Skip to main content

Eurasianet

Main Menu

  • Regions
  • Topics
  • Media
  • About
  • Search
  • Newsletter
  • русский
  • Support us
X

Caucasus

Armenia
Azerbaijan
Georgia

Central Asia

Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan

Conflict Zones

Abkhazia
Nagorno Karabakh
South Ossetia
Transnistria

Eastern Europe

Belarus
Moldova
Russia
The Baltics
Ukraine

Eurasian Fringe

Afghanistan
China
EU
Iran
Mongolia
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
X

Arts and Culture

Economy

Politics

Security

Society

Coronavirus
X

Visual Stories

Audio
Interactive
Video

Blogs

Tamada Tales
The Bug Pit

Podcasts

Expert Opinions
The Central Asianist
X
You can search using keywords to narrow down the list.

Uzbekistan to Students: Shape Up or Ship Out

Paul Bartlett Jan 15, 2012

Conform to "the traditions of national independence ideology," Tashkent has reportedly told students, or get out. Concerned about the lax behavior they see as rampant in Uzbekistan’s universities and colleges, authorities have introduced a new set of moral regulations that, among other things, restrict criticism of teachers and govern what students write about their school online, reports the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR).Failure to adhere to the new 23-page moral code could lead to expulsion. Unsurprisingly, students are unhappy with the “prison-style” rules targeting “gaudy dress” and calling on them to combat "foreign religious and extremist influences." On campus, “rock concerts alien to the national mentality” are also taboo. The code may aim to stifle mockery, as well. Recently several YouTube videos have emerged, appearing to show the impudent children of Uzbekistan’s small but highly privileged elite harassing their instructors. In one video, boys dance and wave dollar bills at their bemused teacher. In a parody of the rampant corruption in the education system, the laughing students attempt to place the money in the teacher's pockets and on his desk. The growth in popularity of social networking websites such as Facebook in Uzbekistan, despite severe Internet censorship and restrictions, appears to be spooking authorities who fear social networks may challenge their hold on power, à la the Arab unrest. In the fall, Uzbekistan introduced Muloqot (Conversation), its closely monitored answer to Facebook, in an attempt to regulate online activity. But this has not dented the allure of foreign networking sites. 

Paul Bartlett is a journalist based in Almaty.

Sign up for Eurasianet's free weekly newsletter. Support Eurasianet: Help keep our journalism open to all, and influenced by none.

Popular

Not all roads lead to Georgia
Giorgi Lomsadze
Post-war report: Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of dragging feet on POWs
Joshua Kucera
Kyrgyzstan: Authorities worry over fuel, food cost rises
Chris Rickleton

Eurasianet

  • About
  • Team
  • Contribute
  • Republishing
  • Privacy Policy
  • Corrections
  • Contact
Eurasianet © 2021