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Uzbekistan¡¯s first dedicated agricultural university outside its capital, the Termez Institute was originally part of the long-established Tashkent State Agricultural University.

The Institute serves the southernmost region of Uzbekistan. It is based in Termez, a city on the Afghan border now home to a considerable number of refugees from Afghanistan.

Agriculture is a significant factor in the Uzbek economy and society, accounting for around a quarter of its economic output and 28 per cent of employment.

The Institute draws on Tashkent State Agricultural University¡¯s traditions, dating back more than 90 years. Other inheritances included Termez¡¯s share in the national Research Centre for Plant Quarantine and a French-backed soil protection service.

A modular credit base was introduced for bachelor¡¯s degrees in 2021. Evening courses and doctoral programmes were started in 2022.

Specialisms include regional soil and climate analysis, the development of profitable and export-oriented crops and resource-saving digital agricultural technology. Priority projects include the development of high-yield disease-resistant crops and advanced training for agricultural specialists.

A World Bank-funded research and innovation centre was launched in 2022, along with project start-ups and demonstration plantings of pomegranates, persimmons, plums, lemons, grapes and other fruits and vegetables capable of two or three harvests annually.

The Institute is controlled by the Uzbek Ministry of Agriculture.