Starting from the 2026–2027 academic year, educational institutions will regularly hold “Skills and Business Hours” events aimed at helping students come up with a startup idea, properly shape it, and “turn it into a project.” That is, the mood of “not just studying,” but “studying and working,” is now systematically entering the classroom.
According to the resolution, this initiative will be implemented in stages: “Skills and Business Hours” will be organized at least twice a month for students of secondary specialized and vocational educational institutions, as well as students in grades 9–11 of general secondary education. So, less than twice a month means - in active schools it can be more, but the minimum "bar" has been set.
The most interesting thing is that this is not an "ordinary round table". Clear directions have been set within the events:
The first direction is the "Best Startup Idea" competition. It is planned to award up to 5 million soums to the winners of the district stage, and up to 10 million soums to the winners of the regional stage. This money is not "just a diploma", but a very real incentive to turn the project into a prototype.
The second direction is a quarterly presentation. The created projects are shown to the parents of students, representatives of the business and scientific community. That is, the child/student does not just come up with an idea, he defends it, answers questions, gets feedback. Today, one of the most valuable skills is precisely this.
The third direction is going to the market. It is said that cooperation with marketplaces will be established and the practice of selling products manufactured in educational organizations will be established. That is, “something made at school” can later reach a real buyer - this doubles the motivation: you see that your work is paying off.
It doesn’t stop there. The resolution also stipulates that, starting from April 1, 2026, state bodies, organizations and state-owned enterprises will organize competitions on problems and issues that require solutions in their field through a crowdsourcing electronic platform, and hold monthly meetings with startup initiators - “Startup Days”. This means that ideas will not only circulate in the classroom, they will also be connected to real problems by “adults”.
In other words, a “transfer window” is opening for the future: someone will sell their idea correctly, someone will create a team, someone will release their first product. Therefore, one simple piece of advice for students in grades 9-11 and college/technical school age: if you are interested in a field, start writing in a notebook right now - the problem, the solution, who needs it, why. If you enter the “Skills and Business Hour” tomorrow with a prepared mind, half the work will be done.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
