Will the employees of 13 universities transferring to the system of the Ministry of Preschool and School Education be laid off?

As is known, by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated April 28, 2025 No. UP-73 "On Measures for Further Improvement of the System of Training Pedagogical Personnel," 13 higher educational institutions are being transferred to the Ministry of Preschool and School Education.

The founder of the "Yuristkadr" project, lawyer Saydali Mukhtoraliyev, explained the fate of university employees based on labor legislation.

The current situation is the "change of departmental affiliation (subordination) of the organization" in part four of Article 156 of the Labor Code.

According to this, a change in the departmental subordination of the organization is not a basis for termination of labor relations with employees. Labor relations continue for all employees and even management.

Some may interpret the current situation as a "change in the owner of the organization" and believe that, based on part two of Article 156 and paragraph 1 of part one of Article 489 of the Labor Code, "if the owner of the organization changes, the head, his deputies, and chief accountants can be freely dismissed."

But this is a completely wrong idea. The transfer of 13 universities to the Ministry of Preschool and School Education is not considered a change of ownership of these organizations. Because all these universities are state organizations, and their owner here is the state itself. Despite the transfer to another ministry, the state as the owner has not changed. A change of ownership can only occur if these universities are privatized and acquired by private owners.

Now, however, the subordination of universities is simply changing, and in this situation, everyone from ordinary employees to rectors and vice-rectors will continue their work.

It should be recalled that the National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan named after Nizami was established on the basis of the Tashkent State Pedagogical University named after Nizami, and it was determined that the University, as a leading higher educational institution for training pedagogical personnel, will coordinate the processes of transforming educational programs based on international experience.

Also, the position of Deputy Minister of Preschool and School Education for the Development of Pedagogical Education - Rector of the National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan named after Nizami has been introduced.