The long-term and medium-term strategy of Chirchiq State Pedagogical University (CSPU) for "Developing the University Based on an Innovative Pedagogical Education Cluster" (hereinafter referred to as the Strategy) defines the key directions for improving the education system in modern socio-economic conditions and lays the foundation for enhancing its social effectiveness.

The legal and regulatory basis of this Strategy includes the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Presidential Decrees of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated July 27, 2017, No. PQ-3152, "On the Establishment of Chirchiq State Pedagogical Institute of Tashkent Region," and June 21, 2022, No. PQ-289, "On Measures to Improve the Quality of Pedagogical Education and Further Develop the Activities of Higher Educational Institutions that Train Pedagogical Personnel." Additionally, it is based on the resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated April 14, 2021, No. 213, "On Measures to Further Improve the Activities of Chirchiq State Pedagogical Institute of Tashkent Region," and July 29, 2021, No. 472, "On Measures to Establish the Chirchiq Branch of the Tashkent District Service and Service Technical College under Chirchiq State Pedagogical Institute."

The Strategy has been developed in accordance with the tasks outlined in the Presidential Decree No. PQ-289, dated June 21, 2022, "On Measures to Improve the Quality of Pedagogical Education and Further Develop the Activities of Higher Educational Institutions that Train Pedagogical Personnel."

The Strategy aims to meet the needs of preschool, school, and extracurricular educational institutions for educators, primary school teachers, and particularly teachers of exact sciences and foreign languages. It seeks to ensure the provision of highly qualified pedagogical personnel for educational institutions in districts and rural areas and to enhance the system of training higher education pedagogical personnel in accordance with international standards. Furthermore, it envisions improving the quality of education by utilizing advanced foreign experiences and digitalization technologies.

Currently, the continuous pedagogical education system in the republic includes:

-Secondary specialized pedagogical education;

-Higher pedagogical education;

-Postgraduate education;

-Retraining and professional development of pedagogical personnel;

-Additional education.

The training of pedagogical personnel with secondary specialized education is carried out by vocational colleges. Specialists are trained in fields such as "Preschool Education," "Primary Education," "Physical Culture," and "Vocational Education." The specialties of pedagogical vocational colleges and higher education institutions are interconnected and aligned.

At the level of higher pedagogical education, a two-stage system of teacher training is implemented: bachelor's and master's degrees. The first stage (three or four years) ensures the preparation of highly educated specialists with fundamental knowledge and skills in accordance with qualification requirements. The second stage of higher education, the master's program (two years), provides the formation of scientific-pedagogical, research, and innovation-related knowledge and skills in master's degree holders.

The training of highly qualified scientific personnel at the university is conducted through doctoral studies or independent research. The goal of postgraduate education is to ensure the timely and high-quality preparation of highly qualified pedagogical and scientific personnel for higher education institutions, as well as to supply highly qualified scientific researchers for research institutions, enterprises, and organizations in the republic.

Chirchiq State Pedagogical University was established by the Presidential Decree of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PQ-3152, dated July 27, 2017, "On the Establishment of Chirchiq State Pedagogical Institute of Tashkent Region." The university was founded to meet the demand for educators, primary school teachers, and especially teachers of exact sciences and foreign languages in preschool, school, and extracurricular educational institutions of Tashkent region. It also aims to provide highly qualified pedagogical personnel for educational institutions in districts and rural areas. Currently, efforts are being made to develop a higher education system that meets international standards and incorporates advanced foreign experiences, while also improving education quality through digitalization technologies.

Mission - The mission of the Strategy is to establish the university’s international image by enhancing social cooperation through modern educational programs developed based on advanced foreign experiences, integrating scientific and practical innovations, and utilizing digitalization technologies.

Strategic Goal - The strategic goal of CSPU is to train, retrain, and improve the qualifications of highly skilled specialists using modern educational programs, psychological-pedagogical sciences, and innovative teaching practices based on advanced foreign experiences and social cooperation.

Vision - CSPU envisions becoming an internationally recognized university that offers quality education, conducts advanced research, fosters an innovative ecosystem, and establishes digitalized interaction with society.

This Strategy serves as a transition program from the University 3.0 model (Education, Science, and Innovation) to the University 4.0 model (Education, Science, Innovation, and Digitalized Interaction with Society).

Motto: It all starts here and at this time. (Барчаси шу ердан ва шу ондан бошланади). (Все начинается здесь и в это время)

Significant progress has been made in the development of the pedagogical education system in the republic. In particular, pedagogical education classifications have been improved, the content of pedagogical education is being updated, and the information environment and scientific-methodological support for the training of educational specialists have been enriched. Additionally, there are pressing issues related to further enhancing the preschool education system, fundamentally improving children's school readiness, implementing modern educational programs in the teaching and learning process, and ensuring that educational institutions are staffed with qualified pedagogical personnel to support the comprehensive intellectual, moral, aesthetic, and physical development of young people.

Considering these achievements, challenges, and the university's strategic goals, CSPU focuses its efforts on the following key areas for developing a continuous pedagogical education system:

• Updating the content and objectives of continuous pedagogical education by considering the social and economic demands for professional competence in education specialists.

• Modernizing the forms, methods, and technologies of the educational process based on problem-based research, active learning, and collaborative learning strategies.

• Enhancing the training of highly qualified scientific personnel by addressing pressing issues in modern psychological and pedagogical sciences, educational practices, and the principles of continuity and consistency.

• Transitioning to a cluster model of development that integrates psychological-pedagogical knowledge and effective educational practices to improve the quality of pedagogical education.

• Improving the tools of the continuous pedagogical education system in an information-driven environment and enhancing the status of the teaching profession.

In organizing its activities in key areas, the university adheres to the following principles:

Compliance with legal norms – Ensuring the development of continuous pedagogical education in accordance with the legal framework of the national education system.

Socio-cultural coverage – Implementing continuous pedagogical education as a stable source for societal development.

