adverse natural conditions and fully meeting world market demands. Ten varieties were selected for hybridization to create first-generation hybrid combinations. These experimental studies will be expanded taking into account the cotton varieties “Bukhara–6–10,” “Jondor Qudrati,” and “Porloq.”
All ecological problems of the Bukhara region—climate change, especially intensification of desertification, changes in precipitation amount and timing, freshwater scarcity, changes in soil composition, and disruption of natural habitats of flora and fauna leading to the reduction of certain species—have acquired urgent scientific relevance for the region.
In conclusion, at this educational institution with a historic 85-year legacy, a system has been developed to establish innovative corporate cooperation between science, education and production; ensure active participation of professors in republican fairs of innovative ideas and technologies; organize the activities of innovative groups consisting of leading professors, senior researchers, independent researchers, students and production enterprise representatives; continue traditions of existing scientific schools; effectively utilize the potential of experienced scholars; widely involve talented students in research; and purposefully prepare перспективные научно-педагогические кадры. Special attention is also paid to creating opportunities to increase admission quotas in order to ensure employment of graduates of secondary specialized vocational colleges.
Ensuring the integration of science with education and production (implementation of obtained results into production), increasing the scope and effectiveness of research activities on the basis of хозяйственных contracts in the interests of production enterprises has become one of the постоянных directions of the university’s development.
