"There was always someone reading at home" - the story of Nuraziz Ungboyev, who aimed for the Nobel Prize
Nuraziz Ungboyev is 18 years old. He was accepted to the University of Chicago, one of the top 20 universities in the world, on a full scholarship. Nuraziz, who grew up in a family of teachers, spoke with Kun.uz about his path to a top university, why he took a year off after high school, and the secret to his success.
**"Someone would always be reading in our house" - the story of Nobel Prize-winning Nuraziz Ungboyev**
18-year-old Nuraziz Ungboyev was accepted to the University of Chicago, one of the top 20 universities in the world, on a full scholarship. Nuraziz, who grew up in a family of teachers, told Kun.uz about his path to the prestigious university, the reasons for taking a year off after secondary education, and the secrets of success.
Nuraziz Ungboyev is a laureate of many Olympiads in mathematics and computer science. He also worked as a project manager on the Robocontest.uz platform. According to Nuraziz, his interest in science is not a coincidence, but a product of his family environment.
"In our house, everyone - my sisters and my mother - is a teacher. My father teaches mathematics at the National University of Uzbekistan. When I came home, someone would always be reading a book. We had a large library. Under the influence of this environment, I became interested in mathematics at the age of 13 and seriously engaged in Olympiads," he says.
When Nuraziz decided to take a gap year instead of applying to a higher education institution after graduating from school, he faced strong opposition from his family and friends.
"When I was a freshman, my relatives and friends often said, 'Why are you doing this? There are top universities in Uzbekistan, you can study here.' But I was very confident in myself and was sure that I would enter a top university. I just ignored their words. I tried to look less in their eyes so as not to change my mind," says Nuraziz.
Speaking about why he chose the University of Chicago among the world's most prestigious universities, he emphasizes that one of the most important criteria in higher education is that the student's values should match those of the university. In his opinion, many young people pay attention to the name of the university, but the main factor in success is the compatibility of the environment and values.
"Top universities have the concept of values and compatibility. That is, your values must be consistent with the values of the university. The one that suited me the most was the University of Chicago. The reason is that they have a great respect and attention to science. When you talk to each student, you mainly talk about science and research. 101 Nobel Prize winners have grown up among the graduates of this university. This shows that the university is one of the leading universities in the world. Winning the Nobel Prize is also one of my main goals," he said.
The full interview can be watched on the Kun.uz YouTube channel.