THE MOST RELEVANT TOPICS FOR FUTURE ERASMUS+ CAPACITY BUILDING IN HIGHER EDUCATION PROJECTS IN CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS OF UZBEKISTAN FOR 2017-2020 Текст научной статьи по специальности «Науки об образовании»

THE MOST RELEVANT TOPICS FOR FUTURE ERASMUS+ CAPACITY BUILDING IN HIGHER EDUCATION PROJECTS IN CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS OF

UZBEKISTAN FOR 2017-2020

Abdurakhmanova A.K., Astanakulov O.T., Rikhsieva G. Sh., Rakhmatullaev M.A., Akhrorov F.B., Bahadirov K.G., Vikhrov I.P.

Abstract: The aim of this material is to present one of the parts of the recent National Impact Study on impact of Erasmus+ projects (2015-2020) on higher education system of Uzbekistan which provides description of the reforms in the field of politics and economics, science and innovations, agriculture and healthcare for the period of 2017-2020. Each author has developed the most relevant 10 topics for the future projects in the context of the respective reforming field to be considered while preparing new project proposals within new Erasmus+ programme phase of 2021-2027. Abdurakhmanova A.K. (Introduction, 1, edition), Astanakulov O.T. (2.1.,2.2.,3.1.), Rikhsieva G.Sh. (2.3.,3.2.), Rakhmatullaev M.A. (2.4.,3.3.), Akhrorov F. B. and Bahadirov K.G. (2.5., 3.4.), Vikhrov I.P. (2.6, 3.5.)

Key words: reforms, modernization, priorities, higher education, science and innovations, agriculture, healthcare.

АКТУАЛЬНАЯ ТЕМАТИКА БУДУЩИХ ПРОЕКТОВ ERASMUS+ ПО ПОВЫШЕНИЮ ПОТЕНЦИАЛА ВЫСШЕГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ (CBHE) В КОНТЕКСТЕ СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ МОДЕРНИЗАЦИИ РЕСПУБЛИКИ УЗБЕКИСТАН 2017-2020 ГОДОВ

Абдурахманова А.К., Астанакулов О.Т., Рихсиева Г.Ш., Рахматуллаев М.А., Ахроров Ф.Б., Бахадиров К.Г., Вихров И.П.

Аннотация: Цель данного материала - представить одну из частей проведенного исследования о влиянии проектов Erasmus+ (2015-2020) на систему высшего образования Узбекистана, в которой дано описание реформ 2017-2020 годов в сфере политики и экономики, высшего образования, науки и инноваций, в сельском хозяйстве и в здравоохранении республики. В заключительной части материала каждым автором в контексте реформ в соответствующей сфере представлены 10 наиболее актуальных тем для будущих проектов Erasmus+ по повышению потенциала высшего образования в рамках нового этапа программы на 2021-2027 годы. Абдурахманова А.К. (Введение, 1, редакция), Астанакулов О.Т. (2.1.,2.2.,3.1.), Рихсиева Г.Ш. (2.3., 3.2.), Рахматуллаев М.А. (2.4.,3.3.), Ахроров Ф.Б., Бахадиров К.Г. (2.5.,3.4.), Вихров И.П. (2.6, 3.5.)

Ключевые слова: реформы, модернизация, приоритеты, высшее образование, наука и инновации, сельское хозяйство, здравоохранение.

Introduction

13

For the last four years (2017-2020) the internationalisation process has been in particular intensive and became a period of sweeping reforms and important decisions aimed at improving quality of higher education and its organisation in accordance with widely recognised international standards.

The Erasmus+ programme is the largest programme of cooperation not only with European universities but also universities from Central Asia, CIS countries and other regions of the world.

In the framework of the Erasmus + programme, in addition to financing of joint projects for higher education institutions, support has been provided for the National Teams of Experts in Higher Education (Higher Education Reform Experts-HEREs) in cooperation with the Ministries of education in the partner-countries.

The HEREs activities are focused on support to modernization of higher education according to the national policy and its strategy of higher education development of the ministries of education in partner-countries.

The main goal of the national Higher Education Reform Experts' team is to disseminate information about the developments in the country's higher education system as well as transformations in the European Higher Education Area covering 49 countries of the Bologna Process.

The membership of the National team was updated following the proposal of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialised Education, respectively designated by the EU Delegation to Uzbekistan and approved by Executive Agency.

Initiated by the National team the HEREs' annual publication "Perspectives of HE development" has been published as a scientific and methodological collection since 2011. Officially registered as a peer-reviewed scientific and methodological journal "Perspectives of higher education development" its 8th issue was presented at the annual HEREs' conference on 15 December 2020. The aim of the journal is enhancing the efficiency of the education process in Uzbekistan through analysis and information about progressive methods, achievements, tendencies and challenges in the field of higher education. The MHSSE supports this publication, which was stated in regular foreword for each issue. One of the

13 Исследование проводилось в ноябре -декабре 2020 года. Отчет был опубликован на веб-сайте NEO: http://www.erasmusplus.uz/news/Materials-StudY-of-the-Impact-of-Erasmus-Proiects.htm

strengths of EU HE cooperation programmes is prompt and flexible reaction to the latest developments of higher education.

It is also characterized the activities of the National team similar to activities of CBHE and ICM projects. For example, for 2020 a number of seminars on the most relevant topics for HEIs were organised by the NEO and HEREs with support of the MHSSE and SISQE:

• The main problems faced by the Erasmus+ projects for the pandemic period

and recommendations on their solving.

• ECTS

• Online teaching and training.

It is worth to underline that the in overall Tempus and Erasmus+ projects and their participants contributed to capacity building of the Uzbekista HEIs for introduction of credit-modular system thanks to projects activities on development of new programmes of updating the existing curricula. Undoubtedly 25-year of cooperation within Tempus, Erasmus Mundus and Erasmus+ with the European universities facilitated ECTS related task to be included into the Concept of HE development until 2030. The HEREs and the project participants were directly involved in development of this Concept. The seminars of HEREs on ECTS were become even more relevant as soon a decision on switching of 35 HEIs to ECTS from 2020/2021 academic year and later on following the Decree on overall introduction of ECTS adopted on 31 December 2020. The seminars were positively evaluated by participants thanks to practically oriented approach and involvement of the participants of on-going projects aimed on development of new ECTS-based curricula, who shared their experience. The most valuable support of the MHSSE and SISQE was appreciated in presenting the detailed information on initiatives and obtained results for the implementation of tasks of the Concept of HE development until 2030.

1. Goals and objectives of the Impact Study

The National impact study of CBHE projects on the development of regions, countries, organizations, and individual higher education professionals, including students was initiated by EACEA in 2020.

The National Erasmus+ Offices are the implementing bodies of the impact studies of CBHE projects and partially ICM projects jointly with members of the National Teams of Higher Education Reform Experts of the respective countries where the NEOs operate. The National Erasmus+ Office in Uzbekistan and the National Team of HEREs designed this study.

Goal of the study: arrange and conduct an interim impact study of the Erasmus+ CBHE and ICM projects in the Republic of Uzbekistan at the national,

institutional and individual levels. In this study, impact is defined as follows: Capacity-building projects are expected to have a long-term structural impact on the systems, organisations/institutions and individuals in Uzbekistan.

Study objectives: 1. To assess the impact of CBHE and ICM projects for 2015-2017 by analyzing monitoring reports and self-reports on the ground; 2. Evaluate the sustainability of the results achieved over the study period, through an independent online survey of project participants; 3. To identify the indirect and long-term impact of projects on the development of project participants, organisations and the region through focus group discussions; 4. To highlight the main problems, challenges and recommendations to be considered for the next period of 2021-2027, taking into account the forecast of development trends in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Period covered by the impact study: November-December 2020.

2. Reforms and socio-economic modernization of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The reforms and modernization of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the period 2017-2020 by their depth and impact on the socio-economic situation of the country are compatible with all 25 previous years since the declaration of independence in 1991. Reforms have particularly affected a number of aspects of State Construction, Education, Science and Innovation, Agriculture and Health Care.

The scope of the reforms is also highly appreciated by international organizations, including a number of respected experts and the mass media. For example, Uzbekistan became the country of the year according to the British magazine "The Economist". According to the editorial board, the state of affairs in this country became much more democratic in 2019. Positive changes began back in 2018, when President Shavkat Mirziyoyev initiated reforms that "have accelerated over the last year".

[https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/12/21/which-nation-improved-the-most-in-2019].

In this regard, the Higher Education Reform Experts (HERE) together with National Erasmus+ Office in Uzbekistan (NEO) conducted a brief analysis of the ongoing reforms and presented them in the form of analytical notes as part of the National Impact Study.

2.1. Description of the reforms implemented in Uzbekistan in 2017-2020

Large-scale reforms implemented during the years of independence in Uzbekistan laid a solid foundation for national statehood and sovereignty, safety and legal order ensuring, inviolability of state borders, rule of law, human rights and freedoms, interethnic harmony and religious tolerance in society, created

decent living conditions for the population and simplified realization of the creative potential of citizens.

Rejection of the administrative-command management of economy, the phased implementation of market reforms and balanced monetary policy contributed to macroeconomic stability, high rates of economic growth, keeping inflation within the forecasted limits, creating ample opportunities and favorable conditions for the development of small businesses, private entrepreneurship as well as farmerhood.

At the same time, a comprehensive analysis of the country's past stage of development, the changing world economic situation in the context of globalization and increasing competition require the development and implementation of radically new ideas and principles of further sustainable and outrun development of the country.

In 2017, "Action Strategy on Five Priority Lines of Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021" was adopted, which contributed to the launch of large-scale reforms to reach a new stage of development for almost all sectors and fields of the national economy.

Improvement of the system of State and Social Construction, ensuring the rule of law and further reform of the judiciary establishment, economic development and liberalization, development of the social sector, ensuring security, interethnic harmony and religious tolerance, as well as a reasonable, mutually beneficial and practical foreign policy have become the main priorities of the strategic development of the country. At the same time, the Action Strategy was adopted after a broad discussion among the population and entrepreneurs, scientists and practitioners.

Elections and the new Government of Uzbekistan

On December 4, 2016, early presidential elections were held in Uzbekistan. The elections were deemed valid with more than 87% of voters participating. As a result, the candidate from Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was elected President of Uzbekistan with 88.61% of the vote.

