Education - The Times Of Central Asia

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FLEX Exchange Program

Uzbek FLEX Finalist Returns Home After Alleged Harassment by Host Father in Indiana

An Uzbek high school student selected for the prestigious FLEX exchange program has returned home after her family alleged she was subjected to sexual harassment by her host father in the United States. The claims were made public by her father, Dr. Aziz Boltayev, in a detailed Facebook post. Uzbek officials have confirmed that they requested explanations from program representatives, while the U.S. side has not issued a public statement. Dr. Boltayev’s daughter was one of nearly 60 finalists from Uzbekistan selected in 2025 for the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), had traveled to the United States to complete her final year of high school. The fully funded initiative, supported by the U.S. Department of State, enables students from participating countries to study at American high schools and live with volunteer host families for one academic year. According to Boltayev’s account, his daughter was placed in a small town in Indiana with a childless couple, both music teachers, who had previously hosted exchange students. Initial video calls reportedly reassured the family prior to her departure. “After graduating from medical school, I received a U.S. Department of State grant and spent time in the United States for professional development,” Boltayev wrote. “I returned to Uzbekistan with a deep sense of gratitude and a positive impression of American values. Naturally, when my eldest daughter won the FLEX grant in 2025, I was proud and supportive.” He said the situation changed approximately a month after her arrival. According to his post, the host father allegedly began making inappropriate remarks and advances when his wife was not present. “He told my daughter that it was ‘necessary to gain sexual experience’ before marriage,” Boltayev wrote. “To her credit, [his daughter] firmly resisted and immediately informed her assigned FLEX coordinator.” According to Boltayev, the local coordinator relocated his daughter shortly after the complaint was filed. However, he criticized the way communication with the family in Uzbekistan was handled. “The coordinator moved [his daughter] out of the house immediately, but in doing so, they completely bypassed us, her parents,” he wrote. Due to the time difference, he said he was informed the following day by the FLEX office in Tashkent. Boltayev further alleged that during this period his daughter’s phone was switched off and her parents’ messages went unanswered. He claimed that the coordinator had instructed her to turn off her phone for “security reasons,” which he described as isolating a minor from her parents. He also asserted that neither the temporary host family nor U.S.-based program representatives agreed to speak directly with him. According to Boltayev, his daughter was told that program officials were not obligated to provide information to her parents. Seeking reassurance, Boltayev contacted a friend, a faculty member at the University of Michigan, who lives several hours from his daughter’s location, and asked him to check on her in person. “Even then, FLEX representatives tried to block him, telling my daughter: ‘He needs our permission to see you, and for now, permission is...

Higher Education

American AI Company to Help Kazakhstan Develop University Admissions Exam

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the AI-based education company ETS say they are developing a new university admissions exam, the Admissions Insight Test (AIT), as part of a partnership launched in November 2025 to modernize the country’s national admissions system. Officials say the test is also meant to support the international recognition of results in future. “The Admissions Insight Test represents a decisive step forward for Kazakhstan’s higher education system,” said Sayasat Nurbek, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education. “By building this new admissions exam in partnership with ETS, we are strengthening trust, fairness, and global alignment in how students enter our universities. This work positions Kazakhstan to lead in education innovation while ensuring our students are prepared for success in a rapidly changing, international, and AI-driven world.” ETS, which is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey with offices worldwide, said the AIT would be modular. “Subject Modules” would align with the school curriculum and a student’s intended field of study. Separate “Skills Based Tests” would measure critical thinking, academic writing and research skills, communication, quantitative and digital literacy, and creative or design thinking. The ETS Research Institute is expected to work alongside Kazakhstan’s education leaders and National Testing Center specialists, using AI and advanced analytics to streamline development and deepen the insights universities get from results. Kazakhstan already uses nationwide testing as a central gateway into university, and policymakers have linked admissions changes to a broader push to become a regional education hub. “Around the world, governments are rethinking how education systems measure readiness for the future and they are turning to ETS because trust, rigor, and global expertise matter,” said Kadriye Ercikan, Senior Vice President of Global Research at ETS. “Our work with Kazakhstan reflects the same responsibility we bring to partnerships with education systems worldwide: applying the strongest measurement science, responsible innovation, and AI-enabled approaches to help countries build assessment systems that are fair, credible, and internationally respected.” The project sits alongside Kazakhstan’s higher education transformation and its decision to join OpenAI’s Education for Countries program as officials look to prepare students for an AI-shaped economy.

