HIT Holon Institute of Technology and New Uzbekistan University (NewUU) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during an online ceremony held via Zoom.
On the Israeli side, the ceremony was attended by Prof. Eduard Yakubov, President of HIT, Mr. Gideon Lustig, Israel’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, and Ms. Antoinette (Tony) Levy, Head of the Euro-Asia and Balkans Department, HIT’s External Relations Unit, as well as Mr. Jahongir Aminov, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Israel, and Mr. Sherzod Shavkatbekov, First Secretary at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Israel. New Uzbekistan University was represented by Dr. Azizbek Marakhimov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, and Ms. Oxana Budjko, assistant Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences.
During the ceremony, participants emphasized the importance of strengthening academic, scientific, and cultural cooperation between Israel and Uzbekistan, noting that educational collaboration serves as a powerful bridge between societies and constitutes a valuable investment in the future and prosperity of both nations. They added that the agreement would promote joint academic programs, research initiatives, innovation projects, faculty collaboration, and new opportunities for students, researchers, and academic leaders, thereby further strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the State of Israel and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as with the countries of Central Asia.
Israel’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Mr. Gideon Lustig, said that the most significant aspect of this collaboration between the academic institutions is the sense of mutual familiarity and identification it fosters. He noted that since the Jewish community left Uzbekistan, immigrating to Israel and other countries, the sense of familiarity between Jews and Uzbeks, and between Israelis and Uzbeks, has gradually diminished over the years. What is happening now, he said, is bringing these people back together, to understand and get to know one another. He observed that the arrival of Uzbek students in Israel, alongside Israeli students and professors traveling to Uzbekistan, is creating a genuine sense of familiarity.
Prof. Yakubov expressed his confidence in the importance of this collaboration, not only for the two countries but also for its contribution to cooperation between Central Asia and Israel as a whole. He noted that new tracks such as artificial intelligence, robotics, modern medicine, and other fields are highly important not only for Israel but for its colleagues in Uzbekistan as well. He said he had updated the Israeli Council for Higher Education’s leadership, who greatly value this collaboration. He shared that one of his dreams is to bring a delegation representing the entire Israeli higher education community to a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Higher Education and the President of the Academy of Sciences, noting that there are many shared topics worth discussing.
Dr. Azizbek Marakhimov, Vice-Rector of New Uzbekistan University, concluded the ceremony by saying that the university he leads would be pleased to serve as the institution connecting HIT with researchers and students at his university in particular, and across the Central Asian region as a whole. He noted that given Uzbekistan’s population of over 80 million and its strategic and convenient location, New Uzbekistan University is committed to developing this collaboration and making it open and accessible to its friends, partners, students, and researchers throughout Central Asia.
HIT Holon Institute of Technology maintains an extensive network of academic ties with more than 140 universities and institutions across 35 countries worldwide. These partnerships enable faculty members and students to take part in exchange programs, international projects such as Erasmus+, and advanced research activities.
