Uzbekistan has taken a major step in digital transformation through the MIT Tech Leaders Lab, a programme held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in October 2025. The initiative brought together delegates from the Ministry of Digital Technologies, IT Park Uzbekistan and national research institutes to strengthen leadership in artificial intelligence and innovation.
The week-long course combined academic and practical training led by MIT experts and Silicon Valley innovators. Participants explored sustainable development, venture ecosystems, and the use of AI in management and education.
«Uzbekistan faces a strategic task — to prepare a generation of leaders for the digital age,» said Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies. «MIT programmes help create professionals ready to lead world-class innovation projects.»
Delegates also visited MIT and Harvard innovation centres, learning how research is transformed into real-world technologies.
The two sides agreed to expand cooperation through MIT Sandbox localisation, joint R&D centres in AI, automation, and drones, and academic exchange under MIT Open Learning.
«Collaboration with MIT will accelerate knowledge transfer and make Uzbek founders globally competitive,» said Abdulakhad Kuchkarov, CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan.
The programme marks a new phase in Uzbekistan’s digital strategy — investing in human capital and building leaders who can turn technology into sustainable national progress.
