The University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) celebrated the successful completion of a 10-month vocational training programme for 15 professionals from Uzbekistan's Namangan region, marking an important milestone in the pioneering collaboration between Qatar and Uzbekistan to strengthen vocational education and workforce development.
The programme forms part of a pioneering effort jointly advanced by the Centre for Progressive Reforms (CPR) and the embassy of Uzbekistan in Qatar, in close partnership with the UDST.
It is designed to develop a new generation of highly qualified vocational instructors and establish a sustainable system for preparing skilled professionals in Uzbekistan for domestic and international labour markets.
The collaboration builds on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the CPR and UDST, which established a framework for trainer development and support for an internationally accredited training centre in Uzbekistan.
At the UDST, the Uzbek professionals received intensive training and instructor development in four high-demand trades: Electrical, Welding, Plumbing, and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning).
The 10-month programme combined classroom instruction, extensive hands-on practice, and instructor preparation, equipping the participants to transfer their newly acquired knowledge, skills, and teaching methodologies to future trainees in Uzbekistan.
Training was delivered through the UDST’s Professional Skills Centre with the involvement of the university’s faculty, master instructors, and technical specialists.
Participants were also exposed to internationally recognised training and assessment practices, including those aligned with the National Centre for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).
Following graduation, the 15 professionals will return to Uzbekistan to support the launch of the Uzbek-Qatari Vocational Skills Centre in the Namangan region, where they will serve as vocational instructors and technical specialists.
The centre will initially focus on the same four trades – Electrical, Welding, Plumbing, and HVAC – and serve as a platform for developing an internationally competitive skilled workforce.
Once fully operational and expanded to its planned capacity, the centre is expected to train more than 1,000 skilled professionals annually, supporting Uzbekistan’s workforce development priorities and creating stronger pathways to employment both at home and in international labour markets.
Throughout their training at the UDST, the participants developed specialised technical knowledge and hands-on competencies through the university's industry-driven curricula, strengthening their readiness to deliver high-quality vocational training and transfer practical expertise within Uzbekistan.
"We are proud to celebrate our graduates as they complete this important training journey and prepare to carry their knowledge and expertise back to Uzbekistan,” said UDST president Dr Salem al-Naemi.
“At UDST, we believe applied education is the future: it equips people with the practical capabilities required by evolving industries and creates direct value for communities and economies,” he said. “This collaboration demonstrates how education can serve national priorities locally while contributing to skills development globally. We congratulate our graduates and look forward to the contribution they will make through the Uzbek-Qatari Vocational Skills Centre."
"The graduation of these 15 professionals represents much more than the completion of a training programme,” said Mirshohid Aslanov, chief executive and co-founder of the Centre for Progressive Reforms. “They are the first generation of instructors who will carry the knowledge, standards, and practical experience gained at UDST back to Uzbekistan and help us build a new model of internationally aligned vocational education.”
“Our ambition is to create a sustainable system that equips young people in Uzbekistan with high-quality technical skills, internationally recognised competencies, and real pathways to employment at home and in global labour markets,” he said. “We are deeply grateful to the University of Doha for Science and Technology, its leadership, faculty, and instructors, as well as the embassy of Uzbekistan in Qatar, for their commitment to this pioneering partnership.”