Uzbekistan – South Korea: A New Era of High-Tech and Innovative Cooperation

On June 13-15, 2024, the Summit of the Presidents of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea was held in Tashkent and Samarkand. During the negotiations between the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, agreements were reached on the adoption of a three-year strategic program to create a high-tech hub in Uzbekistan. The priority areas of cooperation include the development of the automotive industry, the establishment of a full-scale semiconductor production cluster in the region, the introduction of “smart” agriculture, infrastructure modernization, and the promotion of “green” energy projects.

Among the more than 20 cooperation agreements signed during the Summit, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Samarkand International University of Technology (SIUT) and the Seong Nam Industrial Complex Corporation. This memorandum includes a range of opportunities, such as: academic exchange programs, curriculum development, and internships and employment for SIUT students at the Seong Nam Industrial Complex companies (there are over 3600 companies).

The Seong Nam Industrial Complex, located in Seoul's sattelite city Seong Nam, the fourth-largest city in Gyeonggi Province, is considered the “Silicon Valley” of the Republic of Korea, with a concentration of many of the country’s largest corporations. The cooperation with the Seong Nam Industrial Complex Corporation will be carried out through the Korean Institute of Technology and Culture (KITC) at SIUT, where students study in high-demand fields like renewable energy, design, and digital economy.

Furthermore, SIUT has agreements with dozens of partners in the Republic of Korea, including Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Catholic Kwandong University, Gimcheon High School, Korean Society for New and Renewable Energy, Korean Society of Management and Information Systems, Research Institute of Clean Energy at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea, Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers, Institute of Asian Culture and Development and others.

SIUT has also launched a social project to provide educational opportunities for gifted students from low-income families in the Samarkand region, including a free 6-month preparatory course in accelerated Korean, English and math at SIUT, based on a grant provided by the Chairman of the SIUT Board of Trustees - Bakhtiyor Fazilov. After completing the preparatory course, SIUT will recommend only three students to Gimcheon High School who meet the school’s requirements. This initiative is in line with the State Program to Reduce Poverty, adopted by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2023.

These new educational and technological initiatives between Uzbekistan and South Korea demonstrate a commitment to long-term and comprehensive partnership, aimed at developing human capital and accelerating innovative progress.