The election of the new President of Uzbekistan has marked a new stage in the domestic and foreign policy of the state. From the first days of his rule, Shavkat Mirziyoyev headed for intensive dialogue with the people, expanding the participation of citizens in state and public administration, as well as public authorities in solving social and domestic problems of the inhabitants of Uzbekistan.

The new version of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Appeals of Physical Persons and Legal Entities" was adopted. At the same time, special

attention was paid to improving the forms and types of appeals. In fact, a course was taken to create an information system that would allow, using information and communication technologies, to receive, accumulate, classify and systematize incoming appeals, as well as to monitor and control their complete, timely and qualitative consideration.

Virtual Reception of the President were arranged, as well as each region obtained People's Receptions, where local authorities contribute to the solution of problems and appeals of citizens of Uzbekistan; the procedure for discussion of adopted legal documents was introduced, Information Portals for Public Opinion Research were introduced, Receptions of the Prime Minister were established in all regions to consider appeals of businessmen. In addition, an entirely new institution, the Presidential Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights and Legitimate Interests of Entrepreneurs, or Business Ombudsman, began to function.

Particular attention was paid to the creation of an effective system for eliminating the causes and conditions of corruption in the society, introduction of integrity standards ("Vaccine of Integrity") into the civil service. Work is underway to form an intolerant attitude in the society towards all forms of corruption through development and implementation of comprehensive programs aimed at raising legal awareness and legal culture of citizens. In order to increase the effectiveness of measures taken in these fields, the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established. The staff of this new institution was recruited on a competitive basis, through an open and transparent selection, taking into account the competence of candidates.

Development Strategy 2017-2021.

By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated February 7, 2017 "Action Strategy on Five Priority Lines of Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021" was adopted. This document defines the main priorities and guidelines for further reforming and development of the country in the medium term. The Action Strategy aims to consolidate the efforts of government agencies, non-governmental organizations and civil society institutions to achieve the goals of sustainable development, and identifies five priority lines of development of Uzbekistan:

1. Improvement of State and Society Construction, aimed at further strengthening the role of Parliament and political parties in deepening democratic reforms and modernization of the country, reformation of the Public Administration system, development of organizational and legal framework of civil service, improvement of "E-Government" system, increase in the quality and efficiency of public services, practical implementation of public control mechanisms, strengthening the role of civil society institutions and the mass media;

2. Ensuring the rule of law and further reform of the judiciary establishment aimed at strengthening the true independence of the judiciary and guarantees of reliable protection of rights and freedoms of the citizens, improvement of administrative, criminal, civil and economic legislation, increase in the effectiveness of the system of crime counteracting and violations preventing, the full implementation of the adversarial principle in the judicial process, improvement of the system of legal aid and legal services;

3. Development and liberalization of the economy, aimed at further strengthening macroeconomic stability and maintaining high rates of economic growth, increasing its competitiveness, modernization and intensive development of agriculture, continuing institutional and structural reforms to reduce the state's presence in the economy, further strengthening the protection of rights and the priority role of private property, stimulating the development of small businesses and private entrepreneurship, comprehensive and balanced socio-economic development of regions, districts and cities, active attraction of foreign investment into economic sectors and regions of the country by improving the investment climate;

4. Development of the social sector, aimed at consistently increase in employment and real income of the population, improvement of the system of social protection and health care of citizens, increase in social and political activity of women, implementation of targeted programs for the construction of affordable housing, development and modernization of transportation, engineering, communication and social infrastructure, development of education, culture, science, literature, art and sports, improvement of state youth policy;

5. Ensuring security, interethnic harmony and religious tolerance, implementation of balanced, mutually beneficial and constructive foreign policy aimed at strengthening the independence and sovereignty of the state, creation of a belt of security, stability and neighborliness around Uzbekistan, strengthening the international image of the country.

Each of these directions contains specific sections on further deepening reforms and transformations in the country. The implementation of the Action Strategy is envisaged in five stages. Each stage approves a separate annual State Program for its implementation in accordance with the declared year's title in Uzbekistan. Thus, in 2017 the State Program for the implementation of Action Strategy in the "Year of Dialogue with the People and Public Interests" was adopted, in 2018 it was the State Program in the "Year of Support for Active Entrepreneurship, Innovative Ideas and Technologies", in 2019: the State Program in the "Year of Active Investment and Social Development", in 2020: the "Year of Development of Science, Education and Digital Economy". Control over the

implementation of these programs is entrusted to the Government and the Parliament of the country.

Reformation and modernization of the various sectors of life of citizens and the functioning of state bodies of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In the period 2017-2020, the essence of the main reforms implemented in Uzbekistan was as follows:

• Banking Sector and Money Circulation Reform (2017-2018);

• Unification of exchange rates, liberalization of the foreign exchange market and introduction of conversion on current transactions (summer-autumn 2017);

• Elimination of a number of administrative barriers to cross-border movement of goods and population (primarily with the neighboring countries) and decrease in customs duties (2017-2018);

• Reduction of a number of administrative costs of doing business;

• Implementation of the Concept of administrative reforms (2017-2020);

• Radical Tax Reform (2019);

• Essential improvement of the Human Resources Policy (2019);

• Implementation of the concept of Higher Education System Development in the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030;

• Complete rejection of forced labor, etc.

The commercialization of the banking sector in Uzbekistan has occurred in recent years. The Central Bank has significantly restructured its activities in terms of control and regulation of commercial banks, regulation of money circulation and foreign exchange market.

In recent years, the Government of Uzbekistan did their best to improve the business environment and reduce transaction costs. It was primarily connected to the reduction of tax, customs and administrative burden, with simplification of procedures of export-import operations and obtaining different kinds of permissions, with improvement of monetary circulation system and banking sector operation.

On January 1, 2019, Uzbekistan launched the Tax Reform that managed to solve many problems (partially or completely). The most important achievements can be considered: a radical reduction of tax on labor (by 1.5-2 times); a significant reduction in the tax burden on enterprises of the general taxation regime (the most important points: reduction of VAT rate from 20 to 15%, elimination of deductions

to the State Trust Funds from revenues - 3.2%); a significant reduction of the impact of turnover taxes; task in hand was set to eliminate the huge number of tax benefits and exceptions, leveling tax conditions for all economic entities. At the same time, relatively high costs of tax administration and an overall high level of redistribution of income through the budget and quasi-budgetary funds remain.

For the accelerated innovative development of all sectors of the economy and social sector, there was an urgent need for a single body that could provide strategic forecasting, support and implementation of innovative ideas, developments and technologies, integrating science, education and production. All the above led to the formation of another new institution - the Ministry of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The Government of the country also focused on Preschool Education System. Since over the past 20 years, the number of Preschool State Educational Institutions decreased by more than 45%, and the coverage of children by Preschool Institutions in 2016 was about 30% only. The existing material and technical base of Preschool Educational Institutions did not meet modern requirements. The formation of the Ministry of Preschool Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017 made it possible to begin the practical implementation of a unified state policy in the field of preschool education, creating conditions for the comprehensive intellectual, moral, aesthetic and physical development of preschool aged children.

The role and position of international cooperation

In the field of foreign policy, the new Government of Uzbekistan has held a large number of summit meeting to establish close neighborliness with the countries of Central Asia and the CIS as a whole, that allowed to solve a number of important issues relating to water consumption, borders, the renewal and expansion of transport connection. In addition, the President of Uzbekistan made visits to the United States, France, Germany, Russia, China, South Korea, Turkey and other countries to further develop mutually beneficial cooperation and implement joint projects in social, economic and cultural sectors. Partnership with the UN, OSCE, SCO, OIC and other acknowledged international organizations has reached a qualitatively new stage; also in 2020 Uzbekistan obtained an observer status in the Eurasian Economic Union.

Our Government's prioritized foreign policy, that identified the creation of "Zone of stability, sustainable development and neighborliness" in Central Asia, including Afghanistan, has played a significant role in creation of new spirit of mutual understanding in the Central Asian region.

The adoption of the Tashkent Declaration 2018 has become a decisive contribution of Uzbekistan to the activation of the intra-Afghan peace process. This

document fixed the clear consensus at the regional and global levels on the basic principles of establishing long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Plans, strategies and development trends until 2030

According to the Resolution of the UN General Assembly, adopted at the Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015, Uzbekistan approved the National Sustainable Development Purpose and Objectives for the period up to 2030.

Over the past three years, fundamental research and practical study of problems at local level have been conducted. As a result, concepts for the development of key sectors and directions of public administration were adopted. In particular, 11 normative legal acts, establishing the main lines of development of the sector until 2030, were adopted. Namely, there were adopted the documents as follows:

1. The Concept of Development of the Public Education System of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030;

2. The Concept of Development of Preschool Education System of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030;

3. Strategy for the Transition of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Green Economy for the period 2019-2030;

4. The Concept of Development of Higher Education System of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030;

5. The Strategy of Development of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2020-2030;

6. The Concept of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030;

7. The Concept of Water Management of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2020-2030;

8. The Strategy "Digital Uzbekistan 2030";

9. The Concept of Development of the Forestry Management of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030;

10. The Concept of Development of Science until 2030;

11. Strategies of Innovative Development of Agricultural Education System until 2030.

At the same time, the draft Concept of socio-economic development of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030 is being discussed by state ministries and departments, scientists and the public. The concept defines and substantiates goals, priorities and tasks of medium-term and long-term socio-economic development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, serving as guidelines for economic policy. At the same time, the main goal of the concept is the formation of an export-oriented market

economy based on knowledge, providing a high level and high quality of life for each citizen of the republic with inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Conclusion

The reforms implemented in Uzbekistan between 2017 and 2020 have made the country more open and democratic, raising some aspects of economic, political, social, cultural and foreign policy to a new level of development. Efforts and measures taken by the Government of Uzbekistan during the COVID-19 pandemic were especially in time. As a result, the number of those who recovered is 96.6% of the total number of those infected (more than 75,000 people as of December 2020) with coronavirus, and the number of fatal outcomes did not exceed 650 people.

Over the past three years a number of reforms have been implemented to improve the efficiency of public administration, form a sustainable market economy and expand entrepreneurship, improve the social sector, in particular the health care, education and science.

Within the framework of the Concept of administrative reforms in the fields with not clearly organized public administration, 12 new state bodies were established, activities of 20 ministries and agencies were significantly transformed.

Over the past three years more than 30 concepts and strategies for the accelerated development of priority directions of the socio-economic sector in the medium and long term have been adopted.

For the next five years, important tasks were set to ensure high economic growth, improve fiscal policy, develop industrial sector, power industry, transportation, agriculture, housing and utilities.

