Forum of Rectors of Central Asian Universities

Almaty hosted the Forum of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of Central Asia. The regional event was also attended by representatives of the Ministries of Education of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the Observatory of the Bologna Process BFUG Linda Pustina, Anne Catherine Isaacs, Director of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) Colin Tuck, EUA President Michael Murphy, experts from the Erasmus+ Programme National Office in Kazakhstan and accreditation bodies. Our university was represented by Rector Darkhan Bilyalov and Vice Rectors Aktolkyn Kulsarieva and Klara Isakova.

The aim is to expand regional cooperation between higher education institutions in Central Asia. Organizers - Department of Higher and Postgraduate Education of the MES; Association of HEIs of the RK; Centre of Bologna Process and Academic Mobility of the MES; Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, KazNWTTU, Kazakh National Research Technical University named after K. I. Satpaev.

The forum included conferences, briefings and press conferences, negotiations and meetings, round tables and presentations, trainings and seminars with the participation of foreign and domestic experts and scientists.

The following issues were discussed: global competitiveness of HEIs; digital transformation of higher education; integration and mobility of staff, students, educational programmes and research in Central Asian countries (Rome Communique 2020).

In the thematic session on «Global competitiveness, staff and student mobility of HEIs», the Rector of Abai University made a presentation. He spoke about the activities of Kazakhstan`s flagship teacher education, its achievements in the country and in the world, focusing on the competitiveness of HEIs. «The competitiveness of a pedagogical university has a number of features. First of all, it should train professionals who are able to withstand competition in both domestic and foreign labour markets, develop and implement pedagogical innovations in the theoretical and practical part of the industry, and produce teaching staff who are capable of transforming and generating new knowledge. Professional competence should be the basis and essence of the future teacher`s work. Moreover, it is important to form methodological competitiveness of pedagogical staff», Darkhan Bilyalov noted.

It was emphasized that our university is actively expanding collaborations in the academic community. Cooperation agreements have been signed with 13 research institutes, in which scientists of scientific research institutes will be involved in teaching, scientific management and research projects.

The forum ended with the signing of bilateral agreements between Moldovan and foreign universities.

The participants of the meeting were unanimous: the event was fruitful and will undoubtedly have a high impact. First of all, it is the entry of higher education institutions in the Central Asian academic and information space of higher education, the achievement of agreements on the opening of branches and representative offices of universities in the countries of Central Asia.