Uzbekistan will launch a TOP-100 program to identify and elevate young leaders, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced during a meeting with youth today.
According to the head of state, out of 87,000 civil servants nationwide, 16,500 (nearly 19%) are under the age of 30. Among them, 902 currently hold leadership positions.
"We have an abundance of talented youth. Ministers and provincial governors must not hesitate to trust young individuals and appoint them to high-responsibility roles," the President emphasized.
To drive this initiative, the TOP-100 program will uncover promising young leaders across five major sectors. It will feature an open competition accessible to youth within Uzbekistan as well as compatriots living abroad. The targeted fields include the "new economy," IT and artificial intelligence, education, medicine, and agriculture.
The competition will take place every two years. The 100 selected winners will each receive a 50-million-soum prize alongside an appointment to a leadership position.
Furthermore, every ministry and economic sector is required to launch its own "TOP-100 Talented Youth" program tailored to its specific industry. Participants from these tracks will be sent on internships with international organizations. Officials have been tasked with securing a plan to send 2,000 young professionals on foreign internships annually.
The President also announced the launch of the "Youth League of Uzbekistan" platform. Young people can log their achievements on the platform, which ministries will review to assign performance scores.
High-scoring participants will qualify for educational grants, tuition discounts, professional development vouchers, and reimbursement for studies abroad. In the business sector, they will gain access to preferential loans and business accelerator programs.
Working youth will receive assistance for international internships, and top achievers will join the state civil service talent pool. They will also be eligible for subsidized mortgages when buying a home. At the end of each year, the highest-performing participants will be honored at an official awards ceremony.
"Ultimately, the Youth League of Uzbekistan will become a nationwide movement. It will unite students from schools and technical colleges, young scientists and academics at home and abroad, professionals in the public and private sectors, and the children of our fellow countrymen overseas, all working together to build a New Uzbekistan," said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
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