Social partnership – Strengthening collaboration between educational institutions, government agencies, public organizations, and production enterprises.

Competitiveness – Providing graduates with a strong integration of theoretical and practical knowledge for successful professional careers.

Optimization – Redesigning processes within the continuous pedagogical education system to enhance efficiency while reducing financial expenditures.

Harmony of tradition and innovation – Designing changes in the continuous pedagogical education system based on advancements in pedagogical science and practice.

Continuity in pedagogical education – Establishing a system of diverse, interconnected, and stratified educational programs that ensure professional development throughout a teaching career.

Consistency across educational levels – Maintaining alignment across preschool, general secondary, secondary specialized, higher pedagogical, postgraduate, and supplementary education, ensuring a unified psychological-pedagogical approach, sequential learning progression, and a cohesive information-educational environment.

Goal-Oriented Research – Consolidating resources to position the university as a leading institution in addressing global challenges and complexities related to sustainable human development.

Collaboration-Oriented Research – Strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation and integration in education and scientific research with leading foreign universities, scientific and educational institutions, and high-tech organizations.

The university's scientific research will focus on updating the content and objectives of continuous pedagogical education, taking into account the social and economic demands of education professionals' professional competence.

In fulfilling the high social and cultural duties of the pedagogical profession, the university emphasizes addressing professional tasks based on competence, training and retraining education professionals, and utilizing advanced information technologies for a broader worldview and moral-ethical activities. This integration will be ensured through the formation of three competence groups in future education professionals' standards:

Academic – includes skills in reading, knowing, and acquiring knowledge.

Social-Personal – involves learning and applying knowledge on societal and moral values grounded in cultural values.

Professional – includes competencies in solving tasks in chosen fields, applying digital technologies, and ensuring the implementation of plans.

A modern competitive education professional is one who has fundamental and practical training, managing both traditional and contemporary international professional tasks with competence.

Modern pedagogical roles require education professionals to engage with children from various backgrounds, including those from disadvantaged families or those with special psychological needs. These educators need to operate within inclusive education systems, handling complex needs through techniques like pedagogy, mediation, and tutoring.

Thus, the university aims to shape professionals who can navigate contemporary educational challenges while preserving national traditions and societal cohesion. Key competencies include:

Preparing children for moral-ethical education in a globalized world.

Promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing negative behaviors among students.

Organizing social initiatives like volunteer activities and charity work.

Educational programs at the university will integrate personal, social, and professional competencies to foster multidimensional skills. The aim is to ensure continuous professional development at every stage of an educator's career through well-organized and coherent curricula.

Key planned results include:

• Creating modern pedagogues with the latest competencies.

• Developing professional standards and competence models for teachers.

• Creating new teaching standards, curricula, and program documents.

These results will be achieved through the "Advanced Research Centers (ARCs)", which will be selected based on priority by the University Council and will comprise the most effective scientific (creative) teams conducting international-level research. The scientific research activity plans, creative team members, and leaders of the ARCs will be approved by the university rector’s order. The effectiveness of the ARCs will be evaluated based on criteria such as the scope of scientific and educational activities, financial sustainability, publication activity, engagement with leading foreign scientists, collaboration with prominent foreign universities on joint scientific projects and educational programs, the preparation of highly qualified personnel, the involvement of students and doctoral candidates in scientific and innovative projects, and the creation and commercialization of intellectual property.

In implementing the activities of the ARCs, prominent scientists with high academic metrics will be appointed as scientific leaders, granting them the authority to manage the activities independently and form the team. This approach will ensure a degree of autonomy, allowing integration with all university departments, laboratories, and external collaborators, including foreign universities and scientific research centers, utilizing their intellectual and technological potentials.

According to the medium-term strategic plan of the university, by 2025, the university aims to achieve the following performance indicators in terms of publication activity: 0.5 publications per scientific-pedagogical staff member in journals indexed by Web of Science and Scopus, an average of 10 citations per scientific staff member’s works, and 15% of publications in collaboration with foreign scholars. By 2030, these figures are expected to increase, with 3 publications per scientific-pedagogical staff member, 50 citations per staff member’s scientific work, and 30% of publications in collaboration with foreign scholars.

Sixty percent of the university's scientific research activities will be carried out in the ARCs, which will serve as hubs for gathering resources and implementing master’s and doctoral programs. Based on diagnostic, forecasting, and analytical research, new joint centers and laboratories will be established with leading foreign universities, scientific organizations, and high-tech companies, focusing on solving urgent problems.

The ARCs that demonstrate successful activity will transform into academic divisions of the university, embodying scientific research and competitive educational programs, and incorporating modern cutting-edge technologies. This will increase the volume of orders and raise off-budget revenue through conducting priority research.

In terms of the long-term strategic plan, by 2030, the annual volume of scientific research and development will reach 30 billion UZS, with the university's share in joint scientific projects with foreign universities, research institutions, and companies accounting for at least 50%.

The university will create an innovative ecosystem by modernizing the forms, methods, and technologies of the educational process based on problem-oriented research, active, and collaborative learning strategies.

Planning the content of pedagogical education based on problem-based learning requires a renewal of the forms and methods of organizing the educational process. This necessitates a shift from the traditional educational paradigm to a more flexible and inquiry-driven one. In practice, this means revisiting the structure of curricula to reconsider how students engage with academic content, both inside and outside the classroom, and how they independently manage their studies. Additionally, it requires a new approach to how students observe and monitor the academic and research activities of professors and instructors using effective methods.

In the information society, it is necessary to move from monologue-based presentations to interactive forms of teaching. Involvement of students in independent research and educational activities through individual and group projects will be essential, fostering the development of reflective professional skills. Seminar discussions should explore the theoretical and methodological foundations of work, while practical exercises, such as role-playing games, case study solutions, and group work, should help students apply their knowledge in practical settings. In laboratory sessions conducted at educational institutions, students must also be able to test and refine their professional skills.

