July 15, 2014
Uzbek Foreign Minister to participate in meeting of Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue. 2
International cooperation
Uzbek Foreign Minister to participate in meeting of Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov will participate at the meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of member states of the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue on 16 July 2014.
The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan said that a delegation of Uzbekistan led by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov will participate in the Fifth meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the member states of the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on 16 July 2014.
The meeting will be attended by foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Japan. The sides will discuss issues of further developing cooperation in various areas, exchange opinion on international and region issues.
(Source: UzDaily.com)
Society
Summer recreation
Sociologists single out several major reasons of choosing the summer season for vacation. Parents often combine it with their children’s vacation, or spend it to support a child during the preparation and entering an educational institution. The summer heat is no less powerful argument. Many prefer to spend it out of town at the cottage, or at air conditioned home. A season of making food reserves for winter is another major reason. Whatever it is, everyone chooses summer time to solve his problems, and to recreate.
Another summer’s truth is about choosing a place of recreation. Most Uzbeks prefer staying within the country. Some of them stay in cities, the others go to the countryside as there is a vast choice of cottages by lease for any period of time, and some people prefer mountaineering. However, the majority prefers traveling to health resorts and recreation areas in the picturesque mountains or reservoirs. Such a choice is largely conditioned by the fact that a vacation within the country in many cases is supported by employers and trade unions through subsidized vacation passes.
All of the factors have pushed the development of recreational infrastructure in the country. The government is actively involved in this process through the implementation of targeted programs, as well as trade union organizations and private businesses. Meanwhile, the development of businesses annually provides thousands of people with seasonal and permanent jobs. A growing number of companies in the market expand the range of services, their diversity and quality.
GROUNDS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS
The infrastructure of urban and rural areas is improving across the country. They are getting more attuned for the harmonious combination of all living conditions, work and leisure.
The initiative of construction of modern playgrounds in residential areas is worth of special notion along with gardening programs in settlements. Under the national program the Year of the Healthy Child they should be built in each residential area. Their construction is in full swing. The best architects have designed several models of children’s facilities. All of them are supposed to be made of domestically produced materials. Some designs envisage the amusement rides made of metal; the others will be made of polymeric materials. Both designs are expected to create excellent conditions for children’s and parents’ recreation.
The interests of adults are taken into account, as well. Regional centers and the remotest settlements follow the capital’s example of construction of modern sports grounds on idle territories. Artificially grassed grounds offer excellent conditions for ball games, table tennis and other sports. Hundreds of such grounds have been built over the past two or three years, none of them is idle. They are full of local residents, big and small, especially in the evening time, pleasing the eye. It is an old truth that a physically active lifestyle is a guarantee of health and longevity.
Implementation of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers on approving the program of measures on strengthening the logistical capacity of recreation parks and their further development for 2011-2015 is underway. According to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the program envisages renovation and rehabilitation of 225 recreation parks across the country. In three years of the program the situation has drastically changed in 125 parks of the republic. The renovation of another 44 ‘green zones’ is underway this year.
The capital with its 16 recreation parks has turned into the largest construction site with more than 70 kinds of equipment. Regions may be proud of scaled construction as well. A new park is being built in Nukus. The reconstruction is underway in Orzu Park in Uchquduq district of Navoi region and in the National Park of Nurota district of Samarqand region. There are construction works in the municipal recreation park along the Shovot Canal in the regional center of Khorazm region. The amusement park in Beruniy district of Karakalpakstan was supplied with 23 new amusement rides and gaming facilities. Besides, now it has an area for catamaran walks. More than 3.5 billion soums was allocated to supply a park in Urgut district of Samarqand region with new amusement rides and children’s games. The metropolitan Locomotive Park ranks the country’s most advanced from the technical point of view: it offers more than thirty modern amusement rides.
One can hardly overestimate the outcomes of the national program on service development. Shopping and entertainment centers, public services, repair shops, cafes and restaurants in almost every residential area facilitate the household work and create conditions for high level leisure. (Currency rates of CB from 08.07.2014 1$= 2320.16 soums)
SPECIAL INTEREST RECREATION
Children’s leisure and health improvement is assigned a special part. Quality and effectiveness of organization of the summer recreation is improving with the years. A total of 36 billion soums has been allocated for recreation and rehabilitation of children this year. According to the press service of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, primary trade union organizations provide employees of various sectors and their family members with subsidized vacation passes to recreation zones and health resorts, children’s health improvement camps.
