Proposed research plan

Proposed research plan


Full name: Muydinov Dilshod
Citizenship: Uzbekistan
Current position: Head of Department, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Email: [e-mail]
Internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions in Uzbekistan: Challenges in introducing Joint degree programs

Introduction
Government of Uzbekistan has been carrying drastic reforms in higher education sector, especially from the perspective of internationalization. All these reforms have been conducted on line with globalization and this process is still going on. Obviously, the key component of the reformation of higher education in Uzbekistan is considered to be internationalization of higher education sector, as a whole. And one should argue that stimulation of student mobility and attracting international students are recognized as main priorities of the strategy of internationalization of higher education in Uzbekistan. Joint and double degree programs are an increasingly popular form of higher education internationalization. While many institutions find them challenging to organize, these collaborative degree programs continue to gain traction around the world, in part because they offer an opportunity to build strong academic and institutional partnerships.
Taking into consideration of the historical background, cultural values, mentality, the world’s education systems vary widely in terms of administration, structure and curricular content. Consequently, it can be difficult to compare national education systems with those of other countries or to benchmark progress towards national and international goals. The International Standard of Education provides a comprehensive framework for organising education programmes and qualifications. Uzbekistan is also trying to develop the higher education system in accordance with international standards. International criteria is not only change the content of higher education in Uzbekistan, but also it can be a step towards global development. Thus, the development of this period requires a high level of speed in the development and enrichment of higher education, a comparative study of world models of education, which will allow the education system in Uzbekistan to adapt to this rhythm.
Notably, the growing number of students studying abroad, the rising number of international joint and dual degree programs and the proliferation of international branch campuses are only a few of the initiatives reflecting the changing meanings of cross-border and transnational higher education (Bamford, 2020; Hou et al., 2017; Steagall et al., 2021). Knight (2007) defined cross-border education as “the movement of people, programs, providers, curricula, projects, research and services across national or regional jurisdictional borders” (p. 24). Cross-border education facilitates cooperation, cultivates soft power, provides academic exchange opportunities, and enhances public diplomacy (Lee, 2021). It provides students access for studying toward a foreign qualification without leaving their own country, which suggests that education programs and providers can cross national and regional borders. This internationalization strategy brings important benefits to individuals, institutions, and nationaland regional education systems (Knight, 2009).
One should note that the government of Uzbekistan focused on quantitive growth in student coverage, establishment of foreign higher education institutions and launching joint degree programs. Consequently, the scale of relations of higher education institutions of Uzbekistan with foreign partners, such as universities, institutes, foreign research centers and other educational organizations, is expanding year by year. The Concept of Higher Education Development in Uzbekistan by 2030 adopted on October 8 2019 describes the strategy of the higher education sector development and clarified the main goals (Presidential Decree of the of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 5847 2019.10.08). This regulatory document aimed at expanding coverage of youth with higher education continued throughout
2020 through rapid growth in the number of new higher education institutions in the country and establishment of campuses by the world’s leading universities. According to the data of Ministry of Higher Education of Uzbekistan, the number of HEIs has reached 160 today (82 in 2017). In the last five years, 77 new HEIs were established in the country including 20 branches of foreign universities and 25
non-state universities.
In my observation, the government of Uzbekistan is rendering much effort for the increase of the number of branches of foreign universities and launching huge number of joint educational programmes, as this is considered one of the optimal mechanisms of internationalization of the system. Morever, enhancing international student exchange with Uzbek universities is remaining another challenging point. The international student exchange is being continued to occur predominantly through traditional, study-abroad programs. However, a growing number of higher education institutions have also begun to establish joint and double-degree programs. Joint educational programs have been implemented with 174 foreign higher educational institutions from 22 countries (Korea and Poland - 7, USA and China - 6, Ukraine - 5, etc.).
Collaborative-degree programs can lead to a deeper and more sustainable relationship than many internationalization strategies and create such academic benefits as innovation of curriculum, exchange of professors and researchers, and increased access to expertise and research networks. Students are attracted to double degrees for enhanced career opportunities, an international study and life experience, and the perception that “two degrees for one” means decreased workload and tuition fees. At the national and regional level, they are seen to contribute to increased status, competitiveness, and capacity building (Knight, J. (2015).
