On the morning of July 6, 2026, a delegation led by Abduvali Ismailov, Director of the Abdulla Avloni National Institute of Pedagogical Skills (Avloni Institute) from Uzbekistan, visited the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre. The Uzbek delegation also included Dildorakhon Khakimova, First Deputy Director for Academic Affairs, and Diyorbek Maxammadaliyev, Head of the International Cooperation Department. The TEC representatives attending the dialogue included Professor Hu Guoyong, Deputy Director of TEC; Dr. Li Ruimiao, Coordinator of the Central Asia Project; Cheng Jialei, graduate in Comparative Education; and Fei Jiayi, undergraduate student in Primary Education.
At the start of the dialogue, Director Ismailov provided a comprehensive overview of Uzbekistan’s recent progress in macro-policy and local training network development, focusing on the nation’s 2024 basic education reforms. Addressing the massive scale of the system which encompasses 11,000 primary and secondary schools and 540,000 teachers, he noted that the state has established and elevated the legal and social standing of educators through constitutional amendments and the enactment of the Law on the Status of Teachers.
Discussing the opportunities and challenges of these reforms, the Uzbek representatives noted that managing such a vast national training network presents significant logistical and coordination hurdles. Effectively localizing international educational best practices remains another major test. However, the most critical challenge lies in transforming teachers’ entrenched mindsets, as not all educators are fully prepared to embrace new pedagogies. This reality requires administrators to work closely with teachers, providing sustained guidance to help them transition their teaching methods from traditional knowledge transmission to modern competency development.
To address these challenges and enhance the professional capacity of the teaching workforce, the Uzbek side has implemented three core reform initiatives. First, regarding teacher professional development, the Avloni Institute has partnered with educational institutions in the UK, Germany, and Singapore, as well as international organizations like UNESCO, UNICEF, and the OECD. Drawing on international assessment frameworks such as PISA, PIRLS, and TIMSS, they have developed specialized training courses across 46 subjects, while also rolling out the 100-hour Program for Teacher Training and designated Days of Professional Development nationwide. Second, the reform strengthens teacher training assessments by incorporating written exams on knowledge and skills, practical projects, and defense sessions to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of learning outcomes. Finally, the Avloni Institute has launched a nationwide digital platform for teachers that integrates daily teaching management, professional development, policy updates, online learning, and assessments, using digital infrastructure to guarantee educational quality.
In terms of school leadership development, the Avloni Institute has been implementing a compulsory course for principals since February 2024. The program enforces strict admission and assessment standards; only those who successfully complete the training and evaluation can obtain the nationally unified certification required to serve as a school principal. The Avloni Institute is the sole authorized issuer of this certificate and the only institution in Uzbekistan tasked with implementing this training policy. To encourage principals to commit to school management, the government has also established a complementary incentive mechanism: certified principals receive a special monthly allowance equivalent to 50% of their base salary during their five-year tenure.
Prof. Hu Guoyong detailed Shanghai’s “Six Core Standards” for principal development and shared TEC’s curriculum philosophy of “combining theory with practice”, drawn from 12 years of experience in principal training. These insights were highly commended by the Uzbek delegation. Both brainstormed proposals for substantive collaboration, planning to select outstanding Uzbek principals for short-term training programs in Shanghai or to organize reciprocal study visits and joint workshops. This dialogue aims to foster regular exchanges between Chinese and Uzbek educators, ensuring that cross-regional educational cooperation becomes deeply embedded.
