In China, portraits of scientists are being displayed on billboards. Can the same be done in Uzbekistan?

In China, portraits of scientists are being displayed on billboards. Could this be done in Uzbekistan too?

When you walk down the street, who do you usually see on large advertising banners? Most often, they are actors, singers, athletes, entrepreneurs, or promotional characters for various products. But imagine: on the next screen, instead of a famous actor or football player, there is a portrait of a scientist and their contribution to the country's science.

In China, exactly such an initiative has been launched. In some regions of the country, large billboards and digital screens display the portraits, names, and scientific achievements of famous scientists. Among them are prominent figures such as Qian Xuesen, the founder of China's rocket and space program, Nobel laureate and nuclear physicist Tu Youyou, and agricultural scientist Yuan Longping. The goal is simple: to elevate scientists to the level of celebrities in society and present them as role models for the youth.

To present scientists as examples for young people, the government has focused on the most visible and crowded commercial areas. This campaign has also spread to Anhui Province, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Henan, and other regions.

This initiative raises an interesting question for Uzbekistan as well: whose portraits of scientists could stand on our streets?

It is not just about the billboard

Of course, simply hanging portraits of scientists on the street will not suddenly increase interest in science. However, this has great symbolic significance.

If a child sees the image of an athlete, actor, or singer on the street every day, it is natural for them to recognize them. If scientists also appear on some of these billboards, the child might at least ask, "Who is this?"

Interest begins with that very question.

The issue is not "do we have scientists worthy of being put on billboards?" Rather, the question is "why are we not showing them more?"

It is common to see politicians, artists, and athletes on the streets. What if scientists appeared alongside them now?

A scientist can also be famous

Today, fame has its own economy. Whoever is seen more is recognized more.

For this reason, the popularization of science should not be limited only to scientific conferences, articles, and textbooks.

Scientists must also be in the public eye. Perhaps this advertising does not generate revenue. But it can spark something else — interest.

Therefore, the issue is not actually about the billboard. The issue is about who society chooses its heroes from.

Uzbekistan has famous faces in sports, art, and business. Now, heroes of science can also stand alongside them.

After all, the future of the country is determined not only by who is being watched, but also by who is being emulated.