Conference of Central Asian Ministers of Education 2021 «Central Asian Higher Educational Area: regional cooperation, national reforms»

In June 17-18, 2021, in Turkestan city, the historical and cultural centre of Kazakhstan, the Conference of Central Asian Ministers of Education 2021 “Central Asian Higher Educational Area: regional cooperation, national reforms” was held.

The conference was attended by the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.K. Aimagambetov, Minister of Education of Turkmenistan O.A. Gurbanov, Minister of Higher and Secondary Specialised Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan A.Kh. Toshkulov, Vice-minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic N.K. Omurov, as well as representatives of European organizations - the European Union, the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the Bologna Follow-up Group, Erasmus+.

The participants discussed the development of higher education systems in the region and also agreed on the issue of convergence and synchronisation of educational systems in order to bring together the region's intellectual and scientific potential.

The conference ended with the Turkestan Declaration adopted by all Central Asian countries. In the Declaration, the Ministers of Education proclaimed the establishment of the Central Asian Higher Educational Area (CAHEA). The head office of the CAHEA Secretariat will be based in Turkestan city.

The CAHEA will contribute to bringing together the scientific, intellectual, creative potential of higher education institutions in the Central Asian region to address current challenges and contribute to the global process of higher education and science development worldwide.

Central Asian Ministers of Education reaffirmed their commitment to create a common area of higher education based on the democratic principles of inclusiveness, innovation and interconnectedness, on accessibility of education regardless of nationality, age, social status.

Through the CAHEA, the convergence and synchronisation of higher education systems will facilitate the processes of recognition of qualifications with the increasing labour and educational migration of citizens.