Agriculture is a critical sector in Uzbekistan, comprising a quarter of the economy. The State of Mississippi and the Republic of Uzbekistan have enjoyed a relationship since the 1930s rooted in cotton production. In recent years, new American investment in reviving an agricultural cluster now well positioned toward global markets.
Setting forth on an ambitious reform agenda, agricultural education in Uzbekistan seeks to forge stronger linkages to business needs. Through the Central Asia University Partnerships Program (UniCEN), administered by American Councils for International Education and funded by the U.S. State Department through the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, faculty and administrators at the Mississippi State University and Tashkent State Agrarian University have joined together to launch a dual degree for agricultural economics. Natural sciences students with a technical background will be better prepared to enter the business world.
Working with the Mississippi State University’s agriculture economics and agricultural and bioengineering departments during Summer 2020, counterparts at Tashkent State Agrarian University finalized the outline for course syllabi. When the program launches in Fall 2022, master’s level students will take a minimum of 10 course hours in agribusiness management to prepare them for Uzbekistan’s modernizing economy.