Anvar Tursunov,
Doctor of Science in Economics, Associate Professor,
Vice-Rector for Research Affairs,
University of Digital Economics and Agrotechnologies,
Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Email: a.tursunov@udea.uz
ORCID: 0000-0001-9556-4332
Abstract: This article provides a comparative analysis of modern concepts of higher education institution development and of reform experience in Finland, Germany, South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey and Kazakhstan. Based on official statistics, the study assesses the transformation of Uzbekistan’s higher education system: in 2014–2024 the gross enrolment ratio rose from 6.8% to 47.7%, student numbers exceeded 1.5 million, the number of higher education institutions reached 213, and seven Uzbek universities entered the QS World University Rankings 2026. At the same time, the study identifies systemic challenges, including low expenditure on research and development (about 0.1% of gross domestic product), heavy dependence on tuition fees, incomplete academic and financial autonomy, and a mismatch between educational quality and labour market needs. As a result, a “five-pillar” conceptual model of higher education institution development is proposed, together with scientific and practical recommendations for its implementation.
Keywords: higher education, higher education institution, academic autonomy, world-class university, international rankings, accreditation, research university, endowment fund, waqf, human capital.
Skip to PDF content