This chapter examines why the internationalisation of HE was not actively encouraged by administrative and policy-making personnel in Uzbekistan between 1991 and 2016. It draws on interviews with ten current and former Heads and senior staff of International Divisions (Khalqaro bo’lim) of HE institutions, as well as former government officials involved in HE internationalisation policy. The chapter uncovers institutional and political barriers to international engagement. It highlights how internationalisation was perceived as a potential threat, shaping policy decisions and limiting cross-border cooperation. While university lecturers experienced these restrictions first-hand, administrative personnel and policy-makers played a direct role in enforcing them. The chapter also examines how the securitisation of HE internationalisation in authoritarian contexts, exemplified by Uzbekistan, expands the theoretical understanding of securitisation in education policy.