One key area to focus on is the development of independent learning skills, such as observing phenomena, conducting experiments, modeling scenarios, working with texts, and solving problems. Engaging students in research and innovation activities will require the following:

• Studying real processes in educational practice;

• Describing and explaining educational practices;

• Identifying researchable and innovative problems;

• Designing and implementing methods and tools to solve these problems;

• Evaluating the effectiveness of proposed methods and tools;

• Justifying and disseminating the innovations introduced.

An essential principle for all participants in lifelong learning is the continuous connection between students' academic and research activities and their ongoing pedagogical practice.

Pedagogical practice must undergo a profound transformation, starting from the first year and continuing throughout the entire course of study at the higher education institution. This practice should be continuous and effective. Students should not only visit educational institutions and participate as observers in classes or extracurricular activities, but they must also engage directly in the practical teaching and educational activities of schools, preschool education institutions, and other teaching and training facilities that serve as bases for pedagogical practice.

One of the most effective mechanisms for introducing future educators to the professional environment is volunteering. Volunteering in educational institutions should be regarded as one of the forms of pedagogical practice.

It is advisable to organize activities within the departments of universities, where faculty members, school teachers, students, pupils, and trainees from preschool, special, and general secondary educational institutions participate. The effectiveness of pedagogical practice can be significantly improved by expanding the network of "Young Researchers' Schools" through the involvement of senior students in scientific research activities.

In order to support the development of young educators' skills in modern education and training technologies, it is essential to establish pedagogical skill schools and educational-consultative centers that integrate the scientific and methodological potential of psychological-pedagogical and methodological departments.

The focus of the educational process should be directed towards the formation of pedagogical professional competence, which requires attention to achieving high results in pedagogical activities. This can include solving problems in science Olympiads, conducting various forms of lessons, and organizing students' heuristic and creative activities. Some tasks that could support this goal include:

Education and microteaching in pedagogical laboratories;

Modeling educational situations;

Gathering innovative experiences in pedagogical activities;

Using "real-life events" as examples to facilitate the transition from pedagogical theory to actual pedagogical practice;

Engaging students in reflective practice.

In an information society, one of the key priorities for renewing the educational process in preschools, secondary schools, and special educational institutions is the widespread use of information communication and digital technologies. Therefore, it is crucial to transition systematically to the use of these technologies in lectures, seminars, laboratory work, and students' independent projects.

In the context of modern educational tools (such as tablets, interactive whiteboards, network technologies, etc.), it is essential to implement methodical support for pedagogical orientation (including electronic textbooks, instructional manuals, educational-methodical collections, and simulators). The development of these information-educational resources should ensure their openness, easy and convenient accessibility, and diversification ("cloud" and smart structures), which will contribute to the creation of a unified educational environment in educational institutions.

One of the key principles in improving the educational process is its focus on both educational and developmental goals, aimed at the potential of the subject of education, individualizing their learning experience, and enabling self-expression.

Educational activities should enhance the civic position, high ethics, professional duty, responsibility, pedagogical tact, and self-demand of future educators. It also shapes determination in achieving goals. A systematic result of educational work is the formation of educators as subjects of culture, especially as subjects of professional-pedagogical culture, preparing them to embody the highest human virtues.

The anticipated outcomes include:

• The introduction of problem-based, research, active, and collaborative teaching strategies;

• The implementation of an innovative system for organizing the educational process;

• The increase in students' independent learning, research, and innovation activities through interactive teaching methods;

• The transition to permanent and productive forms of pedagogical practice;

• The development of an extensive network of department branches, experimental, and innovation platforms;

• The creation of an open educational environment based on information and communication technologies.

By 2030, the university will have an Innovation Center (IC), which will support the commercialization of the results of research and innovation in education and science, including marketing research. The IC will facilitate all stages of bringing innovative products to the market, including conducting marketing research on promising scientific and technical developments, evaluating the innovative potential of intellectual activities, securing their legal protection, obtaining foreign patents, creating models and prototypes of scientific and technical products, and developing their commercialization activities.

The development of young scientific personnel will be organized and coordinated by the university's "Youth Academy," which will actively involve talented young people, doctoral candidates, and young scholars in scientific, technical, and innovative activities.

At the university level, scientific-technical and innovation competitions, scientific conferences, seminars, and exhibitions will be organized for young people. This will unite young scientists, enhance the reputation of scientific and research activities, and ensure the preparation of qualified specialists in international economic sectors.

Supporting innovative activities and securing the legal protection of intellectual outcomes will lead to the acquisition of more than 20 patents and certificates annually. The developed innovation ecosystem will serve as the foundation for the creation of new developments and the implementation of the University 4.0 model.

The quality of pedagogical education is determined by the quality of several factors: the quality of applicants (Whom are we educating?), the quality of educational programs (What are we teaching?), the quality of professors and teachers (Who teaches?), the quality of educational technologies (How do we teach?), the quality of material and technical resources and laboratory facilities (What tools do we use?), the quality of the socio-cultural environment (Where do we teach?), and the quality of employers (For whom are we teaching?).

One of the main issues in advancing pedagogical education to a new stage is the development of new content for educational programs and new technologies for training pedagogical personnel. It also includes the development of motivational mechanisms for preparing highly skilled educators starting from preschool and school education.

The principle of "Student as a mentor to student" and the formation of professional competencies, alongside the integration of "digitalization" into pedagogical education, requires the implementation of a continuous education chain — the "Pedagogical Education Innovation Cluster." This system will primarily rely on remote learning technologies.

To actively implement distance learning technologies and develop electronic teaching methods, new targeted educational programs should be created, and new modules of these programs should be developed in collaboration with leading high-tech companies and enterprises. This will allow each student to build an “individualized education” trajectory based on the necessary professional competencies. Moreover, individual education at the bachelor's level will play a critical role in improving the quality of education. This approach will also enhance professional mobility and adaptability during postgraduate studies and in career growth throughout one’s life.

