At a press conference on April 15, Shuhrat Yodgorov, head of a department at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, announced that in 2025, 81 employees within the ministry's system were convicted for various crimes related to corruption. He emphasized that this statistic is compiled not only for the central apparatus but for the entire system, which includes 207 higher education institutions, over 650 vocational training organizations, and other entities. Yodgorov noted that some employees detained as suspects may be acquitted after court proceedings, and analysis is conducted solely based on court verdicts.
According to Yodgorov's additional remarks, not all of the 81 convicted employees were found guilty solely of bribery; among them are those who committed crimes such as abuse of official authority and fraud. He stated that only 8% of the committed crimes involved monetary exchanges, indicating issues beyond traditional forms of corruption. Despite an expanding contingent in the system, corruption cases are decreasing year by year: in 2023, 106 employees were convicted, in 2024, 90 employees, and in 2025, this number dropped to 81.
The ministry's leadership claims that as a result of ongoing reforms, it is achieving success in anti-corruption rankings. Yodgorov reported that in 2023, the ministry scored 50 points, in 2024 it rose to 82 points, and in 2025 it accumulated 86 points. Additionally, in the Openness Index, it has held high positions for two years, ranking in the top 15 in 2025 with 88.4 points. However, these claims come against the backdrop of recent incidents, such as the detention in March of a ministry employee suspected of accepting a $100,000 bribe for licensing a private university branch.
It is worth recalling that earlier, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation Kongratbay Sharipov stated that the level of anti-corruption efforts in 10 higher education institutions in Uzbekistan had been upgraded to "good." Yet, the persistence of various forms of corruption within the ministry's system, including bribery and abuse of authority, highlights ongoing challenges in this area. While Yodgorov's statistical data shows a declining trend, practical issues and recent scandals underscore the need for more profound changes in the fight against corruption.
Source: www.gazeta.uz