Collection of Poems by Uzbek Poetess Published in India
  The collection of poems "My Heart is Weeping" by Uzbek poetess Uktamoy, was published in India in two languages. It was translated by Qosim Ma'murov into English, and by Swarnjit Savi into Hindi. It is dedicated to Taj Mahal. While reading her poems one feels as if watching portraits of nature, its landscapes as like living beings always in action and movement. They inspire readers to penetrate into the world of nature and human spirit, understand their close connections and see that there is always compensation in life.
  Uktamoy makes use of abstract expressions to give concrete forms to her feelings. She shows unknown features of well-known things. She depicts diverse feelings of people in her poems. Her imagery is captivating and the symbols she uses are emotive.
  Her poems indicate "the mild mutiny of the anxious heart". To know a human being, to notice his feelings, to feel deeply mutiny in his spirituality is a very difficult process. A real creator takes responsibility for describing very complicated and unclear feelings so that they have an impact on other people's feelings.
(May 2009, Gulchehra Sagdullayeva)

Conference Dedicated to Alisher Navoi's Birthday
  At the Institute of Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, under the Academy of Science of Uzbekistan, a traditional scientific conference was held, which was dedicated to learning about the literary and scientific legacy of a great poet and thinker. The conference was organised with the cooperation of the writer's union of Uzbekistan and scientists, writers, poets, artists, young researchers, students and lovers of classical literature took part.
  With the initiative of Islam Karimov since the first year of independence, great attention has been paid to learn about the rich spiritual legacy of a great thinker. The full collection of the works of Navoi in 20 volumes has been published. In his works he wrote about peace, consent, tolerance and creativity.
  The speakers at the event said the works of Navoi were not only the treasure of the Uzbek people, but of the whole of mankind. They have been translated into many languages. Monuments to Navoi were erected in different countries. It became a good tradition to celebrate Alisher Navoi's birthday.
  At the conference there were talks and discussions devoted to the folk creativity of the great poet. His role and meaning in the developing world and Uzbek literature were discussed with great interest. In the framework of this event an exhibition of Alisher Navoi's works was organized, including those published in our country and foreign countries and also new publications on Navoi studies.
(February 2009, Gulchehra Sagdullayeva, ABD correspondent)

12th annual Uzbekistan Teachers of English Association Conference Held
  One of the biggest achievements of UzTEA （Uzbekistan Teachers of English Association）, the 12th annual UzTEA conference, was held in Tashkent on 28 and 29 November 2008. The conference was totally devoted to the theme of Professional Development Opportunities for ELT teachers. One of the main goals of this event is to help English teachers enhance their knowledge of Continuous Professional Development, which is the key to professionalism.
  The association is widely recognised by all country educational institutions. UzTEA was set up twelve years ago and all these years it has worked on developing, linking and supporting English Language teaching professionals in Uzbekistan.
  This time Uzbekistan was pleased to greet professional ELT teachers from the UK, the USA, Canada, Nepal, Bangladesh, Iran and Kazakhstan, who also participated in the conference. In plenary sessions experts on English language teaching such as Sue Leather, Canada ("ETTE: Professional Development for Rural Teachers of English"), Andrew Hockley, UK ("A Framework for Reflection"), George Pickering, UK ("How do you motivate yourself and others?"), Jeremy Jacobson, British Council in Uzbekistan ("English Language Global Products"), Dennis Johnson, the USA ("Encouraging Creativity through Materials Development") and other representatives of above-mentioned countries, made their presentations on actual and interesting topics.
  In addition, this conference always enables English teachers from all parts of Uzbekistan to exchange experiences and new ideas in teaching our younger generation. So, one could enjoy lots of workshops which were made in different sections of the venue. Here are the titles of some of them:
  ･Reflection as Professional Development
  ･Principles of Language Testing
  ･Independent Study Skills
  ･We as teachers can all only "facilitate" the learning process
  ･Teaching English through Communicative Activities
  ･Sh! Sh! Stop the Noise (Classroom English in practice)
  ･Do you like to be observed by your colleagues?
  ･Assessment for the new PRESETT curriculum
  This conference gave a chance for the initiators of new projects such as PRESETT (Pre-Service Teacher Training) and ETTE (English for Teaching: Teaching for English) to introduce their aims and share their plans for the future with others as well. At the end of the conference a traditional prize-giving ceremony for the winners of the Teaching Excellence Award Competition was held and the participants of the DUET (Development for Uzbekistan English Teachers) programme were given their certificates.
（February 2009, Gulchehra Sagdullaeva, ABD correspondent）