214 permanent camps operate in the mountains and picturesque places. Their total number is growing, the logistical capacity and leisure content is improving from year to year. The annual government’s target programs allocate funds for construction, overhaul and reconstruction of existing camps. For instance, a children’s health improvement camp Ishonch was commissioned a month ago in Navoi region. The Federation of Trade Unions allocated three billion soums for its construction and equipping. The Federation is currently building the Norin summer camp in Namangan region and Chorchinor camp in Samarqand region. The Olmaliq Mining and Metallurgical Plant is building a camp in Surkhondaryo region.
20 camps strengthened their logistical capacity last year. Construction and repair work have been carried out in 43 camps in 2014.
High technology re-equipping is the focus of improvement of children’s health camps. Pools with up-to-date filtration and water heating systems have been a tendency of the last two or three years. There are special playgrounds with modern tools and rides.
The organizers focus on children’s leisure, making sure that each child can choose a summer vacation to his interests. That is why the number stationary-based specialized camps has doubled this year: 14 ecological and biological camps, 14 engineering camps, and 14 new camps of artistic creativity. The campers learn the secrets of various kinds of fine arts, there are dance, theater and other clubs. 15 intellectual development camps are designed for those who have shown the best results in the traditional school competition Bilimlar Bellashuvi (A Competition of Knowledge). The Council of Federation of Trade Unions has granted 520 young intellectuals, the winners of the competition, with free passes to the intellectual development camp Quyoshli. Young wits are guided by the leading university professors and researchers. This means that every day is filled with interesting and exciting events and competitions. In such camps children can deepen their knowledge in almost all fundamental branches of knowledge.
It is noteworthy that in the Year of the Healthy Child the Federation of Trade Unions has increased the number of special vacation passes ‘Mother and Child’, which enable parents to recreate and improve their health together with their children in the country’s best health resorts.
Students of vocational colleges and academic lyceums are offered specialized labor and recreation camps. This year their number has reached 132. Young people can harmoniously mix business with pleasure through recreation and practical training.
School summer camps have become a good tradition. 739 such camps have been organized this year. This is a great opportunity of eventful and interesting leisure for children at the place of residence. In the camps, they can enjoy rich cultural and educational programs, including hobby study groups, contests and competitions.
RESORTS TO ANY TASTE
Picturesque ponds and mountains of Uzbekistan are part of unique natural climatic zones for a high level health improvement. More than a hundred of resorts and recreation areas are known and popular far beyond the republic, including the resorts of the trade union system. They broadly use natural factors for the rehabilitation and treatment of vacationers. The majority of spa facilities are based on mineral springs. Their counterparts are offered at the top resorts of Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria and other countries. The mud cure has become very popular: the healing clay is delivered from the Baliqchi Lake of Jizzakh region.
There are unique salt caves in the south, which gave rise to health resorts offering speleotherapy and sand baths. It is worth noting that the speleotherapy is now more affordable. Buston, Hanka, Qashqadaryo Sohili and Oltinsoy, the largest health resorts of the trade union system, offer halochambers , the conditions of which are similar to those in the salt caves. They are based on the salt of Surkhondaryo caves that facilitates the treatment of many chronic respiratory diseases.
The network of health resorts is constantly expanding. The Federation of Trade Unions, organizations and enterprises are actively building new resorts for their employees. There are private investors too.
Creating new recreational facilities, their developers strive to optimally meet the demand in various kinds of recreation. For instance, the largest network of health resorts under the Federation of Trade Union has been replenished this year with two recreation zones designed primarily for family and corporate vacations. The recreation zone Ahmad Al-Fargoni is located in the Arsiv village of Quvasoy district in Farghona region, at an altitude of 600 m above sea level, the average temperature in the winter is +1 – -27 ° C, in summer time – +27 – +42 ° C . A beautiful landscape with green gardens, flower beds, pure air and plenty of sunlight attract tourists and effectively elevate people’s mood. The recreation zone Oqtosh-Shaboda is located in Bostonliq district of Tashkent region 60 km away from the capital. The area is surrounded by mountain slopes with broadleaf forests. There is the Chorvoq reservoir, the Chirchiq River, Oqtosh and Ayubsoy areas that hydroionize the air. The microclimate is favorable for treatment of non-specific respiratory diseases.
