President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on improving the remuneration system for employees of higher educational and research institutions.

         On September 1, 2018, the wages of employees of higher educational and research institutions will increase by an average of 25%. This is stipulated by the decree of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev of April 5 "on measures to improve the system of remuneration of employees of higher educational and research institutions of the Republic".

The official commentary to the document recognizes that the scientific and pedagogical potential of universities and research institutions of Uzbekistan is at a low level. The share of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel of the highest qualification having a scientific rank and a scientific degree steadily decreases.

The main reason is the decrease in the material interest of researchers and teaching staff in obtaining academic degrees and titles over the past years, since the difference between interns (without academic rank and degree) and professors-the main research associates (with academic degree and title) is not more than 50%.

Since September 1, 2018, it is planned to increase the basic salaries of the teaching staff of 81 universities and research employees of 136 research institutes (217 institutions in total): a total of over 38,000 employees of higher educational (28.1 thousand people) and research (8000 people) institutions, as well as 1,900 doctoral students.

The increase in the base salaries will be differentiated, where the priority granted to the employees having scientific degrees and titles. On average, the growth of base salaries will be 25% (from 5% for interns to 38% for professors and senior researchers of research institutes).

Differentiation involves the increasing of the sizes of base salaries depending on position, academic degrees and academic title. The increase in the difference between the base salaries of the trainee and the Professor (or the chief researcher) up to two times is envisaged. It is expected that this will serve as a real incentive for continuous improvement of knowledge and professional skills, as well as conducting scientific activities of the teaching staff of universities and research institutes.

It is planned to allocate nearly 73.8 billion soums (38.4 billion-the state budget), of which 60.3 billion soums - for universities (24.9 billion - the state budget), 11.3 billion soums - for research institutes, and 2.2 billion soums for institutions of postgraduate education to increase the size of basic salaries for September - December. The monthly additional amount of labor costs for employees of higher educational and research institutions is 18.4 billion soums, including 9.6 billion soums from the state budget.

Resolution note that the 1923 persons studying in institutions of postgraduate education, will be paid stipend increased (by 17-18%), equivalent to basic sizes of an official salary of Junior researchers without scientific degree or title - 1.76 million soums (basic doctoral studies, 1669), and also to the base sizes of the salary of the lead researcher with a scientific degree of candidate of science or the title of 2.2 million soums (PhD, 254 persons).

The resolution of the wage of the Professor, with the degree of doctor of science increased by 38-44% and will reach 3.46 million soums instead of the current 2.5 million soums, and the difference with the salary of the teacher-trainee is increased two times (the salary of the Intern 1.73 million soums).

In research institutions, the salary of the chief researcher, who has a PhD degree and the academic rank of Professor, is increased by 38% and will be 3.11 million soums instead of 2.25 million soums, the difference with the salary of the trainee researcher is also doubled (the salary of the trainee-1.55 million soums).