Higher Education

Tajikistan Admits Over 600 Students Following Expulsion or Entry Denial in Russia

More than 6,000 applicants from Tajikistan were admitted to Russian universities in 2025, signaling that Russia is still the primary destination for Tajik students pursuing higher education abroad. The figures were announced by Tajikistan’s Minister of Education and Science, Rahim Saidzoda, during a press conference, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS. Saidzoda reported that during the 2025-2026 academic year, a total of 6,665 Tajik applicants enrolled in foreign universities. Of these, 551 chose destinations other than Russia, while more than 6,000 began their studies at Russian institutions. Admissions took place both through government-allocated quotas and standard entry procedures. At the same briefing, Deputy Minister of Education Lutfia Abdulholikzoda stated that over 600 Tajik students that had previously been expelled or denied entry to Russia in 2025 were subsequently admitted to universities in Tajikistan. She did not elaborate on the reasons for their removal but confirmed that they had been able to resume their education at home. Russian education remains highly popular among Tajik students. Each year, Russia allocates approximately 1,000 government-funded study placements for Tajik nationals. In October 2025, Russia’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, Semyon Grigoryev, said that out of 43,000 Tajik students studying abroad, more than 30,000 were enrolled in Russian institutions. Russian higher education is also present within Tajikistan. The Russian-Tajik Slavonic University enrolls over 6,000 students, while local branches of Moscow State University, the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, and the Moscow Power Engineering Institute collectively educate more than 8,000. In addition, several schools in Tajikistan operate entirely in Russian, and five Russian-funded schools built in 2022 follow Russian educational standards.

Higher Education

From Central Asia to the World: How a U.S.-Raised Kazakh Founder Is Using AI to Unlock Global Education

For many talented students across Central Asia, admission to the world’s leading universities remains an elusive goal, not due to a lack of ability, but because of complex application procedures, and expensive consulting services. A new AI platform, yoonee.ai, is working to change that. At the heart of the initiative is a woman bridging continents and reconnecting with her cultural roots. One of the platform’s co-founders is ethic Kazakh Gulmira Sage, who was adopted and raised in the United States. Despite growing up in America, she says her connection to Kazakhstan never waned. Last year, her journey back to Kazakhstan to meet her biological mother captured national attention. Now, she is once again in the spotlight, this time for launching a project that promises to reshape access to global education. “Coming back to my homeland after many years felt like reclaiming a missing part of myself,” she says. That personal journey now underpins the mission behind yoonee.ai: a platform designed to help students from Central Asia navigate international higher education systems with greater ease and confidence. From Aviation to AI Before venturing into the tech sector, Gulmira worked as an analyst at Delta Air Lines, one of the world’s largest carriers. There, she worked with complex datasets, financial models, and global logistics, skills she says sharpened her systems thinking. “My background is actually in aviation. I worked as an analyst at one of the biggest airlines in the world, dealing with complex data, financials, and the global logistics that keep an airline moving,” she explains. “Aviation connects people physically, and IT does the same thing electronically. Technology connects them digitally.” That experience fueled her belief that digital tools, and AI in particular, could help eliminate long-standing educational barriers. Together with her co-founders, Feruza and Aidana, she began building yoonee.ai, drawing on their shared academic and professional experiences in the U.S., France, and Kazakhstan. How the Platform Works Yoonee.ai allows students to upload academic documents directly into the system. Using AI, the platform translates them with academic accuracy and converts grades into internationally recognized formats. For instance, GPA scores from five-point or 100-point systems are standardized to U.S. benchmarks, allowing students to assess how competitive their profiles are for specific universities. The platform also offers a “match score” that estimates a student’s compatibility with selected institutions. According to the founders, many qualified applicants are rejected not for academic shortcomings but due to formatting errors or unmet technical requirements. “Geography Should Not Decide a Student’s Future” The team sees its mission as the democratization of global education. Their goal is to eliminate what they call the “geographic tax” – the added financial and informational burden on students from developing regions. This is especially relevant in rural parts of Kazakhstan and neighboring countries, where access to U.S.-trained admissions consultants is limited and often unaffordable. To improve accessibility, the platform will be available in Kazakh, Russian, and Uzbek, allowing students to explore global university options in their native languages, directly from their smartphones. Cultural...

Higher Education

Kazakhstan to Train Nuclear Energy Specialists Abroad Through Bolashak Program

Kazakhstan will begin training specialists for its nuclear energy sector at leading international universities through a new track within the Bolashak international scholarship program, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education announced this week. The Bolashak scholarship, launched in 1993, supports education, retraining, and professional development for specialists in priority economic sectors. Initially limited to four countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, it now allows recipients to study in nearly 30 countries worldwide. More than 13,000 Kazakh citizens have participated in the program to date. The latest initiative adds future nuclear energy professionals to its ranks, