How was this accomplished?

In the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On additional measures for further improvement of Samarkand State University activity” the task on implementation of the program of transformation and complex development of the university and its inclusion in the top 1000 rating of higher education institutions of internationally recognized organizations until 2026 was set, for this purpose the office of transformation was created. The staff of the office closely cooperate with internationally recognized organizations, in particular, with such rating agencies as Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Times Nearer Education. As a result of such cooperation, Samarkand State University named after Sharof Rashidov was one of the first in Uzbekistan to receive a 5-star QS Stars rating and joined the ranks of the world's most rated universities.

QS Stars was launched in 2009 by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), one of the world's three largest ranking agencies that rate higher education institutions worldwide, in 2009 for universities to promote their strengths, identify weaknesses and was created to help them improve.

QS Stars rates universities from one to five stars based on their performance in at least 8 of the following 13 categories. These include: quality of education, employability of graduates, research, internationalization, academic development, accessibility, online learning, innovation, arts and culture, inclusivity, social responsibility, environmental impact and criteria for chosen specialization.

QS Stars can be described as a unique audit in the education sector. Instead of comparing universities against each other, as in international rankings, universities are assessed based on their performance in areas of importance to students and partners. In doing so, universities are given an overall QS Stars rating and a separate rating for each category after being assessed using a wider range of data than the rankings. This means that each institution has the potential to achieve the highest QS Stars ranking and highlights the strengths of each institution beyond traditional metrics.

The main purpose of the rating system is to provide prospective students with an additional tool for choosing a HEI and to provide more detailed information about individual HEIs.

Data for the assessment is mainly obtained from the following sources: surveys conducted among employers, students and alumni, data provided by the HEI (at that, the provided data should be, as far as possible, verifiable from open sources), scientific database Scopus.

QS Company started the review of Samarkand State University on November 1, 2023, and the results were announced on May 13, 2024. Data on 8 areas of activity and more than 50 indicators were analyzed in detail. According to the company's data, Samarkand State University was one of the first in Uzbekistan to receive a 5-star QS Stars rating and was among the most rated universities in the world. The university scored 780 points out of a possible maximum of 1,000 points on participating indicators (700 points is the minimum for a 5-star university).

If we analyze the university's performance in each area of activity, we can see that our university is recognized as a 5-star university in almost all aspects.

In the category of education quality, the maximum score was given to 3 out of 4 available indicators, including the level of students' satisfaction with the quality of education, the level of students' satisfaction with the conditions created in the university, and the indicators of graduates' continuation of education at subsequent stages.

The second important indicator is the employability of graduates, which depends on the level of their readiness for work - their ability to work effectively in a multicultural team, make presentations, manage people and projects. Here we take into account the reputation of the university among employers, the level of employment of graduates and the activity of the graduate career support service. In this regard, our university has achieved the 5-star status with 100% results in 2 out of 3 indicators.

In the following years, we can say that SamSU turned into a real field of creativity. Several new academic buildings, student dormitories and sports facilities were built at the university. It should be noted that a new lecture hall, greenhouse, vivarium, scientific laboratory of molecular biotechnology and modern botanical research were created at the Institute of Biochemistry. Some laboratory equipment is lacking not only in Uzbekistan but also in other Central Asian countries. This was also recognized by the QS rating agency.

In the category of the selected field of study for assessment, the field of physics was chosen. In 2022, the Institute of Engineering Physics was opened on the basis of the Faculty of Physics of Samarkand State University. There are 6 departments in the institute and the scientific potential is 74 percent. There are 1 academician, 17 doctors of sciences, professors, 35 candidates of sciences, associate professors, 16 senior lecturers, associate professors and 10 foreign professors-teachers working in these departments. Research is carried out in 22 teaching and 5 research laboratories: materials science; molecular spectroscopy; molecular luminescence; quantum electronics and nonlinear optics. As a result of 15.8 applicants applied for each physics admission place, 94% of students graduate on time, 94.1% of students are satisfied with the quality of education, this major also received 5 stars.

Another important indicator of the rating is social responsibility. The fact that 79 percent of SamSU students are from Samarkand serves to develop the region's human capital. In addition, 17 hectares of gardens have been planted in Nurabad and Kushrabad districts at SamSU's initiative.

In conclusion, the QS Stars rating system helps universities attract international students in certain priority areas of study. Based on the rankings, students can take the right decision to realize their dreams. Because university ranking gives a complete picture of its various quantitative and qualitative aspects. Thousands of applicants and parents visit www.topuniversities.com to revise their decisions and future plans based on the information available on the portal.

QS Stars supports student recruitment by displaying information on universities with a 5-star rating. Accreditation of a university's educational quality by an internationally trusted organization such as QS allows it to develop its own brand and offer academic programs that meet the needs of the market. This helps to improve the quality of graduates and make them employable professionals.

Our cooperation with international educational organizations, global higher education institutions and research institutes will be strengthened, accelerated and raised to a new level.

Bekzod Faiziev,
Chief Specialist,
Office of Transformation,​
Associate Professor,
Samarkand State University.