The British Council in Uzbekistan has honoured the achievements of its distinguished alumni as part of the Study UK Alumni Awards, a global competition. The award ceremony, held on February 17, was conducted online and was attended by the director of the British Council in Uzbekistan, Denise Waddingham, and Ambassador Tim Torlot of the United Kingdom.

 The Alumni Awards shine a light on the impact that alumni of UK higher education institutions are making as leaders in their professional fields and communities. The Study UK Alumni Awards also celebrate and showcase the impact and value of a UK higher education and raise the international profile of UK alumni and their former universities. This year Study UK Alumni Awards received more than 1,500 applications from over 100 countries worldwide. In 23 countries, awards are also given at the national level. This year marked the first time the national-level awards were given in Uzbekistan.

“The finalists and winners are leaders in their fields who have used their experience of studying at a UK university to make a positive contribution to their communities, industries and countries,” said Denise Waddingham, Director of the British Council in Uzbekistan.

This year the winners were awarded in three categories.

Khurshid Kadyrov won the Business and Innovation award. Kadyrov, who graduated the Westminster University in Tashkent, was recognised for his application of innovative ideas or solutions as he founded an education business.

“British education has broadened my understanding of the international business environment. This knowledge allowed me to establish Astrum IT Academy in Yangi Bazar district, which is a great source of pride for me,” said Khurshid.

The Social Action award was given to Sukhrob Saliev, an international expert in oncohematology, the study of blood cancers, and sports medicine. Saliev is devoted to the treatment and training of youths in sports, exercise, and health, and conducts research on the impact of physical activity on well-being. The Social Action award recognises individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to improving the lives of others in their community.

“Having completed my studies at University College London, I remain determined to share the knowledge and skills I learned with the younger generations in Uzbekistan. I want to amplify the role of physical activity and change inactive lifestyle of people in Central Asia,” explained Saliev.

This year, a special Ambassador’s Choice award was also given. The winner in this category was Elyanora Menglieva, a graduate of the University of Warwick, who is a renowned educator and language assessment specialist and the founder of Network of Teacher Researchers in Uzbekistan (NETRUZ). NETRUZ offers teachers free continuous professional development opportunities. The platform has trained over 60 teachers on assessment, corpus-based materials development, and teacher research. The award jury, led by Ambassador Tim Torlot, highly commended Menglieva for her contributing to positive change in education in Uzbekistan by consulting universities and international organizations on teacher development and assessment.

“The dynamism and the commitment and the ambition that was shown by Elyanora gives me a real sense that her time in the Warwick University in the UK was truly transformational personally but also professionally, and her leading a host of other people to benefit from those studies is pretty special to me,” noted Ambassador Torlot.

“She used her studies not only to further her own carrier but benefit others in the area that is absolutely crucial to the UK and Uzbekistan,” he added.

The three national-level winners of the Study UK Alumni Awards in Uzbekistan received a prize of £1,000 and have also been shortlisted for the international prize. They will compete with participants from over 100 countries to the opportunity of a professional networking trip to the United Kingdom.

This makes the eighth year that the British Council has held the international Study UK Alumni Awards, which are intended to support outstanding UK university graduates from around the world. Award winners can raise their international profile, expand their professional networks, and enhance their careers by participating in a professional networking visit to the UK.