25 January 2022, Osh - Today, the United National Development Programme in the Kyrgyz Republic inaugurated the first IT-Hub in Osh city with support from the Russian Federation. The purpose of the IT hub is to provide a platform for training young people in creative digital professions, including IT fields, which meet the growing high demands of the technological labour market. Representatives of the Ministry of Digitalization, Ministry of Education and Science, representatives of the Russian delegation, Mayor of Osh, representatives of the Osh University of Technology and journalists attended the ceremony. 

IT-Hub Osh is the first new-format digital education hub in the south of the country and will aim to strengthen the education system and apply new educational standards in the field of digital skills to better prepare young people for the fast-changing world and contribute to the creative economy. The activities of the hub will support the nationwide digital transformation programme "Sanarip Kyrgyzstan" launched by the government in 2017 to create a transparent and knowledge-based economy, improve living standards and the business environment.

Ainura Tuyibaeva, representative from the Ministry of Digitalization underlined the importance of the IT-Hub in strengthening the institutional capacity of the formal education system and equipping young people with transferable digital skills. He also expressed hope for the establishment to provide a platform for innovative partnerships with the private sector in supporting initiatives that accelerate the growth of digital jobs and businesses within the country. 

The global economy has gone digital, digital technologies will also trigger new challenges, because they can create inequality, and even make it worse. To bridge the digital divide UNDP supports grassroots entrepreneurship which more effectively deliver local solutions to tackle local challenges. ICT sector has grown to become one of the world's most successful and inspiring ecosystems. It is clear that it is the SMEs who extend the power of new ICT technologies and services to reach local communities everywhere in the world. To some extent, there is no possibility for big companies to succeed if they do not have the support of SMEs.

"Entrepreneurs and SMEs, they are the source of innovative ICT-enabled solutions that make a long-lasting impact in global, regional and national economies. SMEs are an important source of new jobs especially for youth, and they make up more than 90 per cent of all businesses worldwide, provide up to 70% of global employment and represent a 'path out of poverty' for many developing countries, and we need their expertise, innovation and investment to achieve our common goals of sustainable economic and social development,” said Louise Chamberlain, UNDP Resident Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic.  

UNDP partnered with Welcome Public Foundation expected IT-hub to become an active venue for online webinars, business trainings and hybrid events for all interested beneficiaries in the areas of creative economy, including digital skills, competencies and entrepreneurship.  

"Kyrgyzstan has a very large outflow of migrants to Russia, young people who make up the country's strong human capital. The Fergana Valley is a very large area but unfortunately underdeveloped, so it is strategically important for the IT hub to be located in the south of Kyrgyzstan. A creative IT-Hub is not just a place to work, but a space where people can realize their creative potential, communicate and collaborate with others," Daniyar Amanaliev, head of IT-hub.

The establishment of the IT hub was made possible with financial support of the Russian Federation within the UNDP project "Digital skills and employability of youth in the digital economy of the Kyrgyz Republic" and consultancy support from the leading business accelerator Ololo in cooperation with the Agency for Innovation and Technology of the Kyrgyz Republic.