From March 1 to 8 of this year, a delegation led by Akram Umarov, First Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), participated in the annual meeting of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) in Houston, Texas, USA.

The conference, which focused on the internationalization of higher education and the development of international collaboration strategies, brought together university leaders, international cooperation coordinators, and other key officials from across the globe under the theme “Building Bridges: Leading Internationalization in a Changing World”.

Over 100 sessions and panel discussions were held during the event, covering topics such as adapting higher education systems to meet international standards, developing global sustainable development concepts, promoting international mobility for students, faculty, and researchers, attracting international students, fostering joint research with foreign partners, advancing intercultural communication, and addressing protocol matters.

One of the key sessions of the conference was a panel on “Strategies and Opportunities for Building Partnerships between U.S. and Central Asian Higher Education Institutions”. During this session, Akram Umarov delivered a presentation on the development strategy for the higher education system of the Republic of Uzbekistan through 2030. His speech covered the ongoing reforms, emerging opportunities, and efforts toward internationalizing Uzbek universities.

In his speech, Akram Umarov also highlighted the goals and activities of UWED, while outlining potential areas for collaboration with U.S. universities.

Moreover, the delegation held bilateral negotiations with several prestigious U.S. universities, including Pennsylvania State University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of California, Davis (UC Davis), Washington University in St. Louis, George Washington University, Colorado State University, Indiana University, University of Delaware, University of Illinois Chicago, and others.

The discussions during these meetings focused on expanding cooperation between UWED and U.S. universities, enhancing student and faculty mobility, collaborating on joint research and projects, involving researchers from partner institutions in UWED’s educational activities, and organizing visits for American students to Uzbekistan for scientific research.