On June 15, the opening ceremony for the Uzbekistan Future Elites “Study in Beijing” Program was held in Conference Room 302 of Dunpin Building at NCUT. Sardor Shiradzhov, Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in China; Qiu Yulu, Deputy Director of the Beijing International Education Exchange Center; Liu Liang, Level-IV Consultant at the Division of International Cooperation and Exchange of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission; and other guests attended the ceremony. Zhang Lifeng, President of NCUT, attended and delivered remarks. Chen Qun, Vice President of NCUT, presided over the ceremony. The delegation included officials from the Agency for Specialized Educational Institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan and 16 high school students.
Zhang Lifeng expressed his gratitude to all parties that have long supported educational exchanges between China and Uzbekistan, and extended a warm welcome to the teachers and students of the delegation. He noted that NCUT has always attached great importance to international education and has launched a number of English-taught programs for international students, welcoming the students to pursue further studies at NCUT after graduating from high school. Since 2018, NCUT has carried out comprehensive, long-term and practical cooperation with several universities in Uzbekistan. In particular, after being invited to attend the China-Uzbekistan Hundred Universities Cooperation Forum in January 2024, NCUT signed inter-university exchange agreements with a number of Uzbek institutions and achieved fruitful outcomes in talent cultivation, scientific research, cultural inheritance, overseas education, and joint laboratory development. He said that the Agency for Specialized Educational Institutions is a core institution for cultivating outstanding young talent in Uzbekistan and an important bridge for promoting international education among young people. He expressed the hope that both sides would take this program as an opportunity to further deepen practical cooperation in education, promote youth exchanges, and advance mutual learning between civilizations.
Sardor Shiradzhov thanked the Beijing Municipal Education Commission and NCUT for their careful preparation and strong support for the program. He noted that education is a priority area in Uzbekistan’s national development strategy, and that, under the joint initiative of the leaders of China and Uzbekistan, education has become increasingly important in bilateral exchanges. Co-chaired by the education ministers of the two countries, the first and second Uzbekistan-China Education Forums were successfully held in Beijing in 2024 and Tashkent in 2025, attracting close attention from more than 100 universities in both countries. At present, more than 4,000 Uzbek students are studying at Chinese universities, and an increasing number of young people in Uzbekistan are interested in studying in China. He proposed that the two sides further deepen and expand cooperation in areas such as Olympiad competitions, scientific research and innovation, artificial intelligence applications, Chinese language education, and vocational education.
Akramov Shukurillo Kozimjon Ugli, Chief Specialist of the Department of International Relations and Investment Attraction of the Agency for Specialized Educational Institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan, spoke on behalf of the delegation. He introduced that the Agency was established in 2019 with the core mission of cultivating top young talent in Uzbekistan. It oversees 14 Presidential Schools and more than 200 specialized schools, and also offers a range of training programs to support the development of a new generation of future leaders with global vision. The 16 students participating in the program were selected from among thousands of students at schools under the Agency. He expressed the hope that the program would help students gain a deeper understanding of universities in Beijing and the “Study in Beijing” policy, lay a foundation for their future academic development, and promote exchanges, learning, ideas and friendship with faculty and students from various universities.
The Office of International Affairs gave a detailed introduction to the curriculum arrangements, study requirements and expected outcomes of the short-term program, and encouraged the students to make full use of the opportunity to learn more about universities in Beijing and policies for studying in China.
After the opening ceremony, participants took a group photo on the first floor of Dunpin Building.
The Uzbekistan Future Elites “Study in Beijing” Program is hosted by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Uzbekistan, guided by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, and organized by NCUT. The program aims to provide outstanding high school students from Uzbekistan with a platform to learn about high-quality educational resources in Beijing and build a solid foundation for future study in the city. In collaboration with the Agency for Specialized Educational Institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Chinese Embassy in Uzbekistan selected 16 students with strong academic performance and an interest in studying in China, with a focus on outstanding students in science and engineering. The five-day program includes university visits, cultural experiences, and visits to places of interest. NCUT will work with universities in Beijing to provide Uzbek students with policy briefings on studying in Beijing and dedicated support throughout the application process.