At the university, scientific research and education will be conducted inseparably. In this regard, the university will focus on interdisciplinary scientific areas and intellectual and organizational foundations for master's and doctoral programs. These areas will define the content and essence of the programs.

The university will integrate education and research activities at its partner institutions, ensuring the involvement of students from bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. Flexible curricula will be developed to ensure students’ integrated educational activities.

The strategy will focus on attracting highly motivated applicants. To achieve this, the university will implement a targeted innovation program called "Career Day," which involves active employer participation in career guidance activities.

To improve the quality of entrants to the master's program, special flexible distance learning programs will be developed. These programs will provide an opportunity to select the best graduates from both domestic and foreign higher education institutions.

All of this requires the creation of an electronic educational environment, constant updates to educational-methodical complexes with interactive media libraries, and the development and implementation of massive online courses.

Intensive and practical education forms, the widespread use of distance learning, and the regular invitation of leading global scholars to deliver lectures will be key factors in ensuring the attractiveness of the university’s educational programs in both local and international educational markets.

Internationalization of educational activities will be crucial for enhancing competitiveness. This involves developing and implementing joint educational programs with partner foreign universities, ensuring international accreditation of educational programs, and attracting foreign students to the university.

Efforts will continue to create an English-language environment at the university, align educational programs with partner universities, and promote international academic mobility.

By 2030, the university aims to implement more than 10 joint educational programs through the improvement of the activities of the International Relations Department, Innovation and Technology Management, and faculties. This will increase the revenue generated from this type of activity and enhance the university's financial stability through diversification of funding sources.

The university aims to meet the demand for highly qualified personnel by improving the quality of training for scientific staff, taking into account the challenges related to modern psychological-pedagogical science, educational practices, continuity, and the principles of integrity.

The training system for highly qualified scientific staff must be systematically implemented. The effectiveness of this training will be ensured by the following conditions:

• High-Level Research Activities: The improvement of scientific research activities.

• Organization of Educational and Research Activities for Bachelor’s and Master’s Students: Ensuring that research activities are integrated into the academic experience.

• Monitoring and Quality Control of Doctoral Programs: Ensuring the efficiency of PhD and doctoral training programs through effective monitoring.

• Structural Management System: Formation of a management system that aligns with demand.

To organize the preparation of highly qualified scientific personnel, the following conceptual conditions need to be addressed:

• Competency in Research and Experimentation: The focus should be on developing high competencies for research and trial activities in the preparation of pedagogical researchers.

• Scientific-Research Culture: The scientific-research culture should be formed through the development of axiological, epistemological, educational, and managerial standards that enhance research quality and effectiveness.

• Direct Focus on Educational Problems: The success of scientific research activities should align with addressing pressing psychological-pedagogical problems in education, based on the main themes (problem basis) of educational research.

• Cluster Approach in Research Organization: The use of a cluster approach for solving scientific-pedagogical problems should be adopted as an ideal model of inter-institutional and interdisciplinary cooperation in organizing pedagogical staff training.

The creation of a continuous system for training highly qualified scientific personnel should follow a logical sequence:

• School – Vocational College – University – Master’s – Doctorate.

In collaboration with general education institutions, the university must organize selection processes, conferences, and Olympiads, which will enhance collaboration and help identify and support talented pedagogical personnel, as well as future master's and doctoral students.

Within the framework of the program for training highly qualified scientific personnel, the following additional programs should be included:

• Training Planning: Development of systematic plans for the preparation of scientific staff.

• Ensuring Research Activities for Doctoral Candidates: Ensuring the effectiveness of scientific research activities for PhD students.

• Improving Methodological Activities in the Field of Scientific Staff Preparation: Improving the university’s scientific-methodical activities related to staff preparation.

• Transparency of PhD Students' Performance and Attestation: Ensuring a transparent system of continuous monitoring and attestation.

• Incentivizing Research Activities: Establishing a reward system for motivating PhD students in their research endeavors.

• Expanding International Cooperation: Increasing international collaboration in the field of scientific staff preparation.

Key priorities for improving the quality of training for highly qualified scientific staff include:

• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Enabling effective cooperation across various fields of study.

• Ensuring Continuity in Research Activities: Providing a seamless research environment that integrates students, undergraduates, master's students, and doctoral candidates.

• Improving IT Infrastructure: Elevating the level of information and computer technology support.

• Creation of Scientific Research Laboratories: Establishing scientific laboratories at the university departments to involve students in research activities effectively.

Planned Outcomes:

• Ensuring the Continuous Cycle of Scientific Staff Training: Establishing a seamless system from school to bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate.

• Admitting Top Practitioners: Attracting the best practicing educators from various levels of the education system into master's and doctoral programs.

• Formation of Scientific Schools in Psychological-Pedagogical Sciences: Developing scientific schools in various branches of psychological-pedagogical sciences.

• Creation of a Research Base: Establishing a foundation for research problems and priority topics in psychological-pedagogical studies.

• Increase in Defended Doctoral Dissertations: Increasing the number of defended doctoral theses (PhD, DSc).

• Organization of Experimental and Innovation Platforms: Creating experimental and innovative spaces, bringing together extensive scientific laboratories.

• Enhancement of ICT Support for Research: Upgrading the information and communication technologies for research to a higher level.

The main directions for improving the university's personnel potential: One of the key directions for improving the university's personnel potential is to increase the proportion of foreign professors, educators, and researchers working in the departments and ITMs.

From 2025, long-term contracts will be concluded with international agencies. Each ITM will invite at least two scholars from foreign universities and internationally recognized scientific organizations. The university's teaching staff will primarily consist of professors and educators engaged in scientific research related to pedagogical education problems, as well as scientific research and development projects in higher education.

In the medium-term strategic plan, by 2025, the following strategic results are expected:

• The total number of professors will exceed 1,000, including:

• The share of foreign scientific and pedagogical staff will exceed 10%.

