This paper highlights that the Uzbek government's efforts to promote collaboration in education and research serve a dual purpose of advancing academic development and branding post-dictatorial Uzbekistan. However, the paper argues that this approach is problematic, as issues related to the representation of Uzbek educational institutions in international academic rankings are being inaccurately treated as matters of public policy and diplomacy. The paper demonstrates that educational collaborations constitute subsystems that impact a country's image but cannot be significantly influenced by public policy and diplomacy alone. It is therefore important for public policy officials to recognize and understand education as a subsystem operating independently from inter-state relations, and to acquire the necessary skills to navigate it effectively.