This chapter examines the role of national ideology in shaping Uzbekistan’s higher education (HE) policies, particularly in relation to internationalisation from 1991 to 2016. It explores three key themes: the prioritisation of “nationness” (milliylik) in education policy and legislation, the influence of ideologies of national independence (milliy istiqlol g‘oyasi) and spirituality (ma’naviyat) on HE, and former President Karimov’s discourse on Uzbekistan’s national education model. The chapter illustrates how these ideological frameworks were embedded in key legislative documents and reinforced through official narratives, ultimately positioning HE as a tool for ideological consolidation rather than academic development. It also examines the government’s vision for the “perfect generation” (barkamol avlod). The chapter discusses how Karimov’s official discourses on the perfect generation’s education legitimised his government’s policy of isolating the education system from internationalisation.