References

1. Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan # UP-4947 "On the Action Strategy for the Further Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan" dated February 7, 2017;

2. Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan # UP-5975 "On Measures to Radically Update State Policy in the Field of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction" dated March 26, 2020.;

3. Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan # 841 "On Measures to Implement the National Purpose and Objectives for Sustainable Development until 2030" dated October 20, 2018;

4. Report of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev "Critical analysis, strict discipline and personal responsibility should become a daily norm in the activity of every leader" - Tashkent: "Uzbekistan" Publishing House, 2017, page 48.

5. https://www.president.uz/

6. https://www.lex.uz/

7. https://www.stat.uz/

8. https://www.regulation.gov.uz/

9. https://ru.wikipedia.org/

2.2. Structural Reforms in Public Administration and the Economy

The Action Strategy on the five priority lines of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021, adopted in early 2017, triggered large-scale reforms in all sectors of State Construction and Public Administration. Uzbekistan entered a new stage of development, radical renewal and modernization, and these days a new image of the country is in progress.

The final objective of all reforms and transformations is to build a democratic state as well as an equitable society with priority principle: "Human oriented values are above all" which closely resonates with the main principle of the Sustainable Development Objectives "Leave no one behind".

Transformations in the Public Administration system are supposed to help ensure the full implementation of all planned reforms. At the same time, the basic philosophy of reforms in this field is reduced to the principle "It is not the people who must serve the state bodies, but the state bodies must serve the people". To embody this principle, in September 2017 for the first time the most important document was approved: "The Concept of Administrative Reform in the Republic of Uzbekistan".

Improvement in the quality of life of the people and achievement of sustainable rates of economic growth were the fundamental conditions for structural transformations in the economic sector. Measures are being taken to liberalize the economy, introduce market mechanisms, reduce the role of the state and expand the participation of the private sector in the economy, and develop transparent mechanisms of economic management.

Uzbekistan has made significant progress in liberalization of the currency market, improvement in monetary, fiscal and foreign economic activities, as well as creation of favorable investment climate and business environment.

Reforms in the Public Administration system.

The Administrative Reform of the Republic of Uzbekistan gained traction with the publication of Presidential Decree # UP-4947 dated February 7, 2017 "On the Action Strategy for the Further Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan".

In the context of the main directions described by the "Five Actions Strategy" the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated February 21, 2017 # UP-4966 "On Measures to Radically Improve the Structure and Increase the Efficiency of the Judicial system of the Republic of Uzbekistan" was issued.

This Decree established the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan to assist in ensuring compliance with the constitutional principle of independence of the Judiciary in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Also, the concept and model structure of administrative courts - specialized courts of regional, district and city levels, whose tasks would include the consideration of administrative disputes arising from public relations, as well as cases of administrative offenses, were introduced. Another important change was the transformation from commercial into economic courts. Thus, territorial judicial bodies obtained a clear specialization: economic, administrative, civil, military, and criminal.

The changes set forth in the Presidential Decree dated February 21, 2017 were reflected in the amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated May 31, 2017. The law amended Articles 80, 81, 83, 93, 93, 107, 110, 111, 112 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan to reform the country's Judicial system. In accordance with these amendments, the Higher Economic Court and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan were merged into a single supreme judicial authority in the field of civil, criminal, administrative and economic proceedings - the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan. As part of these amendments, economic and administrative courts were also established.

In addition, Article 93 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan has been amended to establish a new procedure for the election of judges of the Constitutional Court. Members of the Constitutional Court are elected by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament of Uzbekistan) from among those recommended by the Supreme Judicial Council, including one representative from the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The powers of the Constitutional Court have also been enlarged [O.Z. Mukhamejanov, I.T. Tulteev - Administrative Reform in the Republic of Uzbekistan: evolution, current status and development prospects // Studia Politologiczne, 2018, vol. 48, - page 141].

In September 2017, Presidential Decree # UP-5185 stated a detailed action plan for Administrative Reform in Uzbekistan.

The concept included a list of specific tasks aimed at solving the problems identified in the text of the Decree.

In terms of improving the institutional, organizational and legal foundations of the activities of public authorities, the following key destinations have been identified:

- Introduction of clear criteria and procedures for the creation and abolition of executive authorities, including territorial subdivisions, in order to prevent an unjustified increase in number of the state employees;

- Optimization of the Executive Authority structure in order to eliminate imbalance between republican and territorial executive authorities and rational distribution of resources between them;

- Increase in the independence and responsibility of the Executive Authority and their head officers for the implementation of Public Policy;

- Further implementation of the "E-Government" system and modern ICTs into the activities of Executive Authority;

- Improvement of public services system (implementation of the "Single-Window" system, development of administrative regulations);

- Development of the system of administrative justice by improving the procedure for appealing the decisions and actions of Executive Authority.

One of the most important points of the Concept of Administrative Reform was the requirement to develop a set of legal acts regulating the civil service. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this point, since until 2017 in the Republic of Uzbekistan there was no separate law regulating the civil service. The introduction of this task into the Concept enabled the launch of gradual work to create a consistent system for the selection of personnel for the civil service, to ensure transparency in its activities, to increase the labor productivity of civil servants along with the expansion of their social guarantees and an increase in the prestige of the civil service.

At the same time, the process of reforming the civil service system is still incomplete. A draft law "On Civil Service" was submitted for public discussion back in 2017, but yet did not attain its final form. This delay is partially compensated by the multitude of bylaws designed to help solve the problems of training and selecting civil service personnel, but without a systemic law, the process of reforming the civil service system cannot be considered complete.

Among the indicators that characterize the political and legal development of Uzbekistan, a special place belongs to "The Worldwide Governance Indicators", calculating by the World Bank and including indicators of accountability and responsibility of government, political stability, public administration efficiency, quality of public administration, rule of law, as well as control of corruption.

Analyzing the dynamics of the WGI indicators, we can note that the greatest success was achieved by the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of maintaining the stability of the political system and the efficiency of public administration. This

indicator showed a fairly rapid growth at the turn of 2013-2016. Such dynamics can be explained by the acceleration of Administrative Reform, as well as the active introduction of ICT into the activities of Public Authorities.

Economic reforms

Since the end of 2016, the country began to move toward economic liberalization, building a market economy, ensuring its openness to foreign investors.

By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan # UP-5177 "On the Top-Priority Measures to Liberalize the Foreign Exchange Policy" dated September 2, 2017, it was established that only market mechanisms should be used for fixing the exchange rate of the national currency against foreign currencies.

A key factor in ensuring the effectiveness of economic reforms aimed at improving living standards and creating conditions for sustainable economic growth is the implementation of measures to further reduce the inflation rate.

International experience indicates that in a market economy one of the effective ways of conducting monetary policy is the regime of inflation targeting, in which through the active role of the Central Bank in the monetary market, as well as regular analysis of economic development and broad coverage of Public Policy plans the achievement of the established quantitative objective for inflation is delivered.

On January 1, 2020 the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan was entrusted to ensure phased transition of the monetary policy mechanisms to the inflation targeting regime, with the inflation rate reduced to 10% in 2021 and the permanent inflation target set at 5% in 2023.

Establishing of the effective budget system is an integral part of the development strategy of market economy in Uzbekistan.

The effectiveness of the economic strategy of the country depends primarily on forming up the fiscal policy that helps maintain financial balance in the country, create incentives for further socio-economic growth, development of entrepreneurship.

On January 1, 2020 a new version of the Tax Code was introduced in Uzbekistan. This document consolidated the simplification of the current tax legislation. Many changes and additions were made to the Tax Code, in particular:

- Social Tax was introduced instead of Single Social Payment;

- Also, Single Tax Payment was changed to Turnover Tax, and Flat Tax - to Personal Income Tax. Payers of the new taxes are eligible for the benefits that they enjoyed under the previous taxes;

- Sections on State Fees and Fees for the right to sell certain types of goods were removed from the Tax Code. They will be regulated by a separate law;

- Special tax regimes for markets and agricultural producers were abolished;

- Individual entrepreneurs obtained the right to choose whether to pay Income Tax on the basis of a declaration or a fixed amount of Income Tax.

The changes also affected the Budgetary Policy sector in Uzbekistan. Thus, starting from 2020, the State Budget is adopted in the form of a Law and a system of parliamentary appropriations is introduced. Since then the budget is approved in the context of ministries, thereby increasing their authority and responsibility.

In addition, a mechanism was introduced to increase responsibility in the formation and performance of the local budget, as well as the autonomy of local Councils and public authorities.

A favorable investment climate is a prerequisite for stable high economic development, attracting investment to the regions and industries and activation of entrepreneurship.

Potential investors usually monitor the quality of the investment climate in the country by studying the data of various analytical, research companies and agencies. The World Bank's Doing Business rating is widely known among them.

Uzbekistan ranked 69th in the World Bank's Doing Business 2020 rating among 190 countries, gaining 69.9 points out of 100 at the end of 2019. Thus, compared to the previous rating, the country has risen from the 76th place by 7 positions.

Uzbekistan pays special attention to making a positive image of the country. In June 2020 the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan # UP-6003 dated June 2, 2020 "On Improvement of the Position of the Republic of Uzbekistan in International Ratings and Indexes, as well as Introduction of a New Mechanism for Systematic Work with Them in State Bodies and Organizations" came into force. According to this Decree, specialized working groups were created under the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan to promote the country's position in international rankings - 14 socio-economic and 5 politico-legal working groups in total.

It should be noted that Uzbekistan has positive changes in the international indexes. One of the most indicative positive trends is the Human Development Index (HDI). The growth of this index indicates a gradual improvement in the

quality of life of the citizens of the country, in particular, an increase in life expectancy, level of education and general well-being of citizens.

Conclusion

Taking into account the above changes in the system of state and public administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan, it is necessary to emphasize the role of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as the main reformer and initiator of innovations.

As noted by foreign experts, Mirziyoyev's "courageous policy" based on such principles as: "Human oriented values are above all" and "It is not the people who must serve the state bodies, but the state bodies must serve the people" influenced the regional policy of the Central Asian countries and increased confidence in Uzbekistan not only among neighboring countries, but also among the international community.

In general, according to researchers, the catalyst for change in the system of public administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan is the development and adoption of the "Five Actions Strategy" that broadly covers the most important problems within the country, and provides solutions on the legislative and rational government base.

References

1. Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan # ZRU-599 dated December 30, 2019 "On Amendments and Additions to the Tax Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan".

