Aligning Uzbekistan's education reform with global best practices: the university of missouri as a model for systemic transformation

In May 2025, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan announced a comprehensive reform initiative aimedat transforming the country’s school education system through internationalization, curriculum optimization, facultydevelopment, and student-centered innovation. This article analyzes how the University of Missouri (Mizzou), a leadingpublic university in the United States, can serve as a practical model for implementing such reforms. Based on theauthor’s experience as a Faculty Enrichment Program fellow at Mizzou, the paper explores seven key areas whereMissouri’s practices align with Uzbekistan’s priorities including teacher training, articulation agreements, gifted education,early childhood learning, and extracurricular engagement. The article presents a comparative, policy-focused analysisof how Uzbekistan may localize these global best practices to modernize its education system and empower a newgeneration for national development.