Study UK Alumni Awards 2027: Celebrating professional achievement

Study UK Alumni Awards 2027: Celebrating professional achievement

The British Council has marked the thirteenth year of its Study UK Alumni Awards, which celebrate the exceptional achievements of international UK alumni around the world. The awards recognise leaders who have used their UK education to make meaningful contributions to their communities, industries and countries.

This year’s categories are Business and Innovation, Culture, Creativity and Sport, Science and Sustainability, and Social Action. Applications open on 1 September 2026 and close on 15 October 2026. Those who are eligible will be considered for both national Alumni Awards in participating countries and the global Alumni Awards.

Uzbekistan is becoming an important market for UK higher education, backed by the government’s strong commitment to the internationalisation of higher education and rising demand for opportunities to study abroad. In 2024–25, 1,295 students from Uzbekistan studied in the UK. The UK alumni community in Uzbekistan is also expanding. It includes around 300 Chevening alumni, 11 Hornby Scholarship alumni and six British Council Women in STEM Scholarship alumni, as well as thousands of graduates of UK transnational education (TNE) programmes. UK TNE provision in Uzbekistan has grown significantly in recent years, with more than a dozen UK providers now operating in the country. This has made Uzbekistan an increasingly significant destination for UK transnational education in Asia. In 2024–25, 10,740 students in Uzbekistan were studying on UK TNE programmes, making the country the 10th largest host of UK TNE provision in Asia. The Awards have become a flagship event for the UK alumni community in the country.

The choice to pursue a UK education often starts with practical considerations: what opportunities a degree will open up, how relevant it is likely to be in the future labour market, and whether it can support an international career or help launch an independent project. Yet the impact of education can rarely be assessed immediately after graduation.

A university education offers more than academic knowledge. It can also help graduates strengthen their ability to analyse information, work with people from different cultural backgrounds, find solutions independently, build networks and keep learning throughout their careers.

It is this period — life after graduation — that the Study UK Alumni Awards aim to showcase. Now in its thirteenth year, the programme is open to graduates of UK universities and holders of recognised UK qualifications who live and work outside the UK.

International alumni who studied at degree level or above between 2011 and 2026 are eligible to apply for the Study UK Alumni Awards 2027. This includes not only those who studied in the UK, but also graduates who earned a full UK qualification through a recognised institution in their home country as part of a transnational education or distance-learning programme.

The application window runs from 1 September to 15 October 2026. The 2027 awards include four categories:

The awards span a wide range of professional paths. A central factor is the contribution alumni have made to their fields, communities or wider society, and the role their UK education played in enabling that contribution. In Uzbekistan, past applicants and winners have come from sectors including technology, international trade, culture and education.

In 2025, one of the national winners was Sirojiddin Olimov, a University of Edinburgh alumnus and CEO of the Mutolaa platform. His work combines technology and culture to broaden access to literature. Looking back on his participation in the Study UK Alumni Awards, he said the programme’s value continued after the award itself:

“When I applied for the Study UK Alumni Awards, I genuinely did not know whether I would win. Receiving the award was an unforgettable moment, but the support did not end with the ceremony. The programme continues to champion lifelong learning by investing in the education and personal development of its alumni. Thanks to this support, I had the opportunity to complete another short course, which was fully funded. I am deeply grateful for the recognition, the learning opportunity, and the community that comes with this award.”

As new technologies and professions emerge and employers’ expectations change, professionals will increasingly need to improve and refresh their skills. Access to further learning, professional communities and international connections has therefore become part of education’s long-term value.

A major milestone in 2026 is the 30th anniversary of the British Council’s work in Uzbekistan.

“As we celebrate 30 years of the British Council in Uzbekistan, the Study UK Alumni Awards provide a powerful opportunity to recognise graduates who are shaping their professions, communities, and countries. These awards highlight the lasting value of a UK education and the strength of the people-to-people connections that have grown over three decades of partnership. At a time of rapid change, the contribution of internationally minded leaders and innovators is more important than ever.”

The agreement that launched the organisation’s work in the country was signed in October 1996. Since then, the British Council has worked not only with individual students and teachers, but also with universities, government institutions, cultural organisations and other partners. Today in Uzbekistan, its work covers education development, English language teaching, engagement with Uzbekistan’s arts and creative industries, and efforts to strengthen international connections.

The British Council’s work is not limited to those intending to study in the UK. The organisation also supports higher education institutions in their internationalisation and in improving teaching and research quality, while helping them expand their international partnerships. It also works with teachers and students to strengthen English language teaching and learning across different age groups and levels of ability.

Together, these efforts have helped build a wider network of connections in which international education is not only an individual student experience, but also a driver of broader professional and institutional development.

Three decades of the British Council’s activity in Uzbekistan show how academic and cultural links can develop across generations of students. The stories of Study UK Alumni Awards participants demonstrate that the benefits of education often become visible years later, whether in business ventures, research, further academic study, creative work or social initiatives. A university degree is not an end point, but a foundation on which graduates build their professional lives.

As the British Council marks its 30th anniversary in Uzbekistan, applications are now open for the Study UK Alumni Awards 2027, which recognise UK alumni who are using their education and experience to make a positive difference in their professions, communities and wider society. UK higher education programmes are growing in Uzbekistan, and international alumni are playing an increasingly important role in the country’s professional, business and social life.