On May 28–29, 2025, the First Forum of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions was held at Andijan State University under the theme "Uzbekistan – Azerbaijan: Priority Areas for Developing Cooperation in Higher Education." The forum was organized in partnership between the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
During the first day's plenary session, participants discussed prospects for cooperation between the higher education systems of the two countries. Presentations covered academic exchange, joint educational programs, research projects, and innovative initiatives, with the sharing of best practices.
Notable participants included First Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan Shohrukh Daliyev, Deputy Minister of Science and Education of Azerbaijan Idris Isayev, and leaders of prestigious higher education institutions from both nations. Bilateral meetings held within the forum focused on deepening practical cooperation, improving the quality of education, and implementing joint initiatives.
As a result of the negotiations, around 60 memoranda of understanding, cooperation agreements, and roadmaps were signed. These documents represent a significant step toward strengthening strategic partnerships in the fields of education and science.
Bukhara State University (BukhSU) actively participated in the forum. The delegation, led by Rector Professor Obidjon Khamidov, Doctor of Economic Sciences, succeeded in signing a number of mutually beneficial cooperation memoranda with prominent Azerbaijani universities. Agreements were reached with Baku Higher Oil School to launch student and faculty exchange programs and research projects within an international academic mobility framework. A memorandum signed with Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC), which was founded in 1930 and currently serves nearly 18,000 students, will enhance collaboration in education and scientific fields. The agreement with Lankaran State University, which became an independent institution in 1992 and now hosts more than 1,500 students, aims to deepen bilateral academic ties. Additionally, a memorandum signed with the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts (ASUCA), one of the country’s largest arts institutions founded in 1923, will expand cooperation in arts, culture, and creative disciplines.
On the second day of the forum, Istam Davronov, a lecturer in BukhSU’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality, promoted the tourism potential of the Bukhara region, particularly the Kogon and Romitan districts. In line with Presidential Decree 135, dated April 26, 2023, participants were informed in detail about Bukhara’s pilgrimage destinations, historical monuments such as the Bahouddin Naqshband complex, and new tourism projects.
As part of the forum program, representatives from Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan also took part in a tree-planting ceremony within the “Green Space” initiative as a symbol of friendship.
This forum has brought higher education cooperation between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan to a qualitatively new level. The active involvement of Bukhara State University contributed significantly to enhancing its international prestige.