Oltin Kalam Awards Go to the Best Mass Media
  A solemn awarding ceremony of the third National Award "Oltin Kalam" was held in the Metropolitan Palace "Turkiston". At this annual event, devoted to the World Press Freedom Day, the best representatives of the mass media received diplomas, plaques and money prizes.
  The main initiators of the Award are the Creative Journalist Association and International Journalist Retraining Center. The goal of the contest is the popularisation of achievements of national and international journalism, display of high civil position of journalists, formation of critical thinking and new journalism approaches. The prestige and popularity of the contest grows each year.
  According to the Organisers' Committee, compared with 2006 when 136 journalists competed for Oltin Kalam and the number of works amounted to 1669, this year 557 journalists presented more than seven thousand works of much better quality. Along with domestic journalists their colleagues from Russia, Azerbaijan, OAE, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and other countries participated in the contest.
  As Sherzod Gulyamov, chairman of the Creative Journalist Association noted, the distinction of the current contest was these additions to the list of nominations - "For the best material devoted to Year of Youth" and "For the best journalist material on spiritual-enlightened matter".
  During the years of independence Uzbekistan has implemented fundamental reforms in the mass media, guaranteeing them freedom of activity which plays a huge role in the democratic renovation of the society and protection of the interests of the citizens. Now about one thousand instruments of mass media function in the territory of Uzbekistan, including around hundred television and radio broadcasting companies, roughly seven hundred newspapers, more than two hundred magazines, four information agencies and plenty of Internet-editions. Today the mass media has the task of further adopting democratic principles in its work. They are determined in the report of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov at the joint meeting of both the Chambers. Within the frameworks of implementation the legal base is created for development of the non-governmental mass media, which have become one of important factors of the country's democratisation. Government officials are doing their utmost to guarantee their independent activity, consolidate material and technical base, enhance the professional competence of journalists and technical specialists, and give them all-round support and stimulation. Special attention is paid to adoption of information transference, accelerated development of internet-journalism and satisfying the information needs of the population.
  The main National Award of this year was given to Television and Radio Channel "O'zbekiston" and its director Hurshid Davron for wide coverage of the process of modernisation and renovation of the country, and important socio-political and socio-economic events happening in the republic.
  Totally, the Oltin Kalam Awards were given in four nominations with three places in each, and 14 honourable mention prizes. Moreover, within the frameworks of the contest, the representatives of international organisations operating in Uzbekistan gave special prizes. Several journalists received diplomas and gifts from representative offices of the UNESCO, UN, and World Bank organisations.
(May 2008, Gulchekhra Sagdullaeva, APPREB correspondent)

Collection of Oriental Manuscripts
  There are more than 45, 000 volumes of oriental manuscripts in Uzbek, Arabic, Persian and other languages at the Beruni Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The content of the manuscripts covers almost all fields of science and culture known in the East. The Academy's collection of manuscripts is a remarkable phenomenon and in terms of its content and size is comparable with such famous collections as those in the British Museum, the Bodleian Library at Oxford University and the India Office Library at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
  The collection forms a major basis for the study of the history, science, literature and fine arts created by the people of Central Asia and neighbouring countries of the East.
  The core of the present collection of oriental manuscripts at the Institute of Oriental Studies was formed in 1864 when the Tashkent Public Library was established. Later it greatly enriched the collection of ancient literary work of the thinkers, scholars and writers of the East. The collection of the oriental department of the Alisher Navoi State Public Library, grew with the addition of manuscripts from the Abu Ali ibn Sino Library in Samarkand in Bukhara Region, Khorezm Regional Museum, and the private collections of V. Vyatkin, Sadri Ziya Mahdum and others.
(April 2008, Gulchekhra Sagdullaeva, APPREB correspondent)

Traces of the Sacred Avesta
  The sacred book of the fire-worshippers, "Avesta", and Zarathustra, as one of its founders, have stirred mankind for several thousands of years. The fundamental ideas of these sacred writings appear to be a specific stage in the development and further perfection of world spirituality and morals.
  Tohir Karim, scientist and philosopher, has gathered interesting information, legends and traditions on the sacred Avesta as a vivid and striking illustration of mankind history.
  The book is about history of the Avesta sacred writings, their origin and importance as a unique and major historical document revealing the ancient character of our statehood, national culture and spirituality.
(April 2008, Gulchekhra Sagdullaeva, APPREB correspondent)