INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 05,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 2680
THE EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION
SYSTEM IN THE UZBEK SSR
To‘xtasinov Toxirjon Mo‘minjonovich
Andijan state medical institute
Annotation:
In this article, the stages of formation and development of the higher education
system during the period of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic were studied on the basis of a
historical-analytical approach. From the higher education institutions established at the initial
stage to the comprehensive reforms of the 1970s and 1980s, educational policies, scientific
training processes, the impact of Higher Education on the development of the Republic and its
social functions have been analyzed. The article is also aimed at highlighting the role and
historical heritage of the higher education system in the Uzbek SSR in the formation of the
post-independence education system. Scientific methods based on archival documents,
historical sources and statistics were used during the study. This article serves as a useful
scientific resource for researchers researching in the fields of history, pedagogy, political
science and education.
Keywords:
Uzbek SSR, higher education, history, science, Soviet era, universities, training of
personnel, educational reform, independence, scientific heritage.
Introduction:
Education is a decisive factor in the socio-economic development of any society. Especially
important role is played by the higher education system – the training of highly qualified
personnel, the development of R & D and the formation of national consciousness. The
formation and development of higher education in the history of Uzbekistan is a complex multi-
stage process, especially during the period of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR),
when this system underwent radical changes. Although educational policy was conducted in a
centralized manner during this period, within the framework of which a system of higher
education was formed, open and free for the people.
With the October Revolution of 1917 and the penetration of Soviet power into Central Asia,
there were radical turns in socio-political life in the territory. Including, instead of the
previously religious education-based system of obtaining knowledge, new educational
institutions, including higher education, based on secular and scientific, began to be established.
Founded in 1918, Turkestan people's University is the founder of Tashkent State University
(now National University of Uzbekistan). This higher education institution later laid the
groundwork for the formation of many scientific schools, generations of professors and other
OTMs.
The formation of the system of higher education in the structure of the Uzbek SSR served not
only to the development of Science and technology, but also to modernize the economy of the
Republic, provide industry and agriculture with specialists. While the Soviet government also
saw higher education as a means of ideological education, through this system thousands of
young people were able to obtain higher education. The establishment of higher education
institutions in the Uzbek SSR, their numerical growth, expansion of directions and
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 05,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 2681
harmonization with scientific activity are the main indicators of important reforms carried out
during this period.
This article is aimed at studying on a deep scientific basis the formation of the higher education
system in the Uzbek SSR, its impact on socio-economic and scientific processes through it, as
well as how this system left a legacy for Independent Higher Education of Uzbekistan. The
study made extensive use of historical sources, archival documents, available scientific
literature, and statistics.
The article also analyzes the processes of various stages of the higher education system – the
period of initial formation (1920-1940), the war and post-war recovery years (1941-1950),
stabilization (1950-1970) and diversification and modernisation (1970-1991) - in chronological
sequence. Important initiatives implemented at each stage, established institutions, scientific
potential and the social significance of the educational system are highlighted.
The system of Higher Education created during the Uzbek SSR serves as an important historical
basis for the reforms carried out in today's Republic of Uzbekistan. Therefore, the study,
evaluation and scientific analysis of this system – is also important in improving the policy of
modern education.
Method:
The study used historical-legal and systematic-historical methods. As the main source,
Government decisions of the Uzbek SSR, archival documents, scientific publications, official
information on the history of higher education institutions and previously published scientific
articles were used. General historical literature, statistics, and personal memoirs revealing the
educational policies of the Soviet era were also explored.
In the process of analysis, the formation of the higher education system was studied in stages,
important reforms and their effects were clarified.
Results:
Early stage of Higher Education (1920-1940
The first step in higher education in the Uzbek SSR began with the establishment of the
Turkestan people's University in 1918. This university formed the basis of Tashkent State
University (now the National University of Uzbekistan) in the 1920s. Since the 1920s, higher
educational institutions in engineering, agriculture, pedagogy, medicine and other fields began
to be established in Tashkent.
During the 1920s and 1930s, within the framework of the fight against illiteracy, there was a
need to train qualified specialists in a mass manner. Therefore, pedagogical institutes, agrarian
technical schools and higher educational institutions in the technical direction were established
in a fast way.
In 1933 The Tashkent Medical Institute was established, in 1934 The Tashkent Institute of
irrigation and agricultural mechanization engineers. During this period, research institutes also
began to emerge.
World War II and post-war years (1941-1950
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 05,2025
Journal:
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page 2682
During the war years, many higher educational institutions and scientific personnel were
deployed to Uzbekistan, which were transplanted from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. This had a
positive effect on the development of Republican Science.
In the 1940s, Tashkent State Technical Institute, Tashkent State Legal Institute, and many other
higher educational institutions expanded their activities. The Soviet government focused on
training competitive personnel in the fields of Science and technology after the war.
1950-1970: stabilization and expansion of the higher education system
In the 1950s, branches, pedagogical institutes and technical schools were opened in rural areas.
In 1958, The Tashkent State Pedagogical Institute was established, in 1961 the Bukhara
Pedagogical Institute.
In these years, the system of higher education became a major scientific center on the scale of
Central Asia. Scientific research institutes were established in fields such as physics,
mathematics, biochemistry, philology, history.
Under the institutions of higher education, postgraduate and doctoral departments were opened,
a system for awarding scientific degrees was introduced.
1970-1991: diversification in Science and higher education
In the 1970s, the number of higher education institutions and the student contingent increased
dramatically. There were more than 60 institutions of higher education in the Republic with
hundreds of thousands of students.
In the same years, major higher education institutions were established in cities and regions
such as Andijan, Samarkand, Namangan, Fergana, Urgench.
With an increase in the number of specialties, new technological directions began to be taught
— Automation, Electronics, Engineering, Economics, ecology.
By the 1980s, higher educational cooperation with research institutes had strengthened. The
activities of scientific journals, dissertation councils were established.
Debate:
The formation and development of the higher education system in the Uzbek SSR was an
integral part of the centralized educational policy of the Soviet Union. This system, on the one
hand, served to train National personnel in accordance with scientific and technical progress, on
the other hand, was aimed at instilling Marxist-Leninist ideology.
During the Soviet era, Russian remained the primary language of instruction in higher
education institutions, limiting access to higher education in local languages. At the same time,
during this period, a generation of Uzbek-language scientific personnel emerged, which after
1991 played an important role in the formation of the national education system.
Analysis shows that the system of higher education in the Uzbek SSR has grown rapidly in
quantitative terms, but qualitatively, ideological boundaries and tobelik to the center have
limited it. However, on the basis of this system, modern higher education of today's
independent Uzbekistan was formed.
Conclusion:
During the period of the Uzbek SSR, the higher education system was formed in stages and
followed a great path of development. This system:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 05,2025
Journal:
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page 2683
in the early stages, it served to end illiteracy and prepare national specialists;
it was during the war years that the Republic became a scientific center;
Established a system of broadband and sustainable educational institutions in the 1950s and
1970s;
By the 1980s, modern technological education had been introduced.
Today, Uzbekistan's independent education system is built on this very historical basis, and the
personnel base, scientific schools and educational institutions created during the time of the
former SSR form the basis of today's development.
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