• The number of world-class scholars will be at least 25.

• The number of professors with a Hirsch index of 5 or higher will be at least 50.

In the long-term plan, by 2030, the following goals are expected:

• The number of world-class scholars will be at least 100.

• The share of professors with a Hirsch index higher than 5 will make up at least 20% of the total faculty.

When hiring foreign teachers, the main attention will be given to those with experience from leading foreign higher educational institutions and globally recognized scientific research centers.

The university will create an information infrastructure by improving the provision of continuous pedagogical education with resources in the conditions of an information society.

An important condition for the development of continuous pedagogical education is the improvement of all types of resources for the high-quality preparation of education specialists.

The leading directions for improving regulatory and legal provision are as follows: developing continuous pedagogical education, creating a regulatory base for implementing a cluster model for distance education and tutoring activities, and providing consulting services to the subjects of pedagogical education.

Improving scientific and methodological provision is related to the implementation of pedagogical education, fulfilling the requirements of educational standards, ensuring the continuity and coherence of educational levels and stages, and coordinating the requirements for teaching graduates based on professional standards for teachers.

The strategy for developing the information provision of continuous pedagogical education involves a gradual transition to digital technologies, which are considered the advanced generation of telecommunication systems, the basics of innovative teaching technologies. It is advisable to make more effective use of the potential of digital technologies in distance education.

Improving the human resource provision of pedagogical education is associated with the following:

Optimizing the system for training, retraining, and improving qualifications, taking into account the modern requirements of society and the education system. It is necessary to create an advanced personal professional development environment to reduce the duration of professional development at all stages and levels of pedagogical education and ensure readiness to work in innovative mode.

2. Creating a system for selecting and supporting talented youth in scientific and educational activities, as well as providing timely and high-quality training of highly qualified scientific staff (PhD, DSc) for higher education institutions, ensuring the continuity of the content, forms, and methods of training scientific and pedagogical staff in the master's and doctoral programs, and developing effective doctoral programs.

Planned Results:

• Ensuring scientific and educational-methodical provision in the implementation of educational standards based on the pedagogical professional standard.

• Legal and regulatory support for the development of the pedagogical education cluster model.

• Information provision of continuous pedagogical education aimed at the development of telecommunication (network, internet) systems.

• Availability of a network of innovative and experimental platforms based on advanced practices that create a professional and personal development environment.

• Development of the material-technical and educational-laboratory base of continuous pedagogical education institutions.

• Availability of multi-sectoral mechanisms for attracting off-budget funds.

• Availability of a system of measures to increase motivation for the pedagogical profession among teachers.

• Formation of a modern positive pedagogical image.

The goal of the modern university's strategic plan aimed at bringing education to an international level is the creation of a platform for managing the educational process and advanced information tools. One of the key tasks to successfully implement such a goal is the establishment of an open information-communication platform (ICP), which will address issues related to ensuring communication among all participants in the educational process based on modern mobile and high-level digital technologies within the university's unified information domain. This forms the basis of the "University 4.0" model.

The development of integrated information systems and services at the university will solve the problem of increasing the mobility and level of digital interactions among professors, students, masters, doctoral students, applicants, industry partners, founders, and government bodies. It will also increase the level of personalization of information based on the existing personal account system. Special attention will be paid to further developing the university's digital educational resources and electronic library.

The development of the university's digital infrastructure will be carried out by the corporate data center, and it will be necessary to solve problems related to increasing its computational power and storage capacity. This platform will also ensure secure access to information for educational participants, both from the workplace and externally, including access via mobile devices. Digital virtual classrooms and laboratories will be created as resource usage tools.

The further development of wireless access zones based on Wi-Fi technology will ensure students' freedom in using the internet and information services on the university scale.

Thus, in 2023, the university's IT infrastructure will be established as a Digital Technologies Center, utilizing virtual technologies. This center will ensure high efficiency, resilience to risks, and the continuity of network services and programs. Based on this, a comprehensive information environment at the university will operate, including the following structural units:

A unified automated management system ensuring data collection and analytical processing about the university's activities;

A system for personal accounts of staff and students;

A distance learning system;

A system for supporting student and doctoral projects;

An online platform and online conference system for joint implementation of scientific projects;

An electronic document management and electronic library system;

An interactive media system.

The university's unified information space integrates the processes and information resources in the university's activities, i.e., the educational process, scientific and innovative activities, personnel management, planning, and financial activities, library and information environment, all forming a unified system.

The main direction for the development of material-technical support for the continuous pedagogical education system is the development of the educational-laboratory bases of preschool, special, general secondary, secondary specialized, higher, and additional pedagogical education institutions, as well as the development of their socio-cultural infrastructure.

In improving financial support, the following are envisaged:

• Developing mechanisms to attract business cooperation in financing projects for the development of pedagogical education;

• Developing multi-sectoral mechanisms aimed at attracting extra-budgetary funds based on market relations that require organizing paid services for additional education, consultation, sports, entertainment, and other educational services;

• Attracting international organizations, grants, banks, and investment funds for the preparation of pedagogical personnel.

By 2025, the university's total budget will amount to at least ... billion soums. At the same time, 15% of the university's budget revenues will be provided through research and commercialization.

In 2030, it is planned to increase the share of revenues from extra-budgetary sources to ...% of the university's total budget through the formation of the following financing sources:

• The total value of economic contracts with local organizations will be ... billion soums;

• The volume of projects based on foreign and international organizations as well as fund orders will be ... million USD;

• The provision of paid educational services will amount to ... million soums;

• Other revenues will be ... million soums, including income from rental funds of ... million soums;

• Sponsorship will amount to ... million soums.

The economic model of the university is based on the principles of fundamental, practical, innovative scientific research, human resources, education quality, social projects, and the improvement of the university's management system. The investment mechanism will be implemented through centralizing funds at the university level and managing the budget.

