On February 16, 2026, the fifth seminar for leaders in the tourism and cultural heritage sector was organized at the university. The event featured a presentation by Jahongir Matqarimov, Head of the Education Department of the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, on the topic “Tourism sector activities in 2023–2025 and future directions for transitioning the industry to a project management system.”

In his presentation, Jahongir Matqarimov подробно highlighted the achievements, key indicators, and measures implemented to develop tourism in Uzbekistan during 2023–2025. He also discussed the strategic directions, main tasks, and mechanisms for transforming the country’s tourism sector into a project-based management system. The speaker additionally presented future plans aimed at ensuring high-quality and sustainable development of tourism in Uzbekistan.

The presentation generated strong interest among participants and led to an active question-and-answer session. During the seminar, Jahongir Matqarimov held in-depth discussions with professors, teachers, and students on topical issues such as the development of Silk Road tourism, the formation of project-based management systems in tourism, and the integration of industry, science, and education in tourism training. He also provided detailed responses to participants’ questions.

The seminar was moderated by Vice-Rector Professor Toni Zou and supported by the UNESCO Chair “Sustainable Cultural Heritage Tourism along the Silk Road” and the scientific journal Journal of Silk Road Tourism Studies. The event contributed to strengthening academic and practical cooperation in tourism and cultural heritage across Silk Road countries and generated new ideas for improving regional tourism development and professional training.