Address by the Deputy Governor of GBAO, Nilufar Aslamshoeva at the UCA Graduation 2022

Your Excellency......!
Dear Faculty and graduates!
Dear guests!

This is the second year that a group of students has successfully graduated from the University of Central Asia in two majors - economics and environmental sciences that is actual for mountain areas. According to available data, most of last year's graduates got jobs and some went on to study at prestigious universities around the world. This means that the noble goals set for the establishment of this center of knowledge in 2000 are gradually being achieved.

Therefore, on this auspicious and memorable day, on behalf of the Executive Authority of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region and myself, I sincerely congratulate all Faculty and graduates on reaching the next goal and follow the path of professional activity of students and wish everyone of you prosperity and new successes!

It should be reminded that the idea of establishing this modern University was the initiative of the Founder of Peace and National Unity-Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, based on his realistic understanding of the importance of science and knowledge in promoting a new society, especially mountain areas. This offer was enthusiastically accepted by the enlightened and humane personality of His Highness the Aga Khan IV and implemented in cooperation with the leadership of other countries - Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

When laying the first brick in the building of the university in 2004, the Leader of the Nation, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon noted that “This intellectual space should find its rightful place among the educational institutions of the country and its graduates working in various fields should contribute to the prosperity and progress of our beloved homeland”. In close historical cooperation with the governments of these countries and their comprehensive assistance, including Tajikistan, the University of Central Asia in a short historical period could find a stable position and gain a certain reputation.

It should be noted that our State from the first days of independence has declared education as a priority area of its policy and in the period of recent history has laid a solid foundation for the sector. New forms of educational institutions as Presidential schools, gymnasiums and lyceums have been established in cities and districts of Tajikistan, including Khorog. The number of higher education institutions has exceeded 40, while in 1991 there were only 13 universities and institutes in the country.

In this direction, based on good cooperation with authoritative countries and international organizations, branches of prestigious foreign universities have been established in Tajikistan. Also, on the base of bilateral agreements, more than 40 thousand students are currently studying in foreign educational institutions, and thousands of foreign students are studying at universities and institutes of our country.

It should be noted with satisfaction that the project of the University of Central Asia is one of the most successful projects that the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan implemented with institutional partners. The purpose of commemorating these achievements is that it is because of the wise and enlightened policy of the High Leadership of our country that has laid a solid foundation on which we have jointly achieved such unique achievements.

In this regard, the Honorable Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, notes that “From ancient times to the present day, the Tajik people, along with strengthening friendship, peace, and stability, also value science, knowledge, schools, and education, and appreciate this source of forming the spiritual values of human life ... As a civilized nation, the Tajiks always considered the study of science and knowledge as one of the main conditions for the development of human spirituality”.

Understanding of this inherent nation nature, the Leader of the Nation directs the efforts of society to revive the supreme national values, one of which is science learning, and strives to find a worthy place for steadiness of our national science and its achievements to solve existing problems.

It should be noted that the University of Central Asia has been steadily advancing its cooperation with various structures of the Government of Tajikistan, local authorities of the region and its cities and districts, universities, institutes, institutions, and organizations. In particular, in various schools of the University, hundreds of our citizens have had the opportunity to improve their skills through professional retraining and continuing education, and to be constantly trained to meet the requirements of the times.

It should be reminded that during the opening of the Khorog campus, the Founder of Peace and National Unity, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, along with other important issues, also noted that "University Faculty need to educate students in the spirit of good human qualities, such as patriotism and humanism, esthetics and hardworking, tolerance and responsibility”. We are pleased that the study of the language, history and culture of the Tajik nation is included in the curriculum of the University, and foreign students get acquainted with the rich cultural and scientific heritage of the Tajik nation.

To further improve the quality and effectiveness of our activities, we believe that the University administration needs to expand relationship with relevant government agencies and work together to ensure that students of this modern space make a significant contribution to solving existing problems in mountain communities. As one of the goals of the Founders is to prepare highly qualified personnel, then graduates, especially natives of Tajikistan, after getting their professions, should work hard for the development of our beloved homeland and make our country one of the most developed countries in the world.

Also, the recruitment and training of future students at the University should begin with the primary education institutions, providing comprehensive assistance to gifted and talented students in entering the University and continuing their education. In this regard, it would be beneficial to strengthen relations with education sector and educational institutions, as well as to make available to them the existing resources of the University, including libraries and laboratories.

We are confident that our common goals and programs aimed at improving the lives of the people of mountain areas are real and achievable, and in the near future we will witness the further development of all sectors of the economy of our beloved homeland.

With these good intentions, I wish you all a prosperous and peaceful life and success in the realization of these noble and creative goals!

Thank you for your attention!