The university will develop based on targeted programs, and an economic incentive system will be formed to increase the labor productivity of scientific-pedagogical staff.

The main elements of the university's adaptable scientific and educational structure will be transformed into self-development centers. These centers will have financial autonomy in the implementation of scientific-innovative projects and designated rights for resource distribution, as well as master's and doctoral programs.

Given that pedagogical education has a high social and cultural significance in the sustainable development of society, the need to transition to a cluster-based development model for pedagogical education arises from the modern demands, problems in the education system, and the fragmentation in the educational institutions and scientific-methodical support systems in solving these issues.

The "Pedagogical Education Innovation Cluster" strategic initiative is the main initiative of the university, through which the university will transition to the innovative cluster model in the development of continuous pedagogical education.

The pedagogical education innovation cluster (PEIC) model involves using the cluster as a tool to form a unified system for professional training, retraining, and further professional development of pedagogical staff.

The Pedagogical Education Innovation Cluster is a unified entity consisting of educational institutions, higher education institutions, related organizations in the pedagogical field, vocational colleges, experimental and innovation platforms in educational institutions, innovative scientific-research and continuous pedagogical practice bases, additional education institutions, scientific and scientific-methodical structures. It allows the integration of their collective activities, as well as the potential of pedagogical-psychological science and effective teaching practices, to raise the pedagogical education system to a qualitatively new level.

Thus, the main goal of the cluster is to combine the educational and scientific-innovative potential of its members, not only with high civic, cultural, and professional competence but also with the ability to be competitive, accept innovations, and design and implement new educational programs and technologies. It aims to train modern educators with these qualities.

The main goal of the activities of the Pedagogical Education Innovation Cluster is to integrate the educational, scientific, and innovative potential of its constituent structures for the following purposes:

• Ensuring the effective succession of qualified teachers in preparing pedagogical specialties and promoting the best students to the teaching profession.

• Conducting professional training for educators based on practice and ensuring prompt communication with interested parties.

• Creating an environment for training future education specialists based on practices with innovative experience.

• Reducing the time required for young specialists to acquire professional skills.

The participants of the Pedagogical Education Innovation Cluster may include the following:

Students, master’s degree students, and doctoral candidates who will undergo pedagogical practice, and educational, scientific research, innovative, and project-based activities, fulfilling the role of educational and experimental practice bases in preschool, general secondary, vocational secondary, and higher education institutions.

Institutions of the supplementary education system, in line with the educational reforms at various levels, that engage in retraining and professional development of pedagogical staff in preschool, general secondary, vocational secondary education.

Scientific and scientific-methodical structures, centers engaged in and defining scientific research activities, organizations that have established the exchange of innovations with new forms of education standards, curricula, and instructional-methodological support for all educational levels.

Initiative teams, associations, and organizations that create the spiritual and intellectual space for the pedagogical community.

The cluster will be established based on agreements and contracts between the relevant parties. A Coordinating Council will be formed from the leaders of the cluster participants to develop the cluster policy and direct the activities of the participants regarding the implementation of cluster projects and initiatives.

The cluster will collaborate with educational management bodies and other employer organizations involved in shaping the demand for pedagogical personnel in the republic, based on social partnership.

The Coordinating Council of the Pedagogical Education Innovation Cluster regulates its activities from a methodological, scientific-research, and innovative perspective. Its main tasks include the following:

a) Develop strategic directions and methodological approaches aimed at the development of pedagogical education;

b) Identify the leading topics of current issues in education, including pedagogical education, and psychological-pedagogical research;

c) Manage scientific-research activities in the field of pedagogical education;

d) Regularly conduct methodological seminars for master’s degree students, doctoral candidates, and independent researchers conducting research in the field of pedagogy;

e) Create a database of existing scientific schools and innovative practices in pedagogical education and the field of teaching in the country.

The Pedagogical Education Innovation Cluster creates a completely renewed scientific and educational environment for professional training, teacher qualification enhancement, and retraining, which:

Focuses intellectual potential on the pressing issues of the continuous development of pedagogical education;

Achieves integral cooperation among educational institutions for the development of learning capabilities and the effective implementation of scientific-pedagogical experience;

Implements social partnership in preparing, retraining, and enhancing the qualifications of pedagogical staff needed for local labor markets;

Ensures effective consistency in the selection and training of highly qualified pedagogical personnel;

Strengthens the practical orientation of teacher professional preparation;

Integrates future personnel into the educational environment of advanced pedagogical development;

Shortens the period of professional adaptation for young specialists.

The expected main results of implementing the “Pedagogical Education Innovation Cluster” strategic initiative are as follows:

• Creating an effective, continuous pedagogical innovation education system;

• Establishing developed social cooperation in organizing educational, scientific, and innovative activities;

• Achieving optimal governance, mobility, and adaptability in the continuous education system;

• Improving the quality of selecting applicants for the pedagogical profession;

• Ensuring the alignment of theoretical and practical knowledge in the preparation of pedagogical personnel;

• Developing an advanced system for training, retraining, and enhancing the qualifications of education specialists;

• Creating a legal framework for the formation and operation of the Pedagogical Education Innovation Cluster.

This strategic initiative aims to transform a traditional institution with strong pedagogical staff and scientific directions into an advanced, internationally recognized university by developing science and technology in the priority areas of pedagogical education and preparing new-generation international-level personnel.

The strategic initiative involves optimizing the university's tasks, modernizing the management system, and renewing the content and structure of education and scientific research.

Decisions to elevate the university to an international-level research university should be based on analytical information regarding trends in scientific development, their forecasts, and projections. To this end, a system will be developed and implemented within the university to form the priority areas of education and science based on forecast and analytical research.

The main goals of this system include:

• Identifying and forming new promising scientific and educational directions that align with the university's profile and intellectual potential;

• Confirming the relevance of the university's existing scientific and educational-methodological directions and identifying their future development prospects.

