My First Ever Journey and Glimpse at the Corporate Financial World of Uzbekistan

By Shakhzod Usmanov

When I sit in the middle of Tashkent’s corporate offices, I sometimes feel like I’m in two worlds at once. Outside, the city moves with its usual rhythm — the crowded streets, the smell of fresh bread from bakeries, the sound of people chatting in the bazaars. But inside those tall glass buildings, something different is happening. People talk about investments, reforms, and opportunities that didn’t exist just a few years ago.

This summer, I had the chance to spend three weeks on a hybrid internship at the representative office of an international company in Tashkent. Half of my time was remote, and half of it was spent physically in the office — stepping through those glass doors, sitting at a desk, and watching professionals from Uzbekistan and abroad discuss strategies that could shape entire markets.

That experience completely changed the way I look at the subject I chose to study. Economics and entrepreneurship had always been something I explored in books, models, and conferences. But here, in the flow of real business meetings, I saw theory come alive: investment strategies being tested, negotiations unfolding, and decisions being made that would directly affect how companies entered and grew in Uzbekistan.

I realized something important: global business is not only in London or New York. It is happening right here, in Tashkent. I saw young Uzbek professionals — some not much older than me — speaking confidently with foreign investors, pitching ideas, and shaping the future of our economy.

What excites me most is not just the money or the projects, but the new sense of confidence in the air. Uzbekistan is learning to trust itself more — to open up, to take risks, and to invite the world in. And being part of this moment, even as an intern observing from the sidelines, made me feel connected to that larger story.

For me, these weeks were not only about business. They were about people — people with hope, people who believe in a future where Uzbekistan is seen as a place of ideas, innovation, and opportunity. Witnessing that change didn’t just give me a glimpse of the corporate world; it gave me clarity about my own path, and a stronger desire to play my part in the transformation of my country.