F.A.Q. - Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent

Dear students!

Today, the world’s attention is focused on the campaign against COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, and the scientists of the whole world community are mobilizing their intellectual potential to prevent and stop the spread of this disease.

So, our government under the leadership of our President Sh. Mirziyoyev, is taking all necessary measurements and fully in fights against COVID-19 pandemic. The present situation in Uzbekistan has been the cause of establishing quarantine for our people to be safe and healthy being at home. Taking into account these circumstances, all necessary arrangements concerning distance learning have been put in place by responsible executives of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Referring to this situation Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent is also in charge of taking all necessary efforts in organizing distance learning during COVID-19 quarantine period beginning from April 1, 2020 in accordance with our President’s directives related to the situation concerning the negative impact of coronavirus pandemic in our country, and the order of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan № 233 dated March 27, 2020. With a focus on this order, on the distance educational platform of the Turin Polytechnic University (Italy) electronic resources (video lessons, educational-methodic complexes, electronic versions of textbooks, practical tasks, etc.) of all subjects (primarily for the current semester) taught in our university have been uploaded and the students of Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent have all the chances and access to use them.

Dear students, our university administration will try to answer the questions which need to be clarified to some extent.

Question 1. Will the exams be taken by TTPU professors or will we wait for the end of quarantine in Italy? What if the quarantine is over in the territory of Uzbekistan, but it lasts in Italy?

Answer: According to the partnership agreement between TPU-Italy and TPU-Tashkent, Italian partners are responsible for education quality and monitoring all academic processes in TTPU. So, all tests and exams are taken under the authority of Italian professors and executives. In case the quarantine is over in the territory of Uzbekistan, but not in Italy all the measurements on organizing alternative forms of examinations (online individual oral exam, group examinations, etc.) will be taken in agreement with TPU-Italy executives.

Question 2. An IELTS 5+ certificate is required to participate in the examinations. Some students arranged to get IELTS 5+ certificate in spring to enter summer examinations. Unfortunately, it is not possible at the present time because of quarantine. My question is – Is it possible to take part in the exams that will be held in summer?

Answer: Meanwhile for the preparatory level students to submit IELTS 5+ certificate to participate in examinations is not necessary.

But, students of the 1, 2, 3 – level need to submit IELTS 5+ certificate to get permission to pass their examinations as it is Specified by Academic Regulations provided by TPU-Italy.

Taking the quarantine situation in our Republic into account our university administration will try to do the best in solving this situation positively in association with TPU-Italy representatives, i.e. the certificate will not be required to enter exams, and IELTS certificate submission will be delayed for a certain period.

If the situation is not solved positively, let us remind you that the 1, 2, 3 – level students were given enough time to get IELTS 5+ certificate and submit it in time.

Question 3. Some of the students do not have an opportunity to follow the video lessons prepared by our professors because of some technical problems related to internet access in regions at a present moment. I wonder if the lessons will be conducted after the quarantine period is over?

Answer: The video lessons will not be conducted in summer months again as these subjects are being presented to students by means of video translation distantly via the distance educational platform of Turin Polytechnic University (Italy). Taking into account the problem of unavailability of internet access in certain regions where students do not have the possibility to follow video lessons, all students will have an opportunity to download the video lessons from the TPU-Italy portal “Didattica” after quarantine is over. Moreover, the TTPU administration is taking measures on saving these video lessons in TTPU Information Resource Centre electronic archive with reserving all rights. Where TTPU students will have full access to use these study materials and electronic resources furthermore.

Question 4. Will it be possible to transfer our study to local higher educational institutions of Uzbekistan from TTPU this year? If yes, what requirements are necessary?

Answer: The issues concerning transferring the students’ studies are carried out according to the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan № 393 dated June 20, 2017. Besides, transferring issues are carried out based on the order regulations “About the requirements of transferring and restoration the students’ studies in higher educational institutions” approved by the abovementioned order. The students who want to transfer their study to other institutions may accomplish this procedure according to this Regulation, following the requirements stated in it. The student applies to Regional Study Transferring Commission with an application submitting an academic rating reference letter. To get such a reference letter the student should fulfill all the requirements (should pay the educational fee completely) and pass all examinations on all the subjects.

Additional courses held as an assistant help for low-performing students at the end of the last academic year will not be organized this year.