2. Presidential Decree # UP-4947 dated February 7, 2017 "On the Action Strategy for the Further Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan".

3. Presidential Decree # UP-5185 dated September 8, 2017 "On Approval of the Concept of Administrative Reform in the Republic of Uzbekistan".

4. Presidential Decree # UP-6003 dated June 2, 2020 "On Improvement of the Position of the Republic of Uzbekistan in International Ratings and Indexes, as well as Introduction of a New Mechanism for Systematic Work with Them in State Bodies and Organizations".

5. Sh. Mirziyoyev "Pressing out the path of national development, we will reach a new level" - Tashkent: "Uzbekistan" Publishing House, 2017 - page 594.

6. Sh. Mirziyoyev "The intention of a great nation is to have a good job, a bright life, and a promising future" - Tashkent: "Uzbekistan" Publishing House, 2019 - page 400.

7. O.Z. Mukhamejanov, I.T. Tulteyev "Administrative reform in the Republic of Uzbekistan: evolution, current status and development prospects" // Studia Politologiczne, 2018, vol. 48, - page 141.

2.3. Reforms in Higher Education

In recent years, Uzbekistan has been active in the implementation of strategic objectives for reforming the system of Continuous Education, particularly Higher Education.

Large-scale work is being performed in the country for modernization of Higher Education and Secondary Specialized Education System, to develop science, and to introduce modern forms and technologies of education. Structural and substantive reforms are being performed, affecting all levels and components of the education system that were aimed at ensuring its compliance with the long-term objectives and interests of the country and the requirements of the present.

In particular, an appropriate legal framework for reforming this field was established, determining as a priority the growth of investments and injections to the human capital, training of an educated and intellectually advanced generation, which is the most important value and decisive force in achieving the objectives of democratic development, modernization and renewal, stable and sustainable economic growth.

In order to radically improve the Higher Education System, radically revise the content of training in accordance with the primary objectives of socio-economic development of the country, to provide the necessary conditions for training specialists with Higher Education at the level of international standards, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan # PP-2909 dated April 20, 2017, "On Measures for Further Development of Higher Education System" was adopted. This resolution approved the Program of complex development of Higher Education System for the period of 2017-2021, including many important applications, as well as targeted programs for development of Higher Educational Institutions for the period of 2017-2021. Based on the aforementioned the roadmaps for Higher Educational Institutions on the implementation of this Decree and action programs were developed.

In order to establish effective state control over the quality of education and training, the State Inspectorate for Quality Supervision of Education was established under the Cabinet of Ministers.

On July 27, 2017, the Presidential Decree # PP-3151 "On Measures to Further Expand the Participation of Industries and Sectors of the Economy in Improvement of the Quality of Training of Specialists with Higher Education" was adopted.

Following that, on June 5, 2018, the Presidential Decree # PP-3775 "On Additional Measures to Improve the Quality of Education in Higher Educational

Institutions and Ensure Their Active Participation in the Ongoing Large-Scale Reforms in the Country" was signed.

In accordance with the Presidential Decree # PF-5812 dated September 6, 2019, "On Additional Measures to Further Improve the Secondary Specialized Education System" the fundamental changes were introduced to the Secondary Specialized Education System of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The Presidential Decree # UP-5847 dated October 8, 2019 "On Approval of the Concept of Higher Education System Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030" plays an important role in the system of ongoing reforms.

Problems of higher education system described in the Concept

The system of higher education still faces a number of urgent issues and shortfalls with regards to producing highly qualified personnel, in particular:

a) enrollment in higher education and assurance of education quality:

• coverage by higher education is still low;

• the content of existing qualification requirements, curricula and programs is not aimed at the development of practical skills of graduates, and the proportion of non-specific subjects in the curriculum is still high;

• cooperation between higher educational institutions and customers in the field of personnel training is inefficient, and employers are not involved sufficiently in the development of the content of programs for higher education institutions;

• students do not develop skills such as critical thinking, ability for independent search for information and analytical thinking;

• hands-on training at enterprises is poorly organized, the qualifications of specialists trained does not meet modern labor market requirements;

• due to the low level of teaching staff's proficiency in foreign languages and information and communication technologies, their professional skills do not comply with the modern requirements;

• there is a shortage of teaching and learning materials, and a significant part of what is available does not meet modern requirements; activities on improving the quality of teaching and learning materials and using foreign literature as complementary or alternative resources are poorly organized;

• the mechanisms for conducting student contests in higher educational institutions are not transparent, and there are no procedures for systemic work with contest winners;

• there are no mechanisms for selecting students for higher educational institutions from among the talented youth;

• the system of teacher professional development is ineffectively organized, in particular, highly qualified professors and teachers are not involved in conducting training in professional development institutions, and when the trainees are selected for training, their existing potential is not taken into account;

• it is necessary to further develop activities aimed at improving the content related to ethics and morale, patriotic education of youth based on respect for national values, humanism and high principles, and ensure resilience of young people to the alien ideas and ideologies in higher education;

b) research and innovation:

• the research activities of higher educational institutions do not take into account the plans of social and economic development of the regions; there is no analysis-based forecasting of innovative development;

• there is no efficient practice of introduction of the results of innovation and research, commercialization of scientific developments and involvement of talented youth in research and development; the integration of education, science and industry is weak;

• the research capacity of higher educational institutions is only 36.4 percent;

• the average age of faculty members with a degree is 49 years (Doctors of Science are 56 years old, and PhDs and associates are 43 years old on average) and it remains high, with the share of retired doctors of science amounting to 45 percent;

• research studies are not focused on the actual issues in the social sphere and sectors of the economy;

• in recent years, the citation rates of articles published in authoritative international scientific journals have been going down;

• there are no effective mechanisms in place to incentivise professors, lecturers, researchers and young scientists involved in research activities;

c) strengthening the infrastructure of higher educational institutions:

• the existing dormitories, libraries, workshops, laboratories, sports and recreational facilities and social facilities do not cover the demand, and many of them do not meet the current technical requirements;

• the higher educational institutions do not have a sufficient number of modern educational and research laboratories; the proportion of educational laboratory equipment that meets international standards is only 10 percent; at the same time,

the teaching process is not adequately supported with laboratory supplies (reagents, chemical glassware, components, biological materials and other supplies);

• the bulk of financial resources of higher educational institutions is spent on wages; the funds allocated on updating educational and research laboratories and maintaining buildings and facilities are inadequate;

d) increasing the attractiveness and competitiveness of the national higher education internationally:

• national higher educational institutions are not included in the first 1,000 positions of the ranking of internationally recognized higher educational institutions, and their official websites are not included in first 1,000 positions in the Webometrics international ranking;

• educational programs and student knowledge assessment system are not in line with the international standards;

• existing student residences and social infrastructure do not meet the needs of foreign students;

• the marketing activities, including PR projects (such as Days of Uzbek higher educational institutions, presentations etc.) are not of the adequate quality, and there is no interactive virtual platform in this area;

Strategic Goals and Priority Areas for the Development of Higher Education System

The strategic objectives of the development of the higher education system are as follows:

• improving the quality of training of highly qualified personnel; development of human capital based on labour market requirements aimed at modernization and stable social and economic development of the country;

• creating the necessary preconditions to increase the level of enrolment in higher education; training of highly qualified personnel with the creative and analytical thinking skills, who can independently make decisions in order to fully utilise their intellectual capacity and develop further as a personality, based on the international standards;

• development of a healthy competitive environment; increasing attractiveness and ensuring the competitiveness of the sector internationally.

The development of the higher education system should be based on the following priority areas, taking into account the concrete long-term objectives:

• expanding the higher education coverage and improving the quality of training of specialists with higher education;

• introducing digital technologies and modern methods into the teaching process;

• improving the effectiveness of research in higher educational institutions, ensuring broader involvement of young people in research and developing innovative research infrastructure;

• increasing the effectiveness of activities aimed at developing ethics and morale;

• Actively engaging employers into the process of training highly qualified specialists;

• ensuring financial independence and sustainability of higher educational institutions and strengthening their infrastructure;

• systemic development of higher educational institutions and improvement of their governance;

• combating corruption and introducing efficient mechanisms to ensure transparency;

• increasing investment attractiveness of the higher education system and ensuring its recognition and competitiveness at the international level.

Results for 2020 on the fulfilment of these objectives

In the academic years 2020-2021 the coverage of country's population with Higher Education has significantly increased and reached more than 25% of young people. The basis of this result is the creation of new Higher Educational Institutions, the opening of branches of leading universities in the provinces, the establishment of branches of leading foreign universities in our country. To date, the number of universities and institutes in the country has reached 129. 96 of them are State Higher Education Institutions, 9 are private, and 24 are foreign universities and their branches. Also, the training of personnel by correspondence and evening courses in Higher Educational Institutions is developing in order to provide on-the-job training for students.

The State Inspectorate for Quality Supervision of Education under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan conducts systematic monitoring to improve the quality of training of specialists in universities, it is reflected in the national rating of universities that covers all the main parameters of the activities of universities to train highly qualified specialists. Since 2017 the results of the rating of universities of the country are announced, which contributed to the creation of competition between universities. And there is also a Department for Supervising the Quality of Education in all Higher Education Institutions that are directly connected to the State Inspectorate.

The roadmaps were developed in all universities for introduction of digital technologies and modern methods in the educational process. To eradicate corruption in Higher Education, the "E-University" system will be gradually introduced, minimizing the human factor in allocation of grades and letting shift paper record books and gradebooks. At the moment, universities are equipped with a database of students, professors and teachers, the system of evaluation of knowledge and other types of work in general is implemented. The "E-University" system is able to provide the transfer of the management system, educational process, libraries and documents circulation into electronic format, to introduce the electronic system of monitoring the effectiveness of the educational process participants.

