Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part L (2025)

Since coming to power in 2016, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has initiated a period of sweeping transformation across all sectors in Uzbekistan, with higher education being a central pillar of his reform agenda. This paper examines the key strategic changes implemented in the Uzbek higher education system between 2017 and 2025, focusing on the drive for massification, internationalization, and quality improvement. The analysis highlights the dramatic increase in the number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and student enrollment, the introduction of academic and financial autonomy for state universities, the shift towards international educational standards (such as the credit-modular system), and the active promotion of Transnational Education (TNE) through foreign university branch campuses. While these reforms have successfully increased access and global engagement, challenges remain concerning infrastructure capacity, faculty development, and ensuring the quality and international recognition of all newly established institutions. The paper concludes that Mirziyoyev’s commitment has fundamentally reshaped the landscape of higher education, positioning it as a core driver for the nation's socio-economic development and global integration, aligning with the "Concept for the Development of the Higher Education System of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030."