Based on forecast and analytical research, the system for shaping the priority directions for the university’s development in scientific and educational fields will create the following opportunities:

• Preparing staff in advance for emerging areas and markets;

• Conducting relevant fundamental and applied research in promising scientific fields;

• Increasing demand for the university's innovations in the high-tech sectors of the digital economy;

• Enhancing the university’s competitiveness in national and international markets.

Effective and sustainably developing Scientific and Technological Innovations (ITM) will become the key elements of the university’s new scientific and educational structure. This ensures the unity of scientific and educational processes and their interconnection. They must become strategic centers for the development and improvement of the university's priority scientific and educational areas, gathering the necessary intellectual potential and resources for development.

ITMs, as the main elements of the university's research and educational structure, will focus on strong, motivated personnel as decisive actors in the “scientific research and educational environment + university leadership” system. The approach will be based on aligning and modernizing management to ensure the development and renewal of the scientific research and educational structure of the university.

The main elements of university management include:

• Changing the centralized system of management by delegating a large portion of authority (including the provision of relevant resources) to the ITM level;

• Forming an academic self-management system;

• Implementing management based on results and focusing management efforts on solving strategic tasks;

• Directing resources according to the university's main development directions;

• Establishing a system for regularly conducting external expertise of departmental performance and implementing a competitiveness enhancement program;

• Professionalizing the management of departments and optimizing the processes of commercialization.

The implementation of the strategy for academic autonomy and result-based management will ensure the rapid development of the main areas of university activity, increase the independence of departments and faculties, and involve a significant portion of academic staff, students, master's students, and employers in management processes.

Based on the analysis of global trends in the development of scientific research and educational activities, a Strategic Development Department will be established based on existing departments to increase the university’s global competitiveness.

The strategic initiative is aimed at developing and training highly qualified international-level personnel as one of the main resources to ensure the university's competitiveness in the global market.

To achieve the goal of elevating the university to an international level by 2030, the "International-Level Educator" program will be implemented. This will be achieved by involving foreign and Uzbek scholars with high scientific performance (Hirsch index of 5 or higher) in the university's activities. For this, a recruitment service based on the ITM (Innovation and Technology Management) request will be established. Each ITM will invite at least one leading scholar with experience at top foreign universities and scientific institutions, under long-term contracts. The implementation of this task will utilize the experience of strategic partnerships at both internal and international levels.

When recruiting staff from leading foreign universities, the main focus will be on their experience in teaching, research, and leading departments and scientific divisions. One of the priorities of the recruitment service will be the "Young Academy" program, aimed at forming a new generation of university staff by involving young scholars and teachers. This task will be solved by selectively hiring young scholars and teachers with relevant work experience and organizing special training programs, including internships abroad, and attracting talented graduates from master's and doctoral programs to the university. An open competition for innovative projects will be organized to attract talented young people and ensure effective selection. Teams from universities and research centers in Uzbekistan and abroad, as well as individual young scholars, will have the opportunity to participate.

A plan will be developed to gradually replace the heads of departments who have reached a certain age, based on the training of young academic and pedagogical staff. For this purpose, the university's career management system (at the department, faculty, and administrative levels) will be utilized.

From 2022 to 2025, a program will be implemented to create a pool of university staff from graduates of master's and doctoral programs. A performance evaluation system based on the "KPI" (Key Performance Indicators) will be improved for leaders and academic staff of various departments, taking into account their current importance. Priority will be given to execution indicators reflecting the introduction of modern technologies and approaches.

A system will be introduced to record efficiency indicators in the university's unified information-analytical system. This will allow for the individual tracking of each staff member's performance.

The development of international mobility opportunities for the university’s academic, pedagogical, and administrative staff will be achieved through existing and planned collaboration agreements with leading global educational institutions, as well as supporting participation in international scientific events (conferences, symposiums, etc.). Special attention will be paid to the joint development and implementation of master's and doctoral programs with partner foreign universities. By 2025, the development of exchange programs for doctoral students will help form a high-quality pool of young scientific and pedagogical staff holding PhD degrees.

To address the challenge of improving staff members' English language proficiency, mechanisms will be developed to create an English-speaking environment within the university to enhance the teaching of both general and specialized subjects in English. By 2025, at least 50% of the university's academic, pedagogical, and administrative staff will be able to communicate in English.

Continuous development of staff competencies will be a key component of the university's staff policy. This will, in turn, ensure staff are highly qualified and competitive. The development of the university's academic and administrative staff potential will be carried out through professional exchange programs, and training and internships at leading local and foreign universities and research institutions.

The program for continuously improving the qualifications of university management staff will also continue. Within this program, faculty deans and vice-rectors will improve their qualifications. For this purpose, internal training courses will be organized with the involvement of leading foreign experts in modern management practices and training programs for university heads and department heads under the "Management Methods" program.

The “Innovative Education” strategic initiative is aimed at ensuring strong foundational preparation, widespread implementation of new educational technologies, and strengthening the integration of the educational process with scientific research, aiming for the university to take a leading position in the world by training and developing teachers capable of working in new environments.

The measures to be implemented within this framework are focused on revising the content and technologies of advanced educational programs in line with the demands and urgent issues of digitization in the economy and social sectors.

The competitiveness and relevance of the main educational programs are ensured through their fundamental nature, practical orientation, and interdisciplinary approach. However, one of the complex issues that needs to be addressed is finding the optimal balance between the fundamental and practical components in teacher preparation programs.

According to major employers, in the rapidly changing development environment, fundamental professional training defines the pedagogical adaptability of graduates. As a result, career growth and the increasing demand for professionals in the labor market are ensured.

The program to attract and select the best applicants, ambitious and talented school students, continues. To foster conscious career choices among school students, the university will continue to establish interdisciplinary school laboratories in collaboration with affiliated schools and technical schools. The "School - University – Employer" chain is supported in developing education based on the interests of employers. To prepare a promising pool of future employees from the most talented and ambitious students, the university will work with partner organizations on individual career preparation, internships, and employment.

