The Number of Foreign Universities in Uzbekistan Increased by 4.3 Times — Experts Warned About Key Issues

The number of foreign higher education institutions operating in Uzbekistan has increased by 4.3 times over the last decade. This was reported by the National Statistics Committee.

According to the data provided, at the beginning of the 2025/2026 academic year, there were 30 foreign universities in the country. In the 2015/2016 academic year, their number was just 7.

In the 2005/2006 academic year, there were 2, in 2010/2011 — 6, and in 2020/2021 — 18 foreign universities. Currently, Uzbekistan’s role in the international education market is also growing.

From January to June 2026, 21,042 foreign nationals came to the country for educational purposes, which is 2.2 times more than in the same period last year. ## Key Details and Important Information This process is attracting the attention of international experts. An article published on August 25 in "Times Higher Education" noted that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are becoming new centers of international higher education in Central Asia.

Oxford University professor Maya Chankselian believes that Uzbekistan has a large domestic education market and is rapidly expanding cooperation with foreign universities. However, the expert emphasized that the establishment of a foreign university does not necessarily strengthen the entire national education system.

The key is the involvement of local educators in new programs and research, collaboration with foreign colleagues, and the enhancement of education and research quality in local universities. Otherwise, foreign institutions may become separate "islands of internationalization" that are not sufficiently connected to the local system.

International higher education expert Yerbol Suleymenov also noted that while bringing in the brand of a foreign university is relatively easy, integrating its educational quality and institutional culture into the local system is a much more complex task.