Question 5. The process of registration for additional examinations for the 1, 2, 3 – level students has started. Will these examinations be taken online form? Could you please give some information about this process?

Answer: First examinations on all subjects are aimed to be held on May 5, 6, 7. If the declared quarantine in our Republic is over till these dates the examinations will be taken in the usual format. The examinations may be organized in online mode if the quarantine period is prolonged. The university administration will clarify this issue deliberately and inform the students about the furthermore decision.

Note: to have an opportunity to participate in the examinations education fee for the first and second semesters should be fully paid.

Question 6. How will the admission procedure to our university be carried out this year? When the registration is possible? How will the necessary document be applied and the entrance exams be organized?

Answer: As you know, every year the Admission process is carried out in June and July. We hope the quarantine period will be over by the time University Admission Commission will start and the admission process will be carried out in usual mode. Follow mass media and our web site, please. We will announce and give detailed information about the Admission process via media outlets.

Question 7. As we are allowed to register only 7 subjects during summer and winter examinations, some students have to take exams on 8- 11 subjects to graduate this year. What privilege will be given to such students in order to graduate the university in time?

Answer: In case you are registered to participate in examinations on 7 subjects, and pass all these exams successfully, taking your acquisition rate into account the University Examination Commission will give you an opportunity to be registered for additional examinations depending on the number of examinations you are supposed to take.

Question 8. Will there be any discount for tuition fees as we are not attending the lessons conducted by our University professors due to quarantine established in our country?

Answer: Despite the COVID -19 quarantine established in our Republic all local and Italian professors are preparing video lessons, educational-methodic complexes, electronic versions of textbooks, set of practical tasks, etc. in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan № 233 dated March 27, 2020. So, their salary remains unchanged. Moreover, several collateral agreements are concluded to maintain the University. Cleaning and beautification affairs are being conducted. Additional sanitary-epidemiological works are performed daily. Consequently, it should be noted that our university does not have any financial privileges. So, we would like to inform you that no discounts for education fees are meant.

As additional information we inform you that our university staff has worked out a specific project for discounts in different spheres, such as active students in the academic process, students dealing with scientific projects, research and students with other achievements are going to be motivated.

Question 9. At the present time, the quality of lessons is not as high as before, since they are presented online where the question-answer interaction is not conducted. Of course, we understand this situation and we are thankful to our professors conducting online video lessons. However, will we have any assistance or privilege in the examinations as the quality of teaching is not as high as before?

Answer: It should be stated that no privilege will be given in arranging examinations. Because the Italian side is responsible for compiling examination questions and their quality.

However, there are certain opportunities to increase the quality of video lessons.

First of all, there are video lessons in English prepared by Italian professors on the educational portal www.polito.it in TPU-Italy. These video lessons cover at least 80% of the subjects conducted in TTPU. This portal is being enriched with video material on the main subjects at the present time. Besides the video lessons prepared by Italian professors working in our university, there is an opportunity to use video lessons prepared by other professors as well. Thus, there is a choice to use and select video lessons of the same subject prepared by different other professors.

Moreover, your requests and offers have been sent to our local teachers and agreed with the head of departments in return they are ready to improve the quality of video lessons. Besides, we have come to an agreement with a teaching staff that at the end of the lesson you will have the opportunity to ask your questions via Zoom video conference. Some teachers have already started using this practice.

Question 10. We hope we will fully get rid of the virus pandemic very soon. However, if the quarantine period prolongs, how will summer examinations be carried out?

Answer: In case the COVID-19 quarantine period established in our Republic prolongs, the examinations may be taken in online mode. The university administration will clarify these issues in collaboration with TPU-Italy executives respectively and the students will be announced about furthermore information as soon as possible.

Dear students!

We hope we could give possible answers to all the questions you are interested in. Thank you very much for your questions.

Please, attend the online lessons conducted on the internet, particularly the video lessons presented on the distance educational platform of Turin polytechnic university in Tashkent and Turin polytechnic university (Italy)!

Follow all the quarantine regulations, personal hygiene rules, keep clean giving special attention at being physically healthy!

As it has been mentioned at the appeal of Sh. Mirziyoyev, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan: “My dear children, do not waste your time at home! Learn online lessons attentively. Read books, increase your knowledge, do physical exercises every day”.

Wishing you all strong health, we want you to get knowledge and spending your free time effectively-staying at home!