The development of experimental educational standards for training staff in response to the needs of priority sectors will be a systemic methodological solution to the transformation of advanced educational content and technologies. These will be developed in cooperation with leading employers and companies in the priority specialized sectors of the economy. By 2030, approximately 30 main and supplementary educational programs will be implemented in collaboration with leading foreign and national universities and research institutions.

Creating flexible programs for training young academic staff through the master's level, considering the transition to doctoral programs, will be an effective method for training young academic staff.

A continuous mechanism to ensure the competitiveness and relevance of educational programs will be based on adapting to market changes, implementing new educational technologies, and enhancing cooperation with high-tech local and foreign institutions to improve existing programs and develop new ones. By 2030, more than ten specialized educational programs for training teachers will be developed and implemented in modular format in collaboration with leading international universities and research institutions. These programs will primarily be delivered remotely.

The university, as an active participant in the development of the national system for teacher training in Uzbekistan, will engage in the following activities:

• Proposing updates for the professional standards of the field;

• Participating in the development of professional standards and qualification categories;

• Conducting expertise on educational standards and programs in accordance with sector reforms;

• Participating in the accreditation of educational programs.

In the next development phase, the university will continue to build on its traditional strengths, thereby maintaining its influence in shaping educational policy in the field. In the context of the transition to a digital economy, the university will prioritize the development of educational programs designed to equip young professionals with the competencies required by modern enterprises and companies. Based on the orders of strategic partners, additional professional development programs will be developed, and efforts to enhance employees' professional qualifications will be carried out.

Transitioning to the University 4.0 model requires rapid development of the electronic educational environment. The university will utilize open platforms for e-education and will expand its capabilities by integrating artificial intelligence for personalized educational trajectories and offering video lectures.

The university will continue to focus on the content, quality, and relevance of materials for massive open online courses (MOOCs), and after conducting internal trials, will integrate these into international cloud platforms, boosting participation in the digital education sector.

Efforts to improve the quantity and quality of publications will include promoting the publication of articles in high-ranking journals and increasing the citation impact of works published by faculty and students. A system of material incentives will be introduced to encourage faculty, researchers, and students to publish in reputable journals.

A “Publishing” center will be established to assist faculty in preparing high-quality publications, provide consulting on selecting prestigious journals, and offer translation and editing services. The center will also organize workshops and seminars on publishing high-quality articles with the participation of leading experts and publishers.

The main goal of this strategic initiative is to effectively promote the university in the global educational and scientific space, aiming for worldwide recognition. Tasks within this initiative, alongside those of other strategic goals, aim to strengthen the university's international academic standing and reputation in front of global employers, ensuring its appropriate place in global rankings.

The foundation for improving the university's ranking lies in achieving significant scientific results, particularly in preparing highly qualified scientific and pedagogical personnel in areas with high global market demand. The university's global promotion will be supported by its collaboration with leading universities, research institutions, companies, and organizations from developed countries, including those in Germany, Japan, the UAE, Malaysia, Indonesia, and others.

Plans are underway to expand cooperation with leading scientific and higher educational institutions in neighboring countries within the CIS and Central Asia.

Through this initiative, the number of foreign students and joint programs at the university will increase. The number of courses taught in English will also rise, supported by these joint programs. The number of scholars invited from leading universities worldwide will be expanded.

The main mechanism for promoting the university globally involves enhancing its participation in international academic conferences and exhibitions. This will include:

• Organizing international conferences, forums, seminars, and exhibitions at the university.

• Encouraging university students and staff to actively participate in international conferences, forums, seminars, and exhibitions.

Approximately 20 such events are planned annually, half of which will have international status. The number of scientific and technical events with English as the working language will also increase, further enhancing the university's academic ties with foreign partners.

In the coming years, the university will collaborate with experts from leading global ranking agencies (QS and THE) to analyze its scientific research, reputation, and other indicators, developing an action plan to increase its global visibility.

Promoting the university's profile globally, including through its website and related ranking agencies, is essential for increasing its visibility and global recognition. Planned promotional activities will significantly increase the awareness of the university's competitive advantages among target audiences familiar with its brand.

The university aims to improve its visibility in the online space by enhancing its official website and expanding the information provided, including news updates. Social media and specialized online resources will be used more intensively for university promotion. Additionally, the creation of new information resources will contribute to forming a positive image of the university’s brand in the global information space.

Named scholarships and regular competitions for grants related to the university's strategic scientific directions will be organized under its brand and promoted in the online space. Furthermore, the university plans to increase its participation in various international organizations, associations, councils, and editorial boards of renowned academic journals, boosting its visibility and recognition.

A special platform will be created to actively collaborate with students, alumni, and their associations in both national and international contexts. This platform will ensure easy access to electronic libraries and other resources for the new generation of students and extend connections with strategic partners, ultimately contributing to the university's stronger position in the global academic and professional landscape.

5.1. A conducive infrastructure for pedagogical education will be established.
5.2. The professional skills of teachers, along with the new generation of educational standards, will ensure a higher level of teacher proficiency.
5.3. A system of innovative educational technologies will be developed to support the teacher's professional growth, facilitating the foreign professional development of teachers in an information-rich and educational environment.
5.4. The education sector will be adapted to the skill levels required by specialists, employers, and the public.
5.5. The international ranking of the continuous pedagogical education system will be improved.
5.6. The university's position in international rankings will rise.
5.7. Continuous pedagogical education will be supported by high-quality professionals.
5.8. The social status of the teaching profession will increase.
5.9. Mutually beneficial scientific and educational relations with foreign partners will expand.
5.10. The professional adaptation time for young teachers will be reduced.
5.11. A more developed system for enhancing the qualifications of teachers will be formed.
5.12. The international intensity of education will be achieved.
5.13. Competitive scientific and educational products will be commercialized.