Yesterday, the open dialogue of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with young people at the Koksaroy residence marked the beginning of a new stage in the development of our country, especially in youth policy.

This dialogue, which was attended by more than 60 thousand young people, was another practical expression of the high attention paid by the head of our state to human capital. In today's global competition, the main factor of economic growth, innovative development and social stability is educated, enterprising and busy youth.

By 2030, the number of young people entering the labor market will approach 1 million. This demographic growth is a great opportunity for our country. However, in order to turn this opportunity into a real result, it is necessary to form each young person as an educated person, possessing a modern profession and a stable source of income.

The "Future Entrepreneur" program put forward by our President is an important systematic step aimed at transforming young people from job seekers into employers. Allocation of financial resources for startups and innovative projects, creation of credit opportunities of up to 10 billion soums, introduction of venture support mechanisms are specific mechanisms that will serve to increase the economic activity of young people.

Also, the initiative to establish an internship system for graduates and pay scholarships of up to 2 million soums per month within the framework of the “My First Profession” program will strengthen the inextricable link between education and the labor market. This decision is aimed at solving the main problem of young specialists in their first work - the lack of practical experience.

Higher education institutions also face new challenges. Universities should become not only educational institutions, but also centers for innovation, entrepreneurship and the creation of new jobs. By establishing modern training and practical centers, widely introducing dual education, and supporting spin-off and startup projects, universities will become drivers of regional economic development.

At the same time, the physical education of young people and a healthy lifestyle did not go unnoticed by our President. By expanding mass sports competitions among young people, organizing student leagues, tournaments and competitions between universities, we are raising healthy, active and purposeful young people.

Today, there are more than 22 million young people in our country. This means a huge intellectual and labor potential. If every young person has a decent job, a profession and the opportunity to realize themselves, the growing generation will become the most solid foundation of national development.

As the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, we consider the full and high-quality implementation of these tasks to be a priority goal. Each higher education institution must become a hub of knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship for young people, and its graduates must enter life not as job seekers, but as value-creating specialists.

The dialogue in Kuksaroy is a clear roadmap for the future of young people. The initiatives outlined in it are backed by financial resources and strategic goals. We believe that these decisions will further accelerate the development of New Uzbekistan by ensuring youth employment and fully realizing their intellectual and economic potential.