On May 22, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the launch ceremony of a nationwide movement aimed at promoting a culture of reading in Uzbekistan.
Mirziyoyev noted that the world is changing rapidly, with digital technologies, modern gadgets, and artificial intelligence becoming increasingly integrated into everyday life. In such complex conditions, the most important advantage is a person’s ability to think independently.
“A person who reads is distinguished by deep and sound thinking. Such thinking enables a person to change society,” the President said.
He said that in New Uzbekistan, promoting a culture of reading and elevating the status of books have become matters of state policy.
During the ceremony, particular attention was given to international experience in promoting a culture of reading. In particular, the “Arab Reading Challenge,” launched in 2015 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the United Arab Emirates, has become 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 initiative to a new level in Uzbekistan.
To this end, the National Reading Movement program has been launched.
The final stage of the program will now be held annually at the Presidential level. Its total annual prize fund will amount to $240,000, while the grand prize winner will receive $50,000.
The movement will cover all regions of the country, with students from grades 1 through 11 of general education schools eligible to participate.
The President noted that this initiative will contribute to strengthening a culture of reading in schools, families, and society as a whole, as well as fostering a new creative spirit among young people.
“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 the hands of children, then tomorrow they will undoubtedly build the great future of New Uzbekistan,” the Head of State said.
He called on schoolchildren, teachers, parents, and the wider public to take an active part in the nationwide movement.
Photo: president.uz
