Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 11 May, the Fund Forum is due to unveil the results of the Pedagogical Grants Programme at Tashkent’s Centre of National Arts. Gulnara Karimova, the author of the project and Chairperson of the Fund Forum’s Board of Trustees, will award fifty winners of the grants programme. The award ceremony will be held as part of the gala show of Bolajonlar-shirintoylar (Candy kids) Festival of Children’s Fashion, which is held annually by the Fund Forum, Osiyo ramzi (Symbol of the East) Association of Fashion Designers with assistance from the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialised Education of Uzbekistan.

The project aimed at supporting the education system personnel and helping boost their professional skills has drawn considerable interest from potential participants: school teachers, instructors at academic lyceums, colleges and higher educational institutions, as well as research officers, representatives of senior teaching staff, heads of schools, colleges, deans, pro-rectors, and showed the social significance of the programme.

Since 2006, roughly 1,400 teaching staff have participated in the project, with over 150 emerging as winners. The cost of contracts disbursed has reached 200 million Soums. This year application deadline was extended to 1 February 2010. The innovative ideas and projects were then considered by the Programme Jury consisting of independent experts. Of the 1000-odd applications, fifty best ideas and developments have been selected. The authors of these works will be provided with opportunities to bring their ideas to fruition during 2010.

Besides the Pedagogical Grants Programme, the Fund Forum runs two more education projects, Educational Grants Programme and Programme of Scholarships for Gifted Students. The Fund Forum also organizes seminars, training sessions and master classes for young people in collaboration with the British Council, UNESCO and Goethe-Institut. In addition, 100 master’s degree students attend Young Leaders School under Manager Project devised collaboratively with the Social Initiative Support Fund.