Uzbekistan's Education System Strengthens Chinese Language Teaching to Meet New Needs in China-Uzbekistan Cooperation

Uzbekistan is aligning its education system with international standards and using Chinese language teaching as a bridge to the future, meeting the growing needs of economic and cultural cooperation between China and Uzbekistan.

On September 8, 2025, Uzbek President Mirziyoyev announced during a video conference on education reform that the country would bring in more than 100 native Chinese speakers and volunteers to teach Chinese at universities, technical colleges, and primary and secondary schools.

This move supports $35 billion in China-Uzbekistan cooperation projects, developed in collaboration with dozens of leading Chinese companies during the president's recent visit to China. These projects cover sectors such as energy, geology, chemicals, transportation, agriculture, and water conservancy.

01 Historical Roots: The Tradition and Foundation of Chinese Language Teaching

Chinese language teaching in Uzbekistan has deep historical roots. As the first country in Central Asia to introduce Chinese language teaching, its Sinological roots can be traced back to the ancient Silk Road period.

In 1957, Tashkent State University (known as the Central Asian National University before 1960) established a Chinese Language Department, a first in Central Asia. During the Soviet era, Sinology research in Uzbekistan was primarily influenced by the Soviet system of Oriental studies, and research was largely driven by political needs.

After Uzbekistan's independence in 1991, Chinese language teaching was prioritized and became a major foreign language subject. In 2004, the Chinese and Uzbek ministers of education signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing mutual student exchanges and fostering opportunities for students to improve their Chinese language proficiency.

02 Contemporary Promotion: Confucius Institutes and Educational Cooperation

Entering the 21st century, Chinese language teaching in Uzbekistan entered a period of rapid development. In 2005, the world's first Confucius Institute was established in Tashkent.

This Confucius Institute, jointly established by Lanzhou University in China and Tashkent State University of the Orientals in Uzbekistan, is known as the "World's No. 1 Confucius Institute" and was named one of the "Top 20 Confucius Institutes Globally" for two consecutive years in 2007 and 2008.

In November 2014, Uzbekistan's second Confucius Institute was inaugurated in Samarkand, a joint venture between Samarkand State University of Foreign Languages ​​and Shanghai International Studies University in China.

These Confucius Institutes not only offer multi-level Chinese language courses and HSK testing centers, but also support the training of local Chinese language teachers, promote Sino-Uzbek educational cooperation, and contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative.

03 Chinese Language Education in Higher Education: Systematic Talent Cultivation

Uzbekistan has 77 higher education institutions, most of which actively offer Chinese language instruction. Tashkent State University of the Orientals is one of the most influential universities in Central Asia specializing in Oriental studies.

In 1957, the university established a Department of Chinese Language and Literature, becoming the first institution in Uzbekistan and the entire region dedicated to training sinologists.

Other important universities include the Uzbek State University of World Languages, the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, and the Samarkand Institute of Foreign Languages. These institutions have become linguistic and cultural links between Central Asia and the world, providing thousands of outstanding foreign language professionals for the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, multinational corporations, and other organizations.

04 Real Needs: Economic Cooperation Drives Language Learning

With the deepening of the Belt and Road Initiative, China-Uzbekistan cooperation in economic, trade, cultural, and other fields has continued to deepen, promoting the popularization of the Chinese language in Uzbekistan.

China has become Uzbekistan's largest trading partner. Learning Chinese can meet the needs of economic cooperation and cultural exchange between the two countries.

Uzbek President Mirziyoyev noted that implementing China-Uzbekistan cooperation projects requires thousands of experts proficient in modern technology and the Chinese language. To this end, Uzbekistan will establish two Uzbek-Chinese master classes in each region to introduce talent development methods based on Chinese experience.

05 Development Challenges: Insufficient Resources and Talent Gap

Sinology research in Uzbekistan faces a shortage of academic resources. The number of relevant Sinology literature and electronic databases in local academic institutions remains limited.

The Chinese language education system faces challenges, hindering the quality of talent development. Currently, Chinese language education in Uzbekistan faces numerous challenges, including a weak faculty and outdated textbook content.

The inadequate development of a high-level talent pipeline also hinders the development of research. While Uzbekistan has cultivated a significant number of Sinology researchers, it still lacks high-level researchers in related fields such as philosophy.

06 Future Outlook: Systematically Advancing Chinese Language Teaching

Uzbekistan is committed to systematically advancing Chinese language teaching. On May 17, 2025, the Renaissance Educational University of Uzbekistan signed an agreement with China to establish the first Sinology Center in Central Asia.

The center will focus on developing Chinese language textbooks for Uzbekistan, training senior Chinese language teachers, and offering specialized courses in Chinese language education, Sinology and culture, Traditional Chinese Medicine lectures, and business Chinese.

Uzbekistan also plans to transition its current school system to a 12-year general education system in line with international standards. This will help improve teaching quality and eliminate obstacles faced by Uzbek students applying to universities abroad.

Concurrently, Uzbekistan plans to introduce an internationally recognized "unified examination system," combining the secondary school graduation exam, university entrance exam, and subject certificate exams into a unified national examination to reduce redundant procedures.

With the deepening of China-Uzbekistan cooperation projects, Chinese language talent has become a critical need for Uzbekistan's development.

In September 2025, Uzbekistan announced that it would bring in over 100 Chinese language teachers and native speakers to teach Chinese in universities, colleges, and primary and secondary schools.

These measures not only provide more employment opportunities for Uzbek youth but also lay a talent foundation for future cooperation between China and Uzbekistan.

With the continuous improvement of its Chinese language teaching system, Uzbekistan will play a role as a cultural bridge connecting East and West in Central Asia.