The policy of the higher education internationalization in China and the development of educational cooperation between China and Uzbekistan

The objective of the research is to determine the role of China in ensuring the priorities of higher education internationalization in Uzbekistan at the present stage of reforms carried out under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev since 2016. While preparing the paper, the authors used legislation and materials from official websites of Uzbek and Chinese state bodies, universities and other organizations, statistics from international organizations, and materials from news agencies. The paper discusses the current policy priorities of the internationalization of higher education in China; analyzes the state of higher education cooperation between Uzbekistan and China under the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov (until 2016); studies the directions and results of the development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in higher education since 2016 under President Mirziyoev. The research reached the following conclusions. Current priorities of China's internationalization of higher education include: (1) involving foreign educational resources in teaching in China; (2) opening branches of Chinese universities abroad; (3) promoting the mobility of teachers and students. The second and third priorities are relevant to Tashkent, which since 2016 has been pursuing a policy of a "total" internationalization of higher education in Uzbekistan. Regarding the opening of branches of Chinese universities, the Ministry of Education of the PRC recommends choosing countries with large market demand, a high degree of openness and quality of higher education. The need to provide education for children of overseas offices of Chinese organizations and for Chinese people living abroad is also considered to be of importance. Mobility includes both sending researchers and students to study abroad and attracting talented foreign researchers and students to study and work in China. Uzbekistan, as a close neighbor of China in Central Asia, a participant in the Belt and Road Initiative, and a developing country, is subject to various mobility support programs funded by China. Until 2016, the main areas of cooperation between China and Uzbekistan in higher education were the study of Uzbek students in Chinese universities and the study of the Chinese language in Uzbekistan. Since 2016, despite the policy of openness of the new authorities of Uzbekistan and the sharp growth of economic ties between Tashkent and Beijing, higher education cooperation between the countries has received little development. This is evidenced by the absence of branches of Chinese universities in Uzbekistan, as well as extremely limited number of joint programs between Chinese and Uzbek universities, of mobility to China at the expense of the Uzbek El-Yurt Umidi Foundation, and of Chinese students studying in Uzbekistan.