The key facts

  • Oybek Yuldashev, previously employed at PwC Uzbekistan, has been appointed First Deputy Minister of Education and Science.
  • Mehriniso Pardaeva and Sanjar Mirzaliyev have also become deputy ministers.
  • The ministry was created on October 3 by merging two agencies; on October 9 Erkinjon Turdimov was appointed minister.

Three New Deputy Ministers

On October 20, by decrees of the President of Uzbekistan, three deputies to the head of the Ministry of Education and Science were appointed. Oybek Behzodovich Yuldashev became First Deputy Minister; before that, he worked as director of the consulting practice for the public sector, infrastructure and ESG at PwC Uzbekistan. Mehriniso Doniyorovna Pardaeva, who previously held the position of head of the department at the Republican Scientific and Methodological Center for the Development of Education, and Sanjar Mahamatjan ugli Mirzaliyev, who before the appointment was executive director of the Belarusian-Uzbek Joint Intersectoral Institute of Applied Technical Qualifications (BUMIPTK), were appointed deputy ministers. According to Spot.uz, the appointments were signed by Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as reported by the ministry's press service.

Biographies of the New Deputies

According to Zamon.uz, Oybek Yuldashev worked at PwC Uzbekistan from 2018. He began his career in 1998 at the company Koskom, in 2003 graduated with a master's degree in economics from the Business School of the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, worked as a lecturer at Westminster International University in Tashkent, and in 2012 defended his doctoral dissertation in economics in Milan. Mehriniso Pardaeva headed the department at the Republican Scientific and Methodological Center for the Development of Education from 2021 and holds a PhD in pedagogical sciences; in 2011 she was awarded the '20 Years of Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan' badge, and in 2012 the 'Excellence in Public Education' badge. Sanjar Mirzaliyev headed the Belarusian-Uzbek Institute of Applied Technical Qualifications from May 2026; he completed his bachelor's degree and doctorate (PhD) at the Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, and from March 2020 to September 2022 headed the department of scientific research, innovation and doctoral studies at the Tashkent State University of Economics.

Context: The New Ministry and the Minister

The Ministry of Education and Science was created by presidential decree on October 3 on the basis of the Ministry of Preschool and School Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations. On October 9, Erkinjon Turdimov, who previously served as khokim of Syrdarya region, was appointed head of the agency; at the same time he became First Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. According to presidential press secretary Sherzod Asadov (citing Spot.uz), the ministry is responsible for organizing the activities of kindergartens, schools, technical colleges and universities, as well as for establishing requirements for educational activities, accreditation and licensing. Commenting on Turdimov's appointment, Mirziyoyev noted his extensive managerial experience — he had previously led four regions — and, according to Spot.uz, said: 'I have appointed as minister of education the person I trusted the most. The quantity has grown, while the quality [of education] has declined. This worries me greatly.'

Previously Appointed Deputy Minister and the Agency's Tasks

It was previously reported that Ilhom Tokhirovich Siradjev was appointed deputy minister of education and science for compliance and internal anti-corruption control. According to Spot.uz, he has held this position since October 3, and before that, from February, worked as deputy head of the Presidential Administration for education reform issues. The new ministry is responsible for a unified state policy in the field of education and science, including preschool, school, vocational and higher education. Priority tasks include improving the quality of education, updating curricula and textbooks, improving the assessment of students' knowledge, digitalizing education management, and developing the country's scientific potential. According to Kun.uz, at the meeting where the new deputies were introduced, issues of executive discipline and measures for the timely and high-quality execution of assignments were also discussed.