17.4.3. EDUCATION FOR SDGS IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY

Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies (TSUOS) is strongly committed to promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through community-based education and lifelong learning. The university extends its academic mission far beyond campus, ensuring equitable access to knowledge and skills development for all groups of society — including youth, women, teachers, civil servants, and residents of rural or disadvantaged regions.

1. TSUOS for Community Education and Lifelong Learning

The TSUOS for Community Education and Lifelong Learning program represents the university’s flagship initiative for social outreach. Its primary goal is to expand the educational and social impact of TSUOS by providing inclusive, high-quality learning opportunities for people outside formal higher education.
Under this initiative, TSUOS professors and students conduct seminars, open lessons, and workshops across 19 partner community schools. These activities enhance pupils’ foreign-language proficiency, cultural literacy, and academic motivation, while supporting teachers with methodological innovation and pedagogical skills.

Main goals of the initiative include:

• Promoting lifelong learning and SDG-oriented education for all;
• Strengthening university–community engagement;
• Enhancing language and cultural literacy among the public;
• Expanding educational inclusion for vulnerable and rural communities.

2. Target Groups

The university’s outreach programs serve:

• Students and teachers of secondary schools and academic lyceums;
• Women, youth, and unemployed citizens seeking new professional qualifications;
• Local residents interested in languages, culture, or global affairs;
• Disadvantaged groups and residents of remote regions with limited access to education.

3. Key Educational Outreach Activities
4. Open Lectures and Public Seminars

TSUOS academics deliver open lectures in schools, cultural centers, and public libraries nationwide. Popular themes include intercultural communication and global citizenship, language learning and translation skills, and sustainable development and social responsibility.

These lectures are free of charge and accessible to all members of the public.

1. Mobile Education Teams

Special Mobile Education Teams of teachers and volunteer students visit rural districts — including Boysun (Surkhandarya) and Chust (Namangan) — to provide short courses, mentoring, and sustainability-related workshops. This initiative ensures that learners in remote communities can benefit from university-level education and training.

1. Collaboration with Schools and Educational Institutions

Each higher school and department of TSUOS is formally partnered with assigned schools across multiple regions (Fergana, Namangan, Surkhandarya, Tashkent, and Parkent districts). Professors supervise school students’ engagement in scientific circles, research mentoring, and Olympiads, helping them explore science, technology, and sustainability topics.

This cooperation also includes “Open University Days,” which bring secondary-school students to the university for exposure to campus life and global education.

1. Digital Education and Open Access Learning

Through its Digital Library Platform (dilib.tsuos.uz), TSUOS provides free access to thousands of academic resources, e-books, and teaching materials. This digital initiative allows learners nationwide to conduct independent study and research without geographic or economic barriers, aligning with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

1. Cultural and Educational Events

Annual events such as the “Oriental Languages and Cultures Festival” and “TSUOS Open Lecture Week” engage schools, families, and the public in intercultural dialogue and sustainability awareness. These festivals promote multilingualism, respect for cultural diversity, and responsible global citizenship — central values of SDG 4.7.

1. Initiatives

On February 2023, the “Ibrat Farzandlari” project was presented to our president Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Namangan region, where one of our jadids, Ishakhan Ibrat, was born and raised, and the project was supported by the president. More than 2,000 video lessons have been published within the framework of the project so far, and about 1 million students are learning languages in the “Ibrat Academy” application. In the project, senior specialists of TSUOS have been teaching Eastern languages below:

• Arabic language – Fatilloev Madiyor
• Persian language – Behzod Jafarov
• Dari language – Husniddin Inomiddinov
• Pashto language – Oybek Muhammad
• Turkish language – PhD. Gulomjon Sobirov
• Indian language – PhD. Kamola Rahmatjonova
• Urdu language – PhD. Mohira Umarova
• Chinese language – PhD. Nigina Rasuleva
• Korean language – Muqaddas Taylanova
• Malay language – Erkin Bekkulov
• Vietnamese language – Sarvinoz Saidazimova
• Tajik language – Abdurahim Solijonov

www.youtube.com/@ibratfarzandlari

4. Center for Language Training and Consulting

A cornerstone of TSUOS’s community education effort is its Center for Language Training and Consulting, which offers paid and free short-term programs in Eastern and Western languages. With over 30 years of experience, the center delivers courses in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, English, French, German, Spanish, and Uzbek.

The programs are open to any interested participant — regardless of gender, age, or background — and range from 3 to 20 months in duration. Graduates of long-term programs receive state-recognized certificates qualifying them to work as translators or interpreters.

The center also conducts:

• Professional development and retraining courses for teachers of Oriental languages;
• Preparatory courses for university and lyceum entrance exams;
• Specialized programs in digital literacy, business communication, and project management;
• IELTS, TOEFL, JLPT, HSK, and DELF preparation classes;
• Consulting and psychological support for learners and organizations.

All curricula are approved by the TSUOS Academic and Methodological Council and regularly updated in line with international best practices and national decrees (Decree No. 196, 2018; Presidential Decree No. 4680, 2020).

5. Inclusion and Accessibility

Participation in all vocational and community education programs is guaranteed without discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, or socio-economic status.

Through flexible class schedules, online platforms, and mobile teaching units, TSUOS ensures that education remains accessible to learners in both urban and rural contexts.

6. Social Impact and Future Implementation

In alignment with the Action Plan of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, TSUOS organizes regular meetings between youth and distinguished scientists to promote scientific curiosity and innovation.
Furthermore, for the 2025–2026 academic year, the university has designed a special program for orphanage pupils, offering extracurricular lessons, competitions, and mentoring in foreign languages, information technology, and natural sciences.

Through its extensive outreach network, digital resources, and professional training programs, TSUOS actively advances the SDGs. By transforming education into a lifelong, inclusive, and community-driven process, the university ensures that sustainability learning benefits not only its students but society as a whole.

01.11.2025, 15:59 90 Print version