Surely, the establishment of joint educational programs in Uzbekistan, contributes to the internationalization of education system and promotes, more comprehensive integration of higher education system in global networks, encourages the introduction of non-traditional types of education. Therefore, joint and double degree programs have become “a hot topic” among institutions of Uzbekistan. However, due to lack of experience and deeper understanding, students of those programs are facing problems, such as studying abroad, transferring education, distinction between academic standards and the quality of learning opportunities, recognition of diplomas, distribution of quotas and etc.
In this regard, Uzbekistan is paying more attention to the study of international experience in solving this problem, improving the legislation, research the requirements of the employer and teach students based on their requirements. Thus, on July 6, 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted Resolution No. 421 “On the approval of the regulations on the procedure for organizing educational activities on the basis of joint educational programs of higher educational institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan and foreign partners” (Decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 421, 2021).
As already mentioned above, the growth of key elements of internationality tends to be emphasized, whereby absolute numbers of foreign or international mobile students are the indicator most frequently referred to. While transfer of knowledge across borders – traditionally the core element of internationality of higher education – is so much taken for granted that it has been hardly underscored in the recent public debates.
Currently, I am working on some projects in the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of the Republic of Uzbekistan to improve joint education programs, where I mobilize my knowledge and skills in terms of international experience. In my view, the purpose of the introduction of joint education in higher education of Uzbekistan is to foster the internationalization process of higher education systems in line with global standards. In order to sustain a continuous internationalization process, dynamic initiatives by academics and universities for knowledge creation and exchange are indispensable (Akiyoshi, Y., Simon, M. & Sarjit, K. 2011).
Nowadays in Uzbekistan, the solution of problems related to the quality of education, language of instruction, fees in joint educational programs remains important. For instance, the language of instruction for joint and double degree programs introduces new complexities. Each partner usually offers its programs in the home teaching language and in some cases, with Russian universities. This means that courses may be offered in at least three different languages, or more if multiple partners are involved. Students need to be at least bilingual – usually their native language/s plus Russian language.
One can point out two issues here, for instance, firstly, the dominance of Russian language in case with Russian universities. This underscores the Russianization trend, or what some call ‘language imperialism’ in the higher education sector (and many other sectors as well). Secondly, issue relates to the required proficiency level of students/professors in the second language of instruction/research and the training needed to help students/academics meet language proficiency requirements. The positive side of the language issue is that students are required to be bilingual or multilingual, which helps their communication skills, employability and understanding of another culture. However, the establishment of language requirements and the availability of improvement courses need to be made crystal clear by each partner in the collaborative agreement. It is imperative that teaching and learning standards remain high, even when non-native language is being used by all institutions and students involved in the program.
Another problem, which is also critical for students, i.e. tuition fees which is more complex. The development of a program becomes more complicated when multiple partners with different tuition fees are involved, or when there are extra costs for the professors’ physical and virtual mobility. Therefore, in order to operate effectively in dynamic landscape, both nations and higher education institutions should define their shared global strategy and position themselves in the markets accordingly.
To address these issues, I have developed a draft Charter, which currently consists of 14 parts, based on proposals received from higher education institutions. In the project, I used the experience of the world’s leading countries, Germany, Japan and the United States. At the same time, during Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization, I gained a lot of experience in communication with higher education institutions of foreign countries as an official in charge of the market of educational services.
In my doctoral dissertation, I want to analyze the prons and cons of introducing joint degree programs in the higher education system of Uzbekistan, how much “internationality” of higher education is politically embedded. Definitely, I shall also touch the issue of Quality Assurance while promoting international joint degree programs in Uzbekistan, while I do approach international experience and determining the requirements for science fields by comparing the educational results and science programs of developed countries such as Japan, Germany, and the United States through the tuning methodology. I am also planning to work on their solutions and at a final stage, to draft the policy recommendation for Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
My research methodology, I am going to focus on qualitative research method. I shall also approach to quantative method, as I have already accumulated enough data regarding the joint educational programs in Uzbekistan. During my research, conducting interviews with specialists, for instance, representatives of higher education institutions, policy making organizations and agencies, experts, etc, will be the main tools of gaining information. Additionally, a part of the research study, a comparative analysis and action plan will be developed with clear policy recommendations.
The final results of my research will include comprehensive analysis of joint educational programs in higher education institutions in Uzbekistan in terms of internationalization.