A student’s journey from the green farmlands of Uzbekistan to the deserts of Arizona

Follow an ABEM student’s journey of advancing his passions in agriculture and economics at UArizona.

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Growing up on a large farm in Central Asia, Khusan Jumaboev came to deeply appreciate many aspects of the environment, agriculture in particular. Khusan’s home country of Uzbekistan is most known for its heavy agriculture base and his grandfather was a farmer and farm ranch owner in his hometown neighborhood. Which led to many fond memories of growing up surrounded by agriculture and farm life. 

Khusan is a sophomore Agribusiness Economics & Management (ABEM) student in the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics (AREC). Moving internationally, Khusan was driven to find a university that reflected his personal interests and would guide him to his career goals, and after thoroughly researching institutions with strong agriculture programs he decided to find his future at the University of Arizona College of Agriculture, Life, and Environmental Sciences.  

Journey of Opportunities 

Khusan’s journey to UArizona started with being awarded the Presidential Scholarship from the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation after graduating from the Academic Lyceum of University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Uzbekistan. The El-Yurt Umidi is a governmental organization founded by the Uzbekistan President and is known to finance scholarships for young scholars to enroll at varied and prestigious foreign universities or research institutes. 

After receiving this scholarship and discovering more about what the state of Arizona and UArizona had to offer, Khusan knew he could indulge in his personal interests of agriculture and economics while experiencing life in a diverse climate, natural environment, and student population. 

Why choose Agribusiness Economics & Management? 

Khusan explained that the “interdisciplinary approach” that AREC takes with its students is what captivated him most and what led him to choose the ABEM major. He said, “The department's emphasis on solving practical issues with food security, environmental sustainability, and natural resource management piqued my interest. As I had an interest in economics, I wanted to go deeper, by not having general economic knowledge as other people have.” 

Khusan shared that the “encouraging and cooperative learning atmosphere” of AREC is one of his favorite features while attending UArizona. He went on to say, “In addition to being authorities in their domains, the faculty members sincerely care about the achievement of their pupils.”  

One course that has impacted Khusan’s discipline and interests is Professor Na Zuo’s AREC 315 course which explores the economic and management factors of agriculture. He complimented Professor Zuo for being “one of the best” professors in the AREC department. 

Studying Internationally: Rewards & Challenges 

As an international student, there were a handful of things that Khusan needed to adjust to: the academic level of his studies, the cultural quirks of studying in the U.S., and general life in Tucson. However, Khusan thanks his peers, professors, and UArizona’s resources for international students.  

Khusan advises future international UArizona students to: 

• Take every chance you can for personal development & learning. 

• Use the provided university resources; ask professors for advice & mentoring. 

• Participate in student organizations, research projects, study abroad options, internships & anything else that fits your interest or professional goals. 

Khusan highlights, “Most importantly, embrace the adventure ahead with an open mind and a willingness to learn, and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, then you will take a step into your independent life.” 

Khusan explained that he is explorative of his career field options post-graduation, but hopes to work in a field where he can use his knowledge and abilities to combat urgent global issues involving food security, sustainability, and economic development. He concluded with, “My academic path and personal development have been greatly influenced by the encouragement and support I've received from teachers, staff, and fellow students. I'm eager to explore my passion for resource economics and agriculture, and I'm determined to make the most of my time at UArizona in order to achieve my goals.” 

AREC proudly applauds Khusan on his determination and confidence to leave home to study and contribute to UArizona and the AREC department!