Minister of Education Andrei Ivanets held a working meeting with Ulugbek Kosimov, Governor of the Surkhandarya Region of Uzbekistan, and Nuriddin Mamajonov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to Belarus.

The discussions focused on integrating education with the real economy and training skilled personnel in high demand across the industrial, agro-industrial, and IT sectors.

The parties agreed to expedite the conclusion of agreements between universities and colleges in both countries, with a focus on the practical training of students. To scale up these efforts, the successful model established by Polotsk State University (named after Euphrosyne of Polotsk) and Naftan JSC—where students acquire professional skills in a real-world industrial setting starting from their first year—has been identified as a benchmark.

An agreement was also reached to organize internships for Uzbek scientists in Belarus. Priority areas for joint research include biotechnology, plant propagation and adaptation, and the development of functional materials (such as sorbents and hydrogels) for the sustainable use of water resources and soil remediation.

The possibility of opening branches of Belarusian teacher-training universities in Uzbekistan was also discussed; this initiative would help improve the quality of training for local teaching staff.

Following the meeting, the participation of a delegation from the Surkhandarya region in the university rectors' forum—scheduled to take place in Minsk in the spring of 2027—was confirmed.