Ministry of Innovative Development coordinates research and innovation activities, whilst Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education and the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, using separate roadmaps, conduct their activities for improvement of the effectiveness of research activity in Higher Educational Institutions, the broad involvement of young people in scientific work, the formation of an innovative infrastructure of science. The addition of allocated quotas for doctoral studies, the creation of a system of targeted doctoral studies, the reduction of bureaucratic barriers to thesis defense, the allocation of grants for fundamental, applied and innovative projects for youth, the creation of appropriate conditions for research, encouragement for prescheduled thesis defense and other factors have intensified the involvement of youth in scientific activity. Since 2019, a presidential scholarship for gifted doctoral students has been established. The concept of "University 3.0" that provides for a close connection of education, science, innovation and commercialization of research results in Higher Educational Institutions, is gradually being implemented. To ensure the gradual inclusion of scientific journals of Higher Educational Institutions in Scopus, ScienceDirect and other international scientific and technical databases, a separate platform was created that includes 43 scientific journals of leading universities and research institutes of the country. A system of material incentives was introduced at the expense of extra-budgetary funds for scientists, professors-teachers and young scientific applicants with a high Hirsch index (h-index) indicating the recognition of the results of scientific activity by publishing articles in prestigious scientific journals included in the international database of scientific and technical information. Also, starting from 2020 budgetary funds are allocated to encourage teachers of universities with scientific degree on the basis of assessment of the results of their scientific activity on certain criteria (up to 60% of the salary of a Doctor of Sciences, up to 30% of the salary of Candidate of Sciences and PhD).

To actively involve customers in the process of training highly qualified specialists in the preparation of educational and regulatory documents, qualification requirements, curricula, coordination with potential employers is required. Also,

specialists from customer enterprises are involved in the educational process and scientific activities. An important role in this direction is played by the organization of classes in enterprises and institutions by the areas of activities. Types of practices of students, such as introductory, industrial, pedagogical, research, etc., have expanded.

The important moments for modernization of Higher Education are provision of financial independence and stability of Higher Educational Institutions and strengthening of material and technical support. According to the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers PKM-967 dated December 3, 2019 "On the Gradual Transition of Higher Educational Institutions to the Self-Financing System", since 2020 10 Higher Educational Institutions of the country have switched to self-financing.

Academic autonomy is gradually being granted to Higher Educational Institutions. Joint programs are created, a number of educational directions and specialties of Master's Degree program are expanded.

The regulatory, legal and educational and methodological basis for the introduction of systems of continuous professional development and retraining for specialists in the social sector and all sectors of the economy, using the possibilities of distance learning in this direction, is being improved.

For instance, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted Decree # 824 dated December 31, 2020 "On Measures to Improve the Organization of the educational process in Higher Educational Institutions".

According to this Decree, starting from the academic year 2020/2021, the educational process in Higher Educational Institutions should be gradually transferred to the credit-module system. The document approved the Regulation on the implementation of the credit-module system in the educational process of Higher Educational Institutions, based on the European system (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System - ECTS).

In accordance with the decision of the Council of Higher Education Institution:

The faculty staff can train and improve their qualification in prestigious foreign universities and scientific institutions under the condition of registration of an agreement providing for the work in HEI for 3 years;

Teachers have a chance to take part in doctoral programs at prestigious foreign universities and scientific institutions under the condition that they sign an agreement to work at HEI for 5 years.

International cooperation

Increasing the investment attractiveness of the Higher Education System and ensuring its international recognition and competitiveness is one of the most important tasks. In this regard, in recent years active work is in progress. There are great opportunities for integration into the global community, the educational environment and the rapidly changing scientific and innovative life of advanced countries.

Work is underway on inclusion of at least 10 Higher Educational Institutions of the country into the Top 1000 List of Higher Educational Institutions by internationally recognized organizations rating (Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, Times Higher Education or Academic Ranking of World Universities), as well as inclusion the National University of Uzbekistan and Samarkand State University into the Top 500 List with the introduction of modern mechanisms of targeted state financial support for these Higher Educational Institutions. To date, 4 Higher Educational Institutions of the country have been included into the international rating at the regional level.

The recognition of diplomas is an important point in internationalization. Now, if a student graduated from a university that is in the Top 500 List of the world ranking or graduated from a university that Uzbekistan has signed an agreement with, he will get Confirmation Diploma without exams.

The activity of universities in training on the basis of joint educational programs in cooperation with foreign Higher Educational Institutions is expanding. The number of joint scientific conferences, seminars, as well as organizing educational forums, conferences of rectors and other events that contribute to a good exchange of experience heavily increased especially during the pandemic.

In the process of studying and analyzing the educational process the leading foreign universities started the gradual transfer of the educational process in Higher Educational Institutions to the credit-module system. In 2020-2021, 35 Higher Educational Institutions have switched to this system.

Advanced standards of Higher Education are being studied and introduced, in particular the gradual transition from an education system with curricula focused on theoretical knowledge to an education system aimed at building practical skills, based on international experience.

Higher Education reforms in Uzbekistan are being implemented in cooperation with many international organizations, including Erasmus+ (European Union Programme), JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency). As a result of implemented joint programs hundreds of teachers and students in Uzbekistan have the opportunity to learn international best practices in the education system, to acquire new

knowledge and skills, to improve their skills at leading universities around the world.

Conclusion

According to the analysis of the development of the Higher Education System, we can conclude that public policy of the country started the systematic giving attention on education in general. Since 2017, the regulatory framework has been updated, a new Law "On Education" was adopted, the development concept until 2030 for all stages of lifelong learning has been approved. The development of international relations contributes to the intensive development of Higher Education, since the potential for the implementation of joint educational, scientific, investment projects opens up.

It is important to emphasize the important role of the Erasmus+ Programme, its projects for the development of Higher Education, contributing to the development of internationalization and capacity building of university specialists, improving the learning process, the development of new educational programs and plans, independent thinking of students and other important points of the Higher Education System. In general, the republic is working on implementation of the purpose and objectives of the Concept of Higher Education development until 2030.

2.4. Reforms in the field of Science and Innovation

Science and the introduction of innovative solutions provide a solid foundation for the stable development of the state. Scientific achievements allow countries to follow the path of progress and implement advanced solutions in all sectors of life. In today's rapidly developing economy, no state can stay away from innovation.

Analysis of the state of development of science and technology in Uzbekistan shows that at present there are not yet sufficiently favorable conditions conducive to the development of the scientific potential of universities and research centers, as well as the promotion and implementation into production of innovative developments, from the stage of formation and to entry into market. There is a great need for reforms, development of mechanisms to stimulate scientific research, support scientific youth and implementation of innovative developments.

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in his speeches and decrees defined the primary objectives of the country as all-round development of science and education, attracting young people into this sector, active cooperation with developed countries in the field of innovation. This is most clearly highlighted in his Message to Parliament dated January 24, 2020: "... We have set a goal of joining the ranks of developed nations and will be able to achieve it only by

implementing accelerated reforms, relying on science, education and innovation. To do this, we first of all need to educate a new generation of reform-minded people with a strategic vision, deep knowledge and high qualifications."

Strategic aspects of science and innovation development in Uzbekistan

A number of problems that hinder the establishment of effective mechanisms of interaction and strengthen the link between scientific research and production industries are listed in the Presidential Decree # PP-3698 dated May 7, 2018 "On Additional Measures to Improve Mechanisms for Innovation in Economic Sectors":

• First, low and unsatisfactory rates of commercialization of the results of scientific work of Higher Educational Institutions and research of Scientific Research Institutions;

• Second, the lack of mechanisms to stimulate innovative processes, implementation of comprehensive programs of innovative development and innovative activity at the regional and sectoral levels, support for innovative and active business entities;

• Third, the insufficient involvement of representatives of the private sector in innovation activity, including due to their low interest;

• Fourth, the lack of effective measures to improve the efficiency of distribution and rational use of grants within the framework of state scientific and technical programs;

• Fifth, the unsatisfactory level of international cooperation and foreign investment in research and innovation.

Being eager to solve these urgent problems last years the Government has paid more attention to innovation activity, support for knowledge-intensive technologies in industrial production and agriculture, promotion and implementation of advanced developments in production, from the formation stage to market entry. In order to commercialize and introduce domestic scientific and innovative developments into production, innovative technopark "Yashnabad", Advanced Technologies Center under the Ministry of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as other similar organizations under ministries and Higher Educational Institutions were established, contributing to the development of innovative entrepreneurship in the country (Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan # 721 dated September 11, 2018 "On Measures to Further Support of Innovation"). Significant attention is paid to the development of fields of Information Technology and Telecommunications. The year 2020 was titled "The Year of Development of Science, Education and Digital Economy".

Concept for the development of science until 2030

One of the main documents designed to bring domestic science to a new level is the Law "On Science and Scientific Activities", signed by the President on October 29, 2019. It emphasizes that the priority directions of development of science and technology are developed in order to provide a scientific solution to the problems associated with the achievement of competitiveness and efficiency of the national economy, the creation of new industries, and the improvement of living standards of the population.

In October 2020, the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan # OP-6097 dated October 29, 2020 "On Approval of the Concept of Development of Science until 2030" was adopted. The document comprehensively covers all fields of further improvement of the sector, and also defines a number of important tasks to achieve high economic performance through the implementation of innovative projects. The Concept, its targets and indicators provide for the introduction of a national rating system aimed at assessing the effectiveness of research and innovation activities of scientific organizations, improvement of social partnership between the state and Scientific Institutions through the development of self-management system in science, as well as the implementation of projects within its framework.

It is envisaged to improve the system of financing science and scientific activity, as well as to diversify the sources of funding: increasing 6 times by 2025 and 10 times by 2030 of all funds allocated to science in relation to GDP; bringing the share of funds allocated by the private sector to research and development from the current 8% to 20% by 2025 and to 30% by 2030 in total science funding; creating two venture capital funds in 2021 and ten by 2025 together with leading foreign investment companies to finance innovative developments and startup projects.

An important point of the Concept is the introduction of system of training and professional development of heads of scientific organizations at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on a permanent basis and the creation of scientific communities in each field of science in order to form and ensure the effective operation of these areas, as well as increasing the responsibility of scientific schools, academic figures and leading scientists in this sector. And the following point has particular importance: the audit of scientific-innovation activity of all state scientific organizations with the involvement of international independent expert companies at the expense of the Fund for Support of Innovative Development and Innovative Ideas. This would enable improving the efficiency of management of scientific centers, programs and projects.

Development of science and innovative technologies in universities

Support of young scientists is among the priorities of Uzbekistan's state policy, as transformations initiated in all sectors, including the Economy, Education, Health, Culture, and Sports, require the most advanced solutions that young people are able to offer. Since Science is one of the most dynamically developing sectors, it is necessary to continuously improve the qualifications of employees of Higher Educational Institutions and Scientific Research Institutions of the republic.

