On the second day of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, a panel session entitled "Smart Investment: Supporting Talented Youth" was held.

The main topic of discussion was investing in young and promising people, who are the driving force of society and are able to meet the challenges of the future. Participants of the session discussed issues of incentives for investors, creating an effective system to support young talents, mutually beneficial cooperation between the real economy and young people, and in which sectors of the economy this cooperation is most needed.

The session was moderated by Jason M. Chung, US Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank. Speakers included Dilnozakhon Kattakhanova, Deputy Director of the Youth Affairs Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Muzaffar Jalolov, Rector of Inha University in Tashkent; Zokhri Idris, Managing Partner of Global Asia Consulting; and Alex Dolinskiy, Founder and Head of University Relations of Coursalytics.

Dilnozakhon Kattakhanova, deputy director of the Youth Affairs Agency, said talented and creative young people are a key factor in the growth and development of any society, nation or state. She noted that Uzbekistan has made every effort to give young people more chances and opportunities to prove themselves and unlock their potential. For this purpose, a legal framework has been established and a large number of regulations have been adopted for social protection and employment of vulnerable people.

Also, Dilnozakhon Kattakhanova stressed that Uzbekistan has adopted numerous documents in recent years to promote youth development and create favorable conditions for their growth. In addition, she spoke about a unique platform:

- We have created an electronic platform that reaches out to young people aged 14 to 30. It helps to reflect the problems and challenges facing young people in Uzbekistan. This information is collected on the platform from two main sources: information collected by youth leaders and the integration of 27 types of databases on young people held by government agencies. This system helps to work with young people on an individual basis so that we can focus on addressing the problems and needs of the country's young population," said Dilnozakhon Kattakhanova.

The number of higher education institutions in the country has tripled in the last 6 years. And because of this, enrolment in higher education has increased from 9% in 2016 to 38% today. Government agencies are trying to get as many girls into the process as possible because this is one of the solutions to the gender balance in the country. Starting this year, all girls and women can study for a Master's degree on a state-financed basis. Tens of thousands of girls are already studying in higher education today. And this is one of the main positive results of the ongoing reforms, the speakers of the event noted.

In his speech, Zokhri Idris stressed the importance of investing in the young and talented people of Uzbekistan and Central Asia. He cited statistics that showed that youth are the driving force behind the country's economic development.

Investing in talented young people not only supports scientific and technological progress but also creates a more favorable economic environment for the rapid growth of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Alex Dolinskiy, founder and head of university relations at Coursalytics, gave a detailed presentation on educational accessibility. He noted that while only a few decades ago there was a tendency towards compulsory higher education, today education is available, for example, on free courses that might interest young people. There is a development in personalized education for everyone. There are many educational platforms where young people can find relevant and useful information.

Speakers noted that all initiatives of students, school pupils, and course participants should be motivated and encouraged and the education system itself should be made flexible. Investments in competitions on, for example, artificial intelligence are also welcome, because if monetary compensation works in return, students' inventions will work and bring real benefits to the country.