The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, proposed the creation of a regional atlas covering in-demand professions and competencies in the countries of Central Asia. This statement was made by him at the eighth Consultative meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, held in Avaza, Turkmenistan.
The head of state emphasized the importance of understanding what specialists the region's economies will require in the future. He noted that such an atlas could consolidate forecasts from all countries regarding areas where there is a current shortage of personnel or where demand is expected to grow in the coming years. This would allow higher education institutions and vocational schools to adapt their programs in advance to the real needs of the labor market.
Mirziyoyev also pointed out that in the long term, educational programs could be adjusted to support the implementation of large joint projects involving several countries in the region. He explained that this way, education would gain a direct link to progress in sectors such as industry, transport, energy, and digital technologies.
Furthermore, the president drew attention to the significant demographic potential of the region's countries. Since the population is growing and the share of youth is increasing, the future of the region's economy over the next ten, twenty, or thirty years will largely depend on the level of education and professional training of this youth. Therefore, he added that supporting youth and developing education should become priority areas within the framework of cooperation.