IELTS Was Just a Stepping Stone

Had I stuck only to IELTS, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today.

I am Omadbek Meliev, 22 years old and a proud alumnus of Innovative Centre. Right now, I am attending a guest lecture by Sam Altman, the founder and CEO of OpenAI—the company behind ChatGPT, the very tool you use every day.Who, if not him, could explain how AI functions and what concerns most people about it? Now, after meeting him face-to-face, I am thinking about how I can implement AI into my work.

As I exited a lecture at the Technical University of Berlin—one of the world’s best universities with many Nobel Prize winners—I sent this video to my mentor, Mukhammad aka, who guided me throughout my journey in learning English and preparing for IELTS. His valuable advice is still in my mind.

A Message to All Students at Innovative Centre

Just a couple of years ago, I was like you—preparing for IELTS, learning English, and applying for Westminster in Tashkent.Many of my peers achieved high IELTS scores and simply became instructors or online tutors, even though they were brilliant in economics, finance, and AI.

I know you are working hard and studying in the right place—the centre with more high IELTS scores than anywhere else in the region. But please remember: IELTS should never be your final goal. You should aim higher.

I even worked as an invigilator for the British Council and never understood why some IELTS instructors take the exam 15-20 times.

I got my IELTS 7.0 and used it to apply for the DAAD scholarship—not to stay stuck with an exam, but to bring innovation to my country, study what I’m passionate about, and realize my full potential.

Yes, your parents are proud of you now—because they and their friends know about IELTS.

But true achievements lie beyond exams:

✅ Studying at top universities

✅ Bringing innovation to your community

✅ Working on real projects

At Innovative Centre and later at Westminster, the projects I worked on with my mentors helped me secure a full-ride scholarship to the Technical University of Berlin, where I now receive a €1,000 monthly stipend. This allows me to focus on learning and implementing projects instead of working blue-collar jobs. Meeting people like Sam Altman, Nobel-winning scientists, and world-class entrepreneurs has helped me realize what I truly want to achieve.

I know that if you’re studying at Innovative Centre, you already have or will soon achieve a high IELTS score.

But don’t stop there. Start projects with your mentor, apply for scholarships, and let’s conquer the world together.

Mentors like Mukhammad aka helped me a lot when I was working on projects, so I’d be happy to collaborate on joint projects with you. If you need support or guidance, reach out.