In the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan #PP-4391 dated July 11, 2019 "On Measures to Introduce New Management Principles in the System of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education" significant attention is paid to the integration of science, education and production. The Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan has identified as important tasks:

• Optimization of fields of education and specialties, taking into account the development needs of the economy, science and social sector, the organization of internships for students in manufacturing and other enterprises;

• Effective organization of Research Activity in Higher Educational Institutions, wide implementation of research results into practice, commercialization of scientific developments, ensuring close mutual integration of Higher Education, Science and Industry, wide involvement of gifted young people into Research Activity and comprehensive support.

• Expansion and strengthening of international relations, the implementation of joint programs of cooperation of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education, heavy coverage of achievements in the industry at the international level;

• Implementation of measures to modernize the base of educational and scientific laboratories, equipping them with modern equipment.

International scientific cooperation

Globalization directly affects scientific research and Higher Education Institutions by deepening their integration and changing the way they conduct their study. It also creates more opportunities for the academic community. As the experience of the world's leading countries shows, timely investments in science, education, and training are always worthwhile. That is why in recent years the Higher Educational Institutions of Uzbekistan established close cooperation with a number of foreign universities, scientific research institutes and organizations that provide support in introducing advanced teaching methods. Over the past few

years, a number of new branches of major foreign universities and faculties opened jointly with foreign universities and institutes appeared in Uzbekistan; training programs that meet international standards are being actively developed.

In order to develop the scientific and human resource potential of the republic in recent years several branches of leading universities of foreign countries were opened (USA, South Korea, Singapore, Russia, Belarus, etc.). Webster University in Tashkent, AJOU University in Tashkent, INHA, YEOJU, as well as a number of branches of Russian universities. Opening in 2018 a branch of the Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution for Higher Education "National University of Science and Technology 'MISIS' in the city of Almalyk" (the Presidential Decree # PP-3714 dated May 11, 2018) and the establishment of a branch of the Federal State-Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education "Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia" in the city of Tashkent (the Presidential Decree # PP-4352 dated June 7, 2019) both had particular importance for the development of applied science.

Considering that it is planned to build a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the establishment of a branch of the Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution for Higher Education "National Research Nuclear University "MEPHI" is important not only in terms of training highly qualified personnel, but also the development of scientific research in the field of nuclear physics (Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan # PP-3875 dated July 20, 2018). And opening of the joint Belarus-Uzbekistan interdisciplinary institute of applied technical qualifications brings hope of increasing in Uzbekistan the attention to training of highly qualified specialists in technical sciences and development of scientific research in this field.

Introduction in 2021 of the Academic Mobility program in order to support and widely involve gifted youth engaged in scientific activities in the regions, as well as to create and enhance the scientific potential of authoritative scientific schools is noteworthy. It is envisaged to allocate grants to stimulate scientific ideas of gifted youth engaged in scientific activities, organization of their short-term internships in foreign universities and scientific centers at the expense of the Gifted Youth Support Fund of the Youth Academy.

Conclusion

In general, there are positive trends in the development of science and innovation activities in Uzbekistan. The above mentioned number of Resolutions of the Government and Decrees of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan are important for further improvement of the sector; also, they determine a number of important tasks for achievement of high indicators in the field of economy by implementation of innovation projects. The Concept, its targets and indicators

provide for the introduction of a national rating system aimed at assessing the effectiveness of research and innovation activities of scientific organizations, improvement of social partnership between the state and scientific institutions through the development of self-management in science, as well as the implementation of projects within its framework.

The set tasks can be realized upon the following conditions:

• Eradication of corruption in financing of scientific projects by state funds;

• Introduction of effective mechanisms of integration of science, education and industry;

• Creation of real conditions for strengthening international cooperation on joint implementation of scientific and innovation programs and projects;

• Organization and performance of objective audit of scientific-innovation activity of State Scientific Organizations of Uzbekistan with participation of authoritative independent international expert committees.

Sources

1. l.Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan # 721 dated September 11, 2018 "On Measures to Further Support of Innovation"

2. The Presidential Decree # PP-3698 dated May 7, 2018 "On Additional Measures to Improve Mechanisms for Innovation in Economic Sectors"

3. The Presidential Decree # UP-5068 dated June 5, 2017 "On the Creation of Innovation Technology Park in the Yashnabad District of the City of Tashkent"

4. The Presidential Decree # PP-2769 dated February 10, 2017 "On Additional Measures for the Development of Fundamental and Applied Research, as well as Innovative Work in the Field of Genomics and Bioinformatics"

5. The Presidential Decree # PP-2759 dated February 7, 2017 "On Measures to Establish an Educational and Practical Textile Technology Park at the Tashkent Institute of Textile and Light Industry with the Involvement of Gratuitous Assistance from the Government of the Republic of Korea"

6. http://xs.uz/ru/post/nauka-v-uzbekistane-novyj-period-reform

7. https://review.uz/post/uzbekiston-respublikasi-prezidenti-savkat-mirzieevning-olij-mazlisga-murozaatnomasi

8. The Presidential Decree # PP-4391 dated July 11, 2019 "On Measures to Introduce New Management Principles into Higher and Secondary Specialized Education System"

9. "Science, Education and Innovation are at the Heart of the Third Renaissance" (https://yuz.uz/ru/news/nauka-prosveenie-i-innovatsii—v-osnove-tretego-renessansa)

10.Innovation combats personnel training challenges

(https://yuz.uz/ru/news/problem-v-podgotovke-kadrov-reshayut-innovatsii).

2.5. Reforms in Agriculture

In recent years, certain work has been carried out in the direction of reforming the country's main economic sectors. In particular reforms in agricultural area considered improvement public administration system, widely introduction of market relations, strengthening of the legal framework for relations between entities that produce, process and sell agricultural products, attracting of investments into the industry, introduction of resource-saving technologies, providing agricultural producers with modern technology and training, retraining of staff and preparation of graduates in the field. This material provides the review of latest reforms in the country's agriculture sector and agricultural higher education.

Reform and modernisation of the agricultural system of the Republic of

Uzbekistan

Since the national independence of Uzbekistan the government has been paying attention to development of the education system, including agriculture. A number of regulations have been adopted in order to address the problems in education regarding the agricultural sector. Agriculture is one of the dominating sectors of the country's economy and developing intensively. Nevertheless, a problem of a lack of qualified agricultural personnel still exists, and there are graduates of agricultural fields trying to find jobs in other fields. The last three-four years can be called a period of unprecedented comprehensive reforms in the agricultural sector, including the introduction of market mechanisms, advanced technologies into the agricultural sector and the implementation of the transition to a cluster production system. The development of agricultural production has become strategic. One of the priority directions of the «Strategy of actions for the further development of the Republic of Uzbekistan", adopted at the beginning of 2017, is the modernisation and intensive development of agriculture. On October 23, 2019, by the Decree of the President, the "Strategy for the Development of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2020-2030" was approved, which covered nine strategic priorities, the seventh of which was development of science, education, systems of information and consulting services in agriculture.

The most important tasks of the agricultural sector in Uzbekistan today are the guaranteed provision of the population with agricultural products with the rational use of resources and opportunities, the creation of new jobs in the field, further increasing the interest of the rural population in the results of their work, the introduction of advanced approaches. In this regard, the government pays great attention to the modernization and diversification of the economy, including agriculture, food production, financial support for farms, agricultural clusters and cooperatives. This is what 5 laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan and 12 decrees are

aimed at, more than 30 decrees of the President and the government adopted in 2020.

To implement the programme of measures for 2020 to implement the tasks identified in the Strategy for the Development of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2020-2030, funds from international financial institutions and other foreign organizations were attracted. The experience of countries that are among the top ten in the field of digitalisation in maintaining a unified integration information platform in the agricultural sector is studied. Consistent work is being carried out to introduce digitalisation in agriculture, which is so necessary for the modernisation of specialised research institutes, the introduction of applied research and advanced developments for the further development of the industry.

In recent years, sown areas have been significantly expanded in this direction and the necessary measures have been taken to provide the domestic market with quality products and increase the country's export potential by increasing the volume of food production. Also, practical measures were taken to specialise regions in horticulture, to unite producers of products into horticultural clusters and cooperatives.

Reducing the role of the state and increasing the investment attractiveness of the sector for private investors have become other strategic priorities for the development of agriculture in Uzbekistan. In this regard, it was important to completely abandon government purchases, in addition to the volumes required for the implementation of interventions in cereal crops aimed at ensuring price stability in the domestic market. Measures were implemented aimed at creating food reserves and ensuring macroeconomic stability in the event of a possible threat to the country's food security.

The introduction of market mechanisms into the agricultural sphere, in particular, the system of agricultural clusters, is a priority path on the way of deepening reforms at the sector. There are 97 specialized cotton-textile, 149 fruit and vegetable, 65 grain-growing, 35 rice-growing and 7 - for the cultivation of medicinal plants clusters in the country, as well as 11 cotton-textile cooperatives. Over the past period of this year, almost 11 thousand, or 90 percent, of the country's farms have been transformed into diversified farms, thereby providing employment for about 37 thousand people. About 6.5 million tons of grain, more than 3 million tons of raw cotton, 21 thousand tons of cocoons, 22 million tons of fruits and vegetables, 2.5 million tons of meat and over 11 million tons of dairy products grown in the country in 2020.

The Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan is making considerable effort in establishing close cooperation links between developed countries in the field of agriculture. For instance, on 8 December 2020, an online meeting was held between the Minister of Agriculture Jamshid Khodjaev and the European Union

Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski, who heads the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), they have discussed potential opportunities for future cooperation in the agricultural sector, including issues of regional importance. The Minister Jamshid Khodjayev emphasised that in the next 2 years, as Chairman of the FAO HighLevel Governing Body for Europe and Central Asia, he is committed to working with 53 FAO member countries in the Europe and Central Asia region and at the regional level to bring up important issues and problems for joint action. Furthermore, on 11 December 2020 a framework agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan and the French company Rungis Semmaris signed on December 9, 2020 online with the support of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in France and the Embassy of France in Uzbekistan. In the framework of the agreement with the Rungis Semmaris, the Ministry of Agriculture plans to implement, in accordance with high international standards, projects to create and manage in Uzbekistan - and in Central Asia - a network of eight large agricultural centres.

Reform and modernisation of the agricultural higher education

The introduction of scientific achievements and innovative technologies into practice requires the solution of such urgent tasks as training personnel with comprehensive modern knowledge, updating their qualifications, and adopting foreign experience. In order to radically improve the quality of higher education in the agricultural sector, to establish cooperation with leading foreign universities, to improve the activities of scientific institutions, several governmental acts and interventions are adopted.

