Uzbekistan launches new program to promote reading nationwide
At the International Congress Center, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the launch ceremony for a nationwide movement to promote a culture of reading in the country, UzA reported.
Mirziyoyev said that in New Uzbekistan, promoting a culture of reading and elevating the status of books have become matters of state policy. Love for books is regarded not only as an educational issue but also as an important factor shaping the nation’s future, the spiritual strength of the people, and the country’s competitiveness.
Following a resolution adopted earlier this year, a new system was introduced to support the country’s most active readers. The latest national stage of the “Young Book Lover” competition recently concluded, bringing together 42 of the brightest young men and women from across Uzbekistan, who demonstrated their knowledge, talent, and intellectual potential. The three winners received modern cars as gifts from the President.
The President cited the example of the UAE, which launched the Arab Reading Challenge in 2015. The campaign later turned into one of the world’s largest educational movements, reaching more than 200 million readers in a short period.
As part of the close friendship and strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates, it was decided to elevate this noble initiative in Uzbekistan to a new level, drawing on the country’s rich spiritual heritage.
At the ceremony, Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the launch of the National Reading Movement program, supported by a separate resolution providing comprehensive state backing for the initiative.
The final stage of the program will now be held annually at the presidential level. Its total annual prize fund will be $240,000, and the grand prize winner will receive $50,000, the largest award in the history of reading promotion initiatives in Uzbekistan.
The movement will cover all regions of the country, with students in grades 1 through 11.
“I view this program not merely as a book-reading competition but as a strategic investment in the future of our Motherland. If today we place good books in children’s hands, tomorrow they will undoubtedly build the great future of New Uzbekistan”, the Head of State said.
The Uzbek leader called on schoolchildren, teachers, parents, and the broader public to actively join the reading movement.
Earlier, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree “On Measures for the Development of Reading Culture and the Formation of a Reading Nation."