Starting in 2026, Uzbekistan will launch the "Five Million Artificial Intelligence Leaders" project, under which 500,000 specialists will be trained. This ambitious plan is set to run until 2035, and each year a competition will be held with cash prizes for the most successful participants, schools, and educators – among the awards will be $1000, laptops, and electric cars.
The implementation procedure for this project was approved by a Cabinet of Ministers resolution on December 31. It is worth noting that the project was initiated jointly with the United Arab Emirates in December, with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and UAE Minister of State for Government Affairs Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi participating in the signing ceremony.
This initiative continues the "One Million Programmers" program and aims to train 5 million people by 2035, starting with 500,000 in 2026.
An important aspect of the project will be an annual national competition for participants who achieve the best results:
100 teachers will receive cash prizes of $1000;
10 educators will be rewarded with trips abroad;
500 students will receive laptops;
500 young people will receive valuable gifts;
3 higher education institutions will be awarded cash prizes;
2 general education schools will receive a "presidential gift" in the form of an electric car.
To ensure successful coordination of the project’s implementation, a special commission has been created to define regional goals, monitor the initiative's execution, and evaluate participants. It consists of seven representatives, headed by the Minister of Digital Technologies, as well as deputy ministers of education and science, the chairman of the IT Education Association, and the director of the Center for the Development of Digital Educational Technologies.
Additionally, the "Heirs of Muhammad al-Khwarizmi" project will be implemented in Karakalpakstan and other regional centers. It includes:
free training in modern professions (such as project manager in IT and startup project manager) and foreign languages;
free courses for obtaining international IT certificates;
participation in competitions in computer science, robotics, and esports.
Source: gazeta.uz
