Today, on September 4, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Belarus, Nuriddin Mamajonov, paid an official visit to the renovated academic building No. 15 of the Belarusian National Technical University. The main topic of the negotiations was the development of bilateral educational cooperation and the expansion of scientific and technical cooperation.
The Uzbek side was also represented by Ambassador’s adviser Alisher Rakhimov. On behalf of BNTU, the negotiations were attended by Rector Sergei Kharitonchik, Vice‑Rector for Academic Affairs Yuri Nikolaychik, Dean of the Faculty of International Cooperation Pavel Shirvel, and Head of the Department of International Programs, Exchanges and Protocol Anastasia Volkova. In addition, Dean of the Faculty of International Educational Programs of Tashkent State Transport University Alimzhon Riskulov joined the discussion.
Opening the meeting, Sergei Kharitonchik reminded that active joint work with Uzbek partners has been underway since 2018. During this time, many joint programs have been implemented, and two joint faculties and an institute have been established. However, the head of the university named the qualitative change in the very approach to partnership as the main achievement:
“It’s very pleasant that we have reached a new type of interaction. This is not just about situations where rectors sign documents beautifully on camera. Our departments enter into bilateral agreements with each other, and within the framework of these agreements, work is intensively underway: joint textbooks are being written, new programs are being created. We actively welcome anything that is aimed at real interaction.”
The rector also noted the strong cultural ties between students from the two countries, recalling the large‑scale celebration of Navruz, which brought together more than 1,500 people and became a true festival of friendship with national dishes — from Uzbek pilaf to Belarusian draniki..
In turn, Nuriddin Mamajonov warmly congratulated the university’s management on the successful commissioning of Building 15. The guests admitted that they had closely followed the progress of this project. The ambassador highly praised the contribution of BNTU to training personnel for the economy of Uzbekistan, calling the university a “forge of specialists,” and placed particular emphasis on the fact that the real sector today is critically short of practitioners.
– I am very well aware of your cooperation. BNTU has an excellent international reputation as a true school for training engineers, technologists, and technicians. Today, artificial intelligence can write any test paper, but it won’t fix a tractor that has broken down in the field. We need people with skilled trades, specialists who know how to operate equipment and understand the specifics of agriculture. In this area, we will support any of your initiatives and projects, – Nuriddin Mamajonov noted.
The Ambassador paid special attention to cultural ties. He emphasized that Belarusians and Uzbeks have a very similar mentality, based on deep respect for the older generation and love for children, which makes our partnership not only purely business‑oriented but also truly sincere.
Alimzhon Riskulov continued the discussion on practice‑oriented education. He reported that 4 graduation ceremonies had already taken place under joint double‑degree programmes, and 252 graduates had been successfully employed and were in high demand in the economy of Uzbekistan.
The parties also paid special attention to innovations. Thus, Sergei Kharitonchik proposed that Uzbek partners use the opportunities offered by the scientific and technological park of the Belarusian National Technical University “Polytechnic” to establish joint enterprises and promote products on the Belarusian market — from processing dried fruits to high‑tech projects involving large domestic enterprises.
Furthermore, the delegations touched upon the crucial issue of preserving historical memory. As a vivid example, Sergei Kharitonchik cited the initiative of students and staff of the Belarusian National Technical University, who in the spring of 2025 restored a military burial site in the village of Zagvazdino, Vitebsk Region. The location was chosen for a reason: it is there that the grandfather of Abdulaziz Gulamov, the vice‑rector of Tashkent State Transport University, lies — Lieutenant Abdulla Gilyamov, who heroically died in 1944 during the liberation of Belarus as part of Operation Bagration. This joint effort has become a true symbol of the fact that the youth of both countries honor their common past and take responsibility for preserving it.
The meeting took place in a constructive and trusting atmosphere. At the end of the official part of the negotiations, the parties summed up the results of the visit, and the foreign delegation was given an introductory tour of the modern facilities of the new educational building.