Today, administrations of recreation facilities prioritize the improvement of conditions of recreation. For example, as of 2014, children’s rooms and playgrounds have been launched in all 15 sanatoriums of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan. While moms and dads get medical treatment, kids are supervised by professional educators. There are many soft toys and games, children’s books, the conditions for drawing and other classes.
The level and quality of rehabilitation and service in recreation zones have been gradually improving. Many health resorts have reconstructed and overhauled treatment and living buildings of late.
Therapeutic equipment is being updated and expanded. Of late, many resorts have acquired modern computer-controlled stretchers for treating many spine diseases. Obsolete equipment for physical therapy and diagnosis is replaced with up-to-date devices.
Everyone wishes a bit of exotics during the vacation. The administration of domestic resorts takes this fact into account. Today, they actively introduce modern methods of rehabilitation that are popular abroad. Many resorts are currently introducing a Nordic method, also called a Scandinavian, Finnish, or North method. At first glance, this is a common medical walk on a certain route. It is unusual for ski poles, which should be used as if skiing. The exercise strengthens the upper and lower tone muscles, burn more calories, and treats diseases of joints.
(Source: “Uzbekistan Today” newspaper)
Education
Which University to Choose
Currently, university applicants have an opportunity to take entrance exams not only in English, German and French but also in any other language they want. As for those entering graduate courses, they have to pass another, the fourth exam, which will prove whether they have talents for research and educational activities.
The local mass media reports that this year, according to the President’s decree ‘On admission in universities of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2014/2014’ the quota for graduate courses has included another 1,300 applicants, and the quota for undergraduate courses has been reduced to exclude the same amount. Universities are to admit 57,907 to undergraduate courses and 5,000 to graduate courses. The quotas were set by the Program on Modernization Physical Infrastructure of Universities and Improvement of Specialist Training Quality in 2011-2016. In accordance to the Program, the quotas for engineering and natural scientific schools as well as linguistic courses were increased because of sharply rising demand for certain specialists. At the same time the quotas for some other courses have been reduced due to the redundancies.
A correspondent of Uzbekistan Today discussed new courses and specialization areas and other news with Marat Zakirov, head of Information Department of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education.
“There are not many new undergraduate courses. We have already done a lot on development of new areas of education considering vital needs of economic sectors and world standards. Major modifications are connected with definitions. For instance, agricultural universities have trained experts on management and administration of farm businesses before, but since this year specialists on agriculture have been trained. Not only farm businesses need managers, but also other organizations and units of agrarian sector lack for such specialists. List of graduate courses was renewed crucially. Naming of specializations was correlated with the naming of specializations at institutes of senior fellow-seekers determined by Higher Attestation Commission. Such modifications were carried out in accordance with the latest governmental regulations.”
Admission system at undergraduate courses has been renewed. The list of entrance examinations subjects was revised. Now mathematics section includes questions on informatics and information technologies. Entrants can take linguistic exam in any language but they only have to indicate this in the entrant’s application. The only requirement for using this opportunity is that an entrant should have his or her language listed in the diploma of secondary specialized education. Entrants take ordinary test-based exams in English, French and German languages and special (creative) exam in other languages. This new measure concerns universities, in which students learn Korean, Japanese, Arabic and other languages as major languages.
Amount of entrance exams for graduate courses also has changed. The number of admission exams has been increased. The fourth additional exam is to determine whether an entrant has talent for scientific and educational activities. He or she must answer examination questions both in writing and orally. Scientific publications and documents for copyright and intellectual property right are taken into consideration. In this case entrants have to answer additional questions concerning the research. Passing grade system refers only to the subject of specialization. If a student gets less than 55 points on the subject of specialization, then he or she will not be able to proceed further. These steps are taken to improve the quality of staff training for a certain sphere, scientific and pedagogic activities.
(Source: “Uzbekistan Today” newspaper)