Agricultural higher education is providing at Tashkent State Agrarian University (TSAU) inclusive its branches in Samarkand, Nukus and Termez and Andijan Institute of Agriculture and technologies. These HEIs operate under the Ministry of Agriculture of UZB. The Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers operates under The MHSSE and Samarkand Institute of Veterinary Medicine operates under the State Committee of Veterinary and development of animal husbandry. They provide study programmes in the area of agriculture and water issue on the level of Bachelor and Master as well as related post-graduate education (two scientific degrees).

Starting from the 2020-2021 academic year, along with the existing agricultural universities, quotas for admission to bachelor's degrees in agricultural areas were introduced by Gulistan, Bukhara, Karshi, Namangan, Samarkand, Fergana, Urgench state universities. The number of students at agricultural higher education increased by 1.3 fold during 2017-2020 years.

Higher education in Uzbekistan is centrally planned and organised. The quality of higher education is assured by the State Educational Standards which set the minimum requirements for each educational level, describe the main features, structure, content and implementation of curricula, ensure the quality control of personnel training and set the compulsory (core) components (list of academic subjects). The fulfilment of those standards is controlled by the regular (re)accreditation of a study programme which is necessary every 5 years.

Plans, strategies and development trends until 2030

The Strategy for the Development of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2020-2030 has clearly indicated the main directions of development in the agricultural sector. Priority directions for the implementation of the Strategy are:

• implementation of the state policy on food security, providing for food safety and improvement of the consumer intake, production of food products in the required quantity;

• creation of a favorable agribusiness climate and value added chain, production of agro-food products with high added value competitive on target international markets;

• introduction of mechanisms to reduce the role of the state and increase the investment attractiveness of the industry;

• improvement of the system for ensuring the rational use of natural resources and environmental protection;

• development of modern management systems, providing for the restructuring and further development of the structure of public administration in agriculture;

• increasing efficiency and a redistribution of government spending;

• the development of science, education, a system of information and consulting services, providing for the use of effective forms of dissemination of knowledge and information, integrated with production and research, educational and consulting services in agriculture;

• implementation of programs for the development of rural regions for balanced and sustainable development of rural areas;

• creation of a transparent system of industry statistics, providing for the introduction of reliable methods for collecting, analyzing and disseminating statistical data through the widespread use of modern information technologies.

To ensure the implementation of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated July 30, 2020 No. PP-4795 "On measures to further improve the agricultural education system", Government of Uzbekistan developed the

Strategy for innovative development of the agricultural education system until 2030. The strategy provides for the implementation of the following priorities:

• modernization of the agricultural sector, improving the quality of training highly qualified specialists for sustainable socio-economic development, development of human capital in accordance with the requirements of the labor market;

• the use of innovative resource-saving technologies in agriculture, the introduction of "Smart agriculture" and digital technologies;

• development of agricultural production through the implementation of startup projects;

• improvement of the existing mechanism for the integration of education, science and production for the widespread introduction of the results of scientific research, experimental design and technological work;

• training highly qualified, creative and independent decision-making personnel in agriculture on the basis of international standards;

• provide practical assistance to graduates in engaging in agribusiness in order to launch entrepreneurial activity in the field;

• create a competitive environment in agricultural higher education, increase its attractiveness and ensure global competitiveness.

According to the Strategy it is going to be organised joint educational programs with 30 foreign universities. It is expected the new degrees will be developed applying Bologna process principles. Furthermore, measures will be taken to include universities in the system of agricultural education in the list of 1000 prestigious universities in the world (QS rating system). From the 2020/2021 academic year in all areas of training bachelors and masters in this area, a credit-modular education system will be gradually introduced. In order to widen the autonomy of higher education institutions and increase accessibility to higher education it is foreseen transformation of Nukus, Termez and Samarkand branches of the TSAU into independent institutes.

Based on the programs of socio-economic development of the regions and proposals of the job market, by 2030, a personnel training system will be created through the use of innovative resource-saving technologies in agriculture, the introduction of "Smart Agriculture" and digital agricultural technologies. Higher educational institutions will gradually introduce the concept of "University 3.0", which provides a link between the commercialization of the results of education, science, innovation and research in agriculture. Consulting centers, technoparks, start-up centers will be created in universities. The infrastructure and material and

technical base of higher education institutions will be improved and gradually transferred to a self-financing system and financial stability will be ensured. Academic independence of higher educational institutions, including the Nukus, Termez and Samarkand branches of the TSAU, will be ensured.

For the further development of the agricultural sector, the government provides for the implementation of the following projects with support of the European Commission and other international organisations:

1. At the expense of EU grants, a Republican agro-service centre will be created in the Tashkent region and a Regional agro-service centre in the Fergana region.

2. With the involvement of international experts, the World Bank will allocate $ 120 million for a radical reform of the activities of 10 research institutes and organizations, equipping them with modern laboratories, equipment and the introduction of a commercialization mechanism. Also, the EU will provide $ 6 million to 4 research institutes in the framework of the EU horticultural support project. The Concept for the Development of Agricultural Science for 2020-2030 will be developed.

3. Starting from the 2020/2021 academic year, joint departments of the TSAU will be created in 7 universities in the regions in the areas of "Fruit growing and viticulture", "Vegetable growing, gardening and potatoes", "Organization and management of greenhouses". Also, on the basis of vocational colleges under the Ministry of Agriculture and the TSAU, colleges of secondary specialized vocational education integrated into the higher education system will be created.

References

1. https://www.agro.uz/ru/information/about_agriculture/419/4365/

2. Указ Президента Республики Узбекистан № УП-5853 от 23 октября

2019 г. об утверждении стратегии развития сельского хозяйства Республики Узбекистан на 2020-2030 годы

3. Постановление Президента Республики Узбекистан № ПП-4575 от 28 января 2020 г. о мерах по реализации в 2020 году задач, определенных в стратегии развития сельского хозяйства Республики Узбекистан на 2020-2030 годы.

4. Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated July 30,

2020 No. PP-4795 "On measures to further improve the agricultural education system"

2.6. Reforms in Health Care System

The importance and role of an effective Health Care System remains a priority for many countries around the world, including the Republic of Uzbekistan,

given the continuing global danger of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of increasing environmental and food security concerns in the Central Asian region. A number of policy documents and frameworks, as well as reports from international organizations on health and social well-being issues around the world, have been reviewed to understand these processes. At the heart of measuring the effectiveness of health care systems are the indicators proposed by the United Nations in the field of sustainable development, some of this data will be presented later in this study.

Human Development Index in Uzbekistan

On December 15, 2020, the United Nations Development Program, together with the Government of Sweden, launched the global dissemination of the Human Development Index (HDI) Report 2020, titled: "The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene". The Human Development Index Report is a data set of published statistics on three key human development factors - longevity and health, education, and a decent life. In the Report, Uzbekistan ranked 106th among 189 countries with an index value of 0.720 (maximum index value of 1.000), having improved its result from the 2019 report by +2 positions in the ranking and +0.01 index value. Uzbekistan's results according to the Index Report are as follows:

• The Life Expectancy Index, which measures the life expectancy of the population at birth, is 71.7 years (an increase of 0.1 year);

• The Education Index measures the population's average length of education that is 11.8 years (up 0.3 years) and the population's expected length of education, 12.1 years (up 0.09 years);

• The Gross National Income Per Capita Index is $7,142 (up US $ 680) in purchasing power parity.

The consistent growth of the HDI in Uzbekistan over the past few years is due, among other things, to the government's attention to public health issues, improvements in the Health Care System, and a focus on effective primary health care and special attention to child and maternal health and well-being.

Despite the challenging times associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, in general the Government of Uzbekistan is coping decently with the consequences of the disease, but at the same time there is an understanding that the HDI for 2021 is likely to be lowered for many countries of the world due to the impact of the pandemic on human health, education and the economy.

Reform and Modernization Strategy for Health Care System for 2017-2021

The Action Strategy on Five Priority Lines of Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021 was the most important program document that defined the priority directions of state policy in the medium term. In particular, the work on further improvement of the system of medical care and the quality of medical services was continued for the development of the Health Care System for this stated period. These measures included further reforming the Health Care sector (first of all the primary care, ambulance and emergency medical care) aimed at improving the availability and quality of medical and socio-medical services to the population, the formation of a healthy lifestyle of the population, strengthening the basic infrastructure of Medical Institutions. The implementation of comprehensive measures to improve family health, protect mothers and children, increase access of mothers and children to quality medical services, provide them with specialized and high-tech medical care, reduce infant and child mortality was continued. It is important to ensure the reduction of morbidity rates and increase the life expectancy of the population. One of the tasks was the introduction of the "Smart Medicine" system and innovative technologies in Health Care System.

During this period a number of reforms were implemented that resulted in republic's ability to prevent the collapse of the Health Care System caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of natural disasters. Particular attention has been paid to the creation of quality health services for the population in remote rural areas. Until recently, people with health complaints had to travel 10-20, sometimes 50-60 kilometers to district and regional centers to undergo a simple medical examination or receive specialized medical advice. To solve this painful problem, rural medical and nursing stations are being built in remote areas and provided with the necessary specialists and medical equipment.

As a result of optimization of the primary health care, 798 rural family polyclinics were created in 2020. They are equipped with social pharmacies and round-the-clock ambulance service, antenatal clinics and girls' health clinics. The rural population receives specialized outpatient care in five subspecialties (obstetrician-gynecologist, surgeon, dentist, therapist, pediatrician), in addition, ultrasound and laboratory examinations were arranged, thereby providing the rural population with qualified specialized outpatient care. To solve urgent issues in this field, the "Fund for the Development of Emergency Medical Care" was created. Also, during 2017-2019 dozens of centers were created, in particular, a number of branches of Republican specialized scientific and practical medical centers in oncology, neurosurgery, traumatology and orthopedics, allergiology, nephrology and kidney transplantation, neurology, addictology and children surgery. The number of medical centers providing specialized medical care to the country's population has reached 20, their branches are already in operation in the regions.

The COVID-19 situation in the Republic of Uzbekistan

According to the World Health Organization, the number of people in the world infected with coronavirus exceeded 72 million 196 thousand, more than 1 million 630 thousand of them have died (as of 17:51 Central European time on December 16, 2020). In the past 24 hours, 585,455 new cases of coronavirus infection have been identified worldwide, and 11,463 patients have died.

