WARSAW, February 11. /Dunyo IA/. At the invitation of the “Perspektywy” Education Foundation and the leadership of Jagiellonian University, representatives of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Poland took part in the “Interstudent 2026” Forum, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event was held within the framework of the “Study in Poland” programme, implemented in cooperation with the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP) and “Perspektywy” Education Foundation. The forum focused on advancing international cooperation in higher education, attracting foreign students and streamlining visa procedures for international learners.

More than 450 delegates took part in the forum, including representatives of 100 higher education institutions, government bodies, line ministries and agencies, international organizations and the diplomatic corps.

Plenary sessions and thematic discussions addressed key issues such as the internationalisation of Poland’s higher education system, its strategic and sustainable development, the simplification of visa procedures, the expansion of geographical outreach to international students and the enhancement of academic programme quality.

Participants underscored the importance of a systemic approach, mutual trust among partner countries and the effective use of demographic potential in advancing international cooperation.

As part of the conference, a panel discussion titled “Cooperation between diplomatic missions and universities: Visa practices and the recruitment of international students” was held, bringing together the leadership of the “Perspektywy” Education Foundation, Rector of Jagiellonian University and representatives of the embassies of Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Türkiye.

During the discussion, Waldemar Siwiński, Chairman of the “Perspektywy” Education Foundation, addressed prospects for cooperation with Uzbekistan, noting that, according to official data, 1,709 Uzbek citizens are currently studying in Poland.

He noted that a favourable window has emerged for deepening cooperation in the field of education, particularly in light of the dynamically expanding partnership between Uzbekistan and the European Union. In this context, it was announced that Samarkand will host, on 13-14 April this year, the Congress of Rectors of Engineering and Medical Universities of Central Asia and the European Union.

Addressing the forum, diplomats briefed participants on the wide-ranging reforms underway in Uzbekistan under the leadership of the Head of State, aimed at the comprehensive development of the education sector. It was also highlighted that approximately 800,000 young people complete secondary education in Uzbekistan each year, with a notably high level of foreign language proficiency. Proposals and recommendations were put forward on the design and implementation of joint educational programmes between Uzbek and Polish universities, the expansion of student and faculty exchange schemes and ensuring the active participation of Polish higher education institutions in education fairs and academic events hosted in Uzbekistan.

Participants in the panel discussion highlighted the key role of diplomatic missions in attracting international students, supporting their academic journeys and establishing sustainable channels of academic cooperation. They expressed readiness to pursue systematic and well-coordinated collaboration in this area.

The conference also announced the results of the “Interstudent 2026” competition, with one of the winners being Munisa Ziyomukhammedova, an Uzbek national and a master’s degree student at “WSB” University.