Between 2018 and 2022, 23 foreign higher education institutions established a campus in Uzbekistan, resulting in it becoming the nation with the third largest number of international branch campuses globally, behind China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The purpose of this research is to understand the Uzbek government's and foreign institutions' rationales for engaging with transnational education (TNE) in Uzbekistan, as well as the founding and operational challenges, and the early outcomes. The data used in this study were obtained primarily from a range of expert stakeholders, who have expert and up-to-date knowledge on the development and operation of TNE institutions in Uzbekistan. Guided by our participants' views and the secondary data examined, an optimistic outlook is anticipated for higher education development in Uzbekistan. The paper concludes with sets of recommendations for local policy makers, TNE institutions, and host countries aspiring to elevate their higher education through TNE.