2025 — The Year of the Big Turn: From a School Desk to the Global IT Stage

The most important turning points in our lives sometimes begin in the most ordinary moments. It was January of last year. Sitting in a classroom, I was asking myself that difficult question everyone knows: "State university or private?" It was in the middle of that hesitation that I heard about the grant programme at PDP University — and it changed the trajectory of my entire year.

A field decided by skills, not by grades

Imagine this: to get into university you did not have to memorise five arbitrary subjects, but to sit a programming exam (C++) directly. That suited me perfectly, because at the time I was working seriously on C++ in the "Al-Khwarizmi Successors" project run under the Ministry of Digital Technologies.

In May I finished secondary school. A curious detail: a single grade of "4" on my certificate cost me the honours diploma. But honestly, who cares about that today? I had already convinced myself that real skills always outrank marks on paper.

At the same time, on 5 June, I had the honour of becoming one of the first graduates of the "Al-Khwarizmi Successors" project. Accepting the ministry's official certificate at a ceremony called "The Flight of the Successors", I looked back and felt just how much I had grown over that year — in programming and in English alike.

Tashkent: the real test and a new stage

June passed in graduation parties and excitement. Then came the decisive moment — I travelled to Tashkent for the PDP exam. The pressure inside me was hard to put into words, but the work paid off: I won an almost 100% grant. It was an enormous relief and joy, as if a mountain had been lifted off my shoulders.

After a short break in August, September turned my life onto a completely different course. Moving to Tashkent, the atmosphere at university, the people around me — all of it was even better than I had expected. In the very first week I took part in Zakovat intellectual games and startup sessions, made new friends and dived headfirst into student life.

From student life to the IT community

I did not come to university merely to attend lectures. I joined the IT Community of Uzbekistan and through it began working with the IT Park team. As a result I worked as a volunteer and organising-team member at major international events — ICTWeek Uzbekistan 2025, the President Tech Award and Web Summit Spotlight Uzbekistan.

Web Summit in particular was an enormous school for me in international networking and in understanding how the startup and venture capital ecosystem actually works. In return for that relentless work we received special certificates and commemorative gifts, but the most important thing was the priceless experience and the valuable connections. Incidentally, this year I also turned serious attention to LinkedIn and managed to build more than 3000 professional connections.

Next stop — 2026

Sitting here at the end of December and looking back, my heart is full of nothing but gratitude. 2025 was rich in unforgettable moments, new milestones and sharp turns. And this is still only the beginning.

I promise to be even more active next year and to take on even higher milestones. Let's break through 2026 together! 🚀