Behruz A’zam: "Companies willing to collaborate with universities and invest in youth are needed in Uzbekistan"

Young talents in the field of information technology continue to inspire with their success stories. Today, we will converse with Bekhruz Azam, a 22-year-old machine learning engineer, whose journey from studying in Russia to working on cutting-edge technological platforms in Israel is both impressive and inspirational.

Regarding study and working abroad

I aspired to pursue my education abroad due to the perceived absence of favorable programs in Uzbekistan at the time. I gained admission to the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and successfully completed my studies there this year. The entrance examinations were comparatively manageable, owing to specific advantages for foreign applicants during the admission process. For citizens of Russia, gaining admission there is significantly more challenging.

Upon completing the university, I decided to relocate to Tel Aviv. The company I was employed with had an office in Israel, and it was precisely my desire to collaborate with colleagues from that region. The company, Nebius, specializes in cloud technologies. My professional pursuits are center around machine learning engineering, involving the development and enhancement of a text translation service catering to various languages.

Due to substantial tax obligations tied to the employment of foreigners, I was able to obtain only a monthly work visa only. Israel imposes substantial taxes on foreign employees, rendering their recruitment economically disadvantageous. Consequently, I find myself engaged in remote work.

About successful projects

During my second year of studies, I began working as a programmer at Kaspersky Lab. While this work did not ignite a particular passion within me, it provided me with valuable experience. Our focus was on hypervisors and product development for them.

Subsequently, I delved deeper into my studies, exploring machine learning and its practical applications. For three months, I undertook an internship at Yandex, this is one of the prime opportunities for a budding student programmer. By the end of my third year, I secured a position at the Huawei Research and Development Laboratory. There, my responsibilities were related to databases.

Furthermore, during my university years, I dedicated myself to crafting my thesis on the topic of "Voice Separation from Mixtures Using Deep Learning Methods." One of the aspects of this work involved the separation of voice signals from various sources. For instance, when multiple individuals speak simultaneously, a person can focus on a specific voice. We conducted experiments to train neural networks to perform analogous tasks.

About the IT sector of Uzbekistan

In fact, IT Park is the brightest star on our IT horizon. Today, Uzbekistan places much greater emphasis on the IT sector, and this is manifested through the opportunities provided to aspiring developers and startups.

For instance, during my school years, I had a passion for competitive programming and represented the country twice at international Olympiads. We attempted to generate interest in these competitions, but it was quite challenging for a school student, given the limitations in scale. Back then, there wasn't such a clear objective to support IT specialists. Now, I observe a specific objective set by IT Park, and it is genuinely inspiring.  It's great that people will be experimenting with various innovations.

I believe that, at the moment, we lack cutting-edge technologies, and perhaps this is quite normal. Maybe we should first dedicate more time to development and the creation of applications, catch up to the global level, and develop our own products. Subsequently, we can proceed to more deeper innovations, such as machine learning and other technologies.

Regarding salaries in the IT sector, it is a well-paying industry for those planning to remain in Uzbekistan, and the opportunity for remote work can further increase income. Moreover, it's feasible to successfully launch one's own startup here, with suitable incentives and conditions in place.

I personally intend to launch my own project in Uzbekistan with my friend, who works for an IT Park resident company. It is important for me to support innovative ideas and contribute to the development of our country.

Regarding the peculiarities of the IT sector in Uzbekistan compared to other countries

Indeed, there is a significant difference between our IT industry and, for instance, Russia. In Russia, there are prominent IT companies such as Tinkoff, Avito, and Ozon. They actively collaborate with universities. For example, the structure of faculties and academic programs at the Higher School of Economics, where I studied, is largely influenced by their partnership with Yandex. We had the most esteemed professors and cutting-edge courses. Furthermore, collaboration with Yandex provides extensive internship opportunities.

In Uzbekistan, we also need similar large companies willing to partner with universities, invest in the youth, deliver lectures to students, and establish internship programs. This could provide students with the opportunity to work at these major companies upon completing their university education or even during their studies.

Let's consider another example: during my school years, I was engaged in competitive programming. It's not as well-developed here as it is in Russia, because there, competitive programming grants significant advantages in university admissions. The typical scenario is to excel in competitions, gain entry to prestigious universities as a result, deepen one's knowledge, and subsequently apply that knowledge in major companies. Many of my acquaintances have followed this path. However, in Uzbekistan, we lack such opportunities.

About innovations in Uzbekistan and abroad

I am pleased with the development of online banking in Uzbekistan. In practice, everything I have observed in Moscow and what is currently unfolding in Uzbekistan is truly impressive. While it is not entirely clear which innovations are actively being implemented in the realm of production and optimization of our enterprises, I believe that we will achieve success in that area as well.

Special attention should be given to machine learning and computer vision, which are actively employed in ensuring security. This is an important and promising field.

It is challenging for me to recall any unique innovations originating from our country, but I support the strategy of utilizing successful ideas from other nations. Such an approach, where we adapt already proven concepts, is, in some cases, entirely reasonable. It is particularly valuable to witness how these innovations smoothly integrate into our daily lives.

Advice for aspiring professionals

My advice to young professionals is to be persistent and ambitious. It is crucial to deeply understand what interests you. Whether you are just starting out at university or have been working for some time, it is essential to forge your own path, adapting it to your capabilities and goals. I am confident that the young talents in Uzbekistan are intelligent, and with dedication and effort, they can achieve significant results.