Rector Lenar Safin meets with Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan Kongratbay Sharipov
The Rector is visiting the Republic of Uzbekistan these days.
On April 17, the parties discussed a wide range of issues related to cooperation in science and education. Special attention was paid to KFU’s Jizzakh Branch.
“More than 780 students are studying here in 11 majors, including medicine, geology, IT, and others. An important achievement was the opening of a simulation center for medical education, which is now functioning. And in March of this year we received the confirmation of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Russian Federation on the successful accreditation of all educational programs implemented by the branch, which is another proof of their quality,” said Rector Safin.
Taking into account the great interest of Uzbekistani citizens to employment in Tatarstan, the Rector also proposed opening a testing and certification center in Russian language and culture at the Jizzakh Branch – similar in function to the one already working at KFU in Kazan.
“A significant number of migrant workers from friendly Uzbekistan come to work in the Volga Federal District and the Republic of Tatarstan. To obtain the permit, they take an exam in Russian as a foreign language, Russian history and the basics of the legislation of the Russian Federation. Our university organizes these exams in Kazan, Yelabuga and Naberezhnye Chelny, and the exact addresses have been approved by the order of the Russian Government. In 2024, 4,500 citizens of Uzbekistan were tested in the KFU centers to obtain a work permit or patent, and in 2025 – already over 3,500,” noted Dr Safin.
Minister Sharipov expressed interest in the idea.
In turn, the minister put forth a proposal l to establish a joint advanced engineering school (AES) in automotive engineering in Jizzakh, as well as to potentially invite KFU to join such a joint school at Bukhara State Technical University – a new institution set to start full-scale work in January 2026.