☰ Contents · History of Uzbekistan

Higher education and academic degrees

Lessons 11 · 1 lessons · N. Jo‘rayev, A. Zamonov. History of Uzbekistan (the period of independence): textbook for Grade 11 pupils of secondary schools and for secondary specialised and vocational institutions. 1st edition. G‘afur G‘ulom Publishing and Printing Creative House, Tashkent, 2018
11

Improving higher and postgraduate education

Textbook: pp. 75–80
GoalExplain the formation of the higher education system, admission procedure, the two-level degree structure, foreign branches and postgraduate reforms.
New words
bachelor’s level: the first stage of higher education, usually four years · bakalavriatmaster’s level: the second stage, usually two years · magistraturaadmission test: the standard test used for entering university · test sinoviDoctor of Philosophy, a doctoral degree · falsafa doktori (PhD)
Explanation

After independence the network of higher education expanded: in 1992 the state universities of Andijan, Bukhara, Termez, Urgench and Karshi were formed on the basis of regional pedagogical institutes, and institutes and academies in new specialities opened. In 1994 the State Testing Centre was created and admission by test examination was introduced (today this task is carried out by the Agency for the Assessment of Knowledge and Skills); contract-based (fee-paying) study began in 1996. The 1997 law replaced five-year study with a two-level system of a four-year bachelor’s and a two-year master’s degree. In international cooperation, branches opened in Tashkent such as Westminster International University (2002), the branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University (2006), the branch of the Polytechnic University of Turin (2009) and the branch of Inha University (2014). From 2017 correspondence study was restored and postgraduate education moved to two levels, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Science (DSc). The number of higher education institutions has grown considerably since 2017 (the textbook gives more than 80 for 2017).

Worked examples
Example: an applicant studies 4 years for a bachelor’s degree and then 2 more for a master’s — 6 years in all; this differs from the single five-year stage before 1997.
Example: a researcher who defends a PhD dissertation receives the Doctor of Philosophy degree, and the next level, DSc, is the Doctor of Science degree.
Class activity

Admission road map: groups pick a study field and draw the sequence of the test, application and study stages (bachelor’s, master’s, PhD), writing down the length of each stage.

Practice
1
When was the State Testing Centre created and for what purpose?
2
Into which stages did the 1997 law divide higher education?
3
Why can the opening of branches of foreign universities benefit the country?
4
What do PhD and DSc stand for?