KREMS, September 6. /Dunyo IA/.  In the Austrian city of Krems, representatives of the Embassy of Uzbekistan held a meeting with Professor Heinz Boyer, Chairman of the IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, dedicated to the further development of cooperation in vocational education and workforce training for the hospitality industry, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

During the meeting, the parties discussed practical measures to implement the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan. In cooperation with the Agency for Vocational Education, this decree provides for the establishment of international training centers for hospitality management specialists in the Bukhara and Namangan regions, leveraging advanced Austrian expertise.

New centers are envisioned to serve as state-of-the-art educational platforms that integrate theoretical preparation, hands-on practical training, and international expertise. These institutions will cultivate both industry specialists and educators in strict alignment with the contemporary demands of the hospitality sector.

International experience occupies a pivotal place within the project framework. Students of the centers will be granted opportunities to undertake internships and summer training programs in Austria, thereby familiarizing themselves with European hospitality management standards and acquiring firsthand practical experience directly within an international environment.

Choice of the Austrian partner is by no means accidental. IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences stands as one of Austria’s most prominent, internationally oriented universities of applied sciences. Today, the university accommodates over 4,000 students representing more than 70 nationalities, while its global cooperation network unites over 200 partner universities worldwide. More than half of its degree programs are delivered entirely in English, with international internships and academic mobility serving as core pillars of the university’s educational model.

Scope of IMC Krems’ international activities extends far beyond the borders of Austria. The university implements educational and tourism-related projects across Europe, Asia, and other regions of the world, including Oman, Namibia, Azerbaijan, China and Saudi Arabia. Notably, within the framework of one such project, the Tourism & Hospitality Hub was established in cooperation with King Saud University, providing for dual-country student training and practical internships in Austria.

It is precisely this practice-oriented international experience that carries exceptional value for the newly established centers in Bukhara and Namangan. The objective extends beyond the mere transfer of educational methodologies; it encompasses the formation of a comprehensive professional development trajectory - spanning from education in Uzbekistan to practical training in Austria, followed by the subsequent application of the acquired knowledge within the domestic hospitality industry.

During the meeting, Professor Heinz Boyer reaffirmed the Austrian side's readiness for further practical engagement and expressed his willingness to visit Uzbekistan on September 21–25^th, 2026, to discuss the subsequent stages of the project’s implementation.

Creation of these international centers in Bukhara and Namangan will stand as a major practical outcome of Uzbek-Austrian cooperation in the fields of education and tourism. This initiative will unlock new opportunities for young specialists to gain international experience, while significantly driving the human capital development of Uzbekistan’s modern hospitality sector.