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TASHKENT: Singapore's oldest not-for-profit education provider, Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS), is making inroads into Central Asia. It has just opened Uzbekistan's sixth foreign university, a US$20 million joint venture with the Uzbekistan Banking Association.
Half of Uzbekistan's population of over 27 million is under 30. With one of the highest literacy rates in the region, demand for tertiary education is stronger than before.
18-year-old Hasan Abdullayev had a choice of over 60 local tertiary institutions, but he has opted to study in the country's latest foreign university where courses are conducted in English.
He said: "In our town, there are not enough conditions to learn other modern subjects - they are still learning their native subjects. But our father knew that knowing English, business and marketing, is very important for our future."
The newly-opened MDIS Tashkent specialises in business and banking courses, which the country needs.
Dr Rustum Azimov, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, said: "Uzbekistan is in a very important transition period. We expect that this institution will help us to prepare more modern managers for leading our business entities countrywide."
Following a visit to Singapore last year, the Uzbek government had approached MDIS to open its first overseas campus in Central Asia, based on MDIS' track record and relationships with other university partners.
Under a government plan, MDIS will also provide programmes to Uzbekistan's major universities.
Dr Eric Kuan, President, MDIS Singapore, said: "The Minister of Education has rolled out a plan that will let us go to all their major universities to deliver some programmes in each of the campuses there, so I think it is a good opening.
"They have 60 (of these universities). The government opens the door for us so we don't have to invest in any facilities. They can use the classrooms and we just bring our courseware and train our lecturers from here to go down to the province."
Built in a record time of seven months, the university campus in Tashkent has close to 300 students in its first cohort. Plans are currently underway to increase its student intake by 10 times in the next three years.
With the Uzbek government's backing, the campus will also be MDIS' springboard into the relatively untapped Central Asian education market. - CNA/vm
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