On December 28, 2024, at the joint session of the National Council and the Chamber of Representatives of the Supreme Assembly of the Republic of Tajikistan, held in the building of the country’s Parliament, the Message of the President of the country, the Leader of the Nation, the esteemed Emomali Rahmon, was delivered regarding the key directions of the internal and external policy of the Republic of Tajikistan.
In his Message, the Leader of the Nation covered all areas of state and societal activities, including issues of socio-economic development, urban development, economic, financial, and tax policies, the improvement of the legal framework, the development of digital infrastructure and the digitization of public services, human capital development, the use of artificial intelligence and ensuring cybersecurity of data bases, the development of digital entrepreneurship and e-commerce, support for entrepreneurship, industrial and manufacturing development, energy and energy independence, strengthening infrastructure and roads, investment climate, tourism, agriculture, social protection, education, culture, employment, education and vocational training, youth, women, combating terrorism and extremism, among other issues.
One of the important and detailed sections of the Message was dedicated to the development of science and education, where the Head of State underscored the significance of these two strategic sectors, evaluating them as the main factor for ensuring the progress of Tajikistan and the upbringing of new generations.
Considering the population growth and the need to create conditions for the education and upbringing of children and adolescents, the Government of the country and local executive bodies were tasked with ensuring the construction of 800 preschool educational institutions and over 1000 general education schools within the next five years. This step is necessary to increase the coverage of preschool-aged children and expand access to secondary education in various regions.
Special attention was also paid to improving the quality of education, the professional level of teachers, and the introduction of modern educational technologies. Strengthening the material and technical base of educational institutions, refining the content of educational programs, and training highly qualified personnel were marked as priority tasks. In this context, the President of the country instructed to seriously consider introducing new directions, including specialties related to the digital economy and programming into the educational system.
The Message also emphasized the importance of linking science with production and implementing technological innovations for the country’s economic development. Considering the growing role of the digital economy in global progress, the Leader of the Nation highlighted the necessity of training specialists in programming and information technologies. This measure involves the establishment of the University of Innovation and Digital Technologies in the city of Kulob, which will serve as a base for training professionals in these fields.
The President of the country paid serious attention to the use of artificial intelligence, complete digitization of public services, and the creation of databases, noting that these measures would ensure the competitiveness of the country’s economy under conditions of globalization and the increasing influence of innovative technologies on production.
With the aim of improving the working conditions for workers in the fields of education and science, the Leader of the Nation announced an increase in the salaries of employees in preschool and general education institutions, as well as those in higher education and research institutions. According to this proposal, from September 2025, the salaries of workers in the fields of education and science will be increased by 20-30 percent. This measure will contribute to improving the social status of teachers and enhancing the quality of education.
Furthermore, creating better conditions for training young professionals, encouraging IT specialists, and training them at leading foreign institutions were recognized as necessary. The Government of the country was tasked with submitting draft regulatory legal acts regarding the establishment of the University of Innovation and Digital Technologies and corresponding faculties in other universities within four months.
The President of the country, the esteemed Emomali Rahmon, called science and knowledge the foundation of progress for any state and society, emphasizing that the nation’s progress is impossible without the development of science and the preservation of scientific achievements. It was noted that through the implementation of developed scientific programs, it is necessary to train highly qualified scientific personnel for various sectors. In this regard, the Leader of the Nation instructed to review the “State Program for Training High-Level Scientific Personnel for 2021–2030” within two months and align it with modern requirements.
The Message from the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, the esteemed Emomali Rahmon, which primarily focuses on science and education and the development of these two strategic sectors, testifies to the most important steps towards the country’s sustainable development. The implementation of broad reforms in education and comprehensive support for science will enable Tajikistan to nurture a new generation of highly qualified specialists ready for competition in the modern world. The persistent advancement of new initiatives in the fields of science and education will contribute to the intellectual development of society and overall economic progress.
Director of the S.U. Umarov Physical-Technical Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Zarifzoda Afzalshoh Qahramon