According to current data from Johns Hopkins University (as of 10:28 a.m. Tashkent time on December 17, 2020), more than 74,210,000 people have been infected worldwide, and over 1,648,000 of them have died.

While COVID-19 dartingly spreads around the world, thanks to timely measures taken in the Republic of Uzbekistan, the spread of the virus in the republic has been relatively contained. The establishment of treatment and prevention facilities, quarantine zones, and unparalleled anywhere in the world distribution centers played an important role in this.

As an example, let's consider one of such facilities built through the measures to combat coronavirus - isolation hospital in Zangiata district of Tashkent region. This facility is designed for 4,000 beds. Two complexes were built on an area of 33 hectares. The specifics of treatment of infectious diseases and requirements of modern medicine were taken into account. At admission patients are admitted directly to the ward through an airlock. All buildings and departments are connected by sterile and non-sterile corridors. Intensive care units are equipped with all necessary medical equipment.

In this regard, during the autumn 2020, Uzbekistan was able to stabilize the number of new COVID-19 infectees to an average of 200 cases per day, moreover, the clinics and hospitals previously reequiped to treat patients with this infection returned to their normal activities according to their disease treatment areas.

Medical Education in the Republic of Uzbekistan

Medical Education in the Republic of Uzbekistan is provided in 13 State Universities and their branches, as well as in one Non-State Educational Institution - AKFA University that trains doctors according to the state standard on the basis of international experience.

In 2017-2020, medical and pharmaceutical Higher Educational Institutions in the undergraduate system began training highly qualified personnel in such new educational fields as clinical psychology, biomedical engineering, folk medicine, standardization, certification and quality management of medicines.

Reforms of Higher Medical Education in the country also continue to be performed intensively, as well as other reforms in the Republic of Uzbekistan. In particular, since the academic year 2020/2021 there is supposed to be twice as few non-core subjects in the curricula of Bachelor's, Master's and Clinical Residency programs of higher medical education. Among other things, students of the final year admitted to clinical residency under the target parameters will be trained directly in the medical institutions of the regional level. And the target parameters of admission of Bachelors in "General Medicine", "Pediatric Medicine" and "Professional Education (General Medicine)" will be formed within the framework of admission indicators on the basis of the state grant in the context of regions (cities) based on the need of the regions for the medical profession. Graduates of these fields will have to work for at least 5 years in the regions (cities) specified in the target parameters of admission to the state-financed openings, regardless of their registration at the place of residence. At the same time, for regions with a high demand for medical profession the number of free of state-financed openings at Bachelor's and Master's degree programs will be increase to 50%.

There will be more opportunities for those who prefers to receive Higher Medical Education. Since the academic year 2020/2021, a new medical institute function, where the personnel in the field of public health and sanitary and epidemiological supervision is trained. Branches and clinics of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University and Bahcesehir University (Turkey) will be opened in the country.

International faculties based on joint educational programs will be created in the country's medical universities, as well as branches in cooperation with reputable foreign Medical Educational Institutions that are included in international rankings.

Since December 2020, Master of Health Care System (Master of Healthcare Administration) major have been introduced at Westminster International University in Tashkent, AKFA University and Medical Educational Institutions.

Also in December 2020 an Agreement was signed that prescribed establishment of the branch of Tashkent State Dental Institute at ADEMA Dental School of the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain). It is notable to see this first branch of a Higher Educational Institution of Uzbekistan that opens in one of the developed European countries.

Strategy for Health Care System development until 2030

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are sort of call for action outcoming from all countries - poor, rich and of middle-income. This call aims to improve the well-being and protect our planet. States recognize that measures to eradicate poverty must go hand in hand with efforts to increase economic growth and address a range of issues in the field of Education, Health Care, Social

Protection and Employment, as well as Climate Change and Environmental Protection.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals and 169 objectives that all UN member states (193) have agreed to achieve by 2030. Health takes central position being represented in SDG by Goal # 3: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages".

In this regard, Uzbekistan has agreed on its national SDGs until 2030; one of these Goals is to drastically improve the health of the population of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

National priorities in the Health Care sector are aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of the Health Care System, including preventive care and the promotion of healthy lifestyle. Particular attention is paid to ensuring access to health services for the most vulnerable segments of the population.

High-quality Health Care services include the full spectrum of care across the life cycle (children, adolescents/youth, women and men), from prevention to treatment and care, with a special focus on communicable and non-communicable diseases. The definition of access is linked to the definition of universal health care coverage.

Reducing the burden of communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis is a priority when providing prevention services to vulnerable populations and following internationally recommended protocols.

Between 2017 and 2020, more than 160 legal and regulatory documents were adopted in the field of Health Care. As a result, important changes are taking place in all parts of the Health Care System. From primary health care to specialized centers, new technologies are introduced everywhere, and the achievements of global science and medicine are widely used. These changes are based primarily on the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Comprehensive Measures to Radically Improve the Health Care System of the Republic of Uzbekistan" dated December 7, 2018. The Decree also approved the Health Care System Development Concept of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2019-2025 and the Program of Measures to Implement the Health Care System Development Concept of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2019-2021.

When working out the Health Сare System Development Concept for 20192025, the recommendations of WHO experts were taken into account. The Concept covers nearly all fields: improving the legislation and Health Care Financing System, developing the private sector, improving the quality and accessibility of medical care, the gradual introduction of compulsory health insurance, the formation of an effective system of training, retraining and advanced training of

medical personnel, as well as the development of medical science, and the widespread introduction of "E-Health".

References

1. http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2020.pdf

2. https://lex.uz/docs/3107042

3. http://ssv.uz/ru/news/zbekistonda-jangi-davr-tibbietiga-asos-solinmoda

4. https://covid19.who.int/

5. https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd4029 9423467b48e9ecf6

6. https://yandex.ru/covid19/stat

7. http://uza.uz/ru/posts/o-merakh-po-vnedreniyu-sovershenno-novoy-sistemy-podgotovki--08-04-202

8. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ru/sustainable-development-goals/

9. https://www.mmeconomy.gov.uz/uploads/U,yP%203-3-%20Ty6epKy.ne3,%20MarapHfl%20H%20renaTHTbLpdf

10. https://nrm.uz/contentf?doc=570744_&products=1_vse_zakonodatelstvo_uzbekistana

3. Recommendations for future directions of CBHE Erasmus projects

3.1. Recommendations for possible topics in the field of Public Administration

and Economy

In the next Erasmus Programme, the most promising topics of interest to Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan will be the following:

1. The active involvement of gifted youth in the civil service.

2. Broader involvement of women in the civil service, creating conditions for career advancement and professional development.

3. Development of cooperation between the state bodies and Higher Educational Institutions in the field of qualified personnel training.

4. Study of the experience of European countries in building the capacity of civil servants.

5. Improvement of the system of selection and recruitment for the civil service on the basis of best practices of European countries.

6. Creation of effective mechanisms for material incentives and motivation of employees.

7. Development of an online platform for distance learning of civil servants.

8. Problems of poverty reduction.

9. Combating corruption of civil servants.

10. Buildup a positive image of Uzbekistan and improving its position in international rankings and indices.

3.2. Recommendations for possible topics in Higher Education:

In the next Erasmus Programme, the most promising topics of interest to Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan will be the following:

11. Implementation of credit-module system into Higher Education.

12. Disclosure of scientific and innovative potential of youth.

13. Digitalization of Higher Education.

14. Ensuring the academic independence and financial stability of Higher Educational Institutions.

15. Organization of Double Diploma programmes of education.

16. Increasing the investment attractiveness of the Higher Education System, ensuring its international recognition and competitiveness.

17. Organization of students' independent work and work with international scientific bases.

18. Training of specialists in the field of advanced technologies.

19. Modernization of educational programmes and educational literature.

20. Development of interdisciplinary programmes in Medicine, Engineering and ICT.

21. Internationalization of Higher Education.

22. Improvement of the quality of Higher Education, development of a national standard for the quality of education.

3.3. Recommendations for possible topics in Science, Innovation, and

Information Technology

In the next Erasmus Programme, the most promising topics of interest to Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education and Ministry for Development of Information Technologies and Communications of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of ICT will be the following:

23. Digital Economy of the country.

24. Development of information systems of distance learning.

25. Access to world electronic scientific and educational resources.

26. Training of specialists of the highest qualification in the sector of Artificial Intelligence System for various fields of activity.

27. Buildup of effective information infrastructure of the country in order to increase democratization of social development.

28. Development of international corporate information networks for the exchange of scientific and educational information.

29. Modernization of ICT curricula, both in specialized universities and in every Higher Educational Institution of the republic.

30. International cooperation of ICT universities with leading EU scientific schools on implementation of joint scientific and educational programs.

31. Development and implementation of information systems for management of educational process based on international standards.

32. Development of corporate electronic libraries for operational information support of educational process and scientific activities of Higher Educational Institutions.

3.4. Recommendations for possible topics in Agriculture

In the next Erasmus Programme, the most promising topics of interest to Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education and Ministry of Agriculture in the field of Agricultural Education will be the following:

33. Introduction of credit-module system in Agricultural Education;

34. Application of innovative resource-saving technologies in agriculture, the introduction of "Smart Agriculture" and digital technologies;

35. Development of business skills of graduates of Agricultural Higher Educational Institutions, development of agricultural production through the implementation of start-up projects;

36. Improvement of the existing mechanism of integration of education, science and production;

37. Development of human capital in accordance with the requirements of the labor market;

38. Implementation of information systems in the organization and control of the educational and management process, the creation of favorable

conditions for independent learning of students through the introduction of distance learning;

39. Identification and elimination of systemic problems in agricultural production through information and advisory centers (counselling centers);

40. Development of curricula on medicinal plants, forestry and ecological agriculture.

3.5. Recommendations for possible topics in the field of Health Care and

Medicine:

In the next Erasmus Programme, the most promising topics of interest to Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education and Ministry of Health Care in the field of Medical Education will be the following:

41. Implementation of credit-module system in Medical Education;

42. Digitalization of Health Care and Medicine;

43. Artificial intelligence and big data in Health Care System;

44. Bioengineering and genetics;

45. Training of specialists in health economics and insurance medicine;

46. Modernization of educational programs on public prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases;

47. Interdisciplinary programs in medicine, engineering, ICT and robotics;

48. Research of brain disease, population mental health and Personalized Health Care;

49. Inclusion in the Global Health Network, taking into account regional specific features;

50. Discovery of scientific and innovative potential in the field of Health Care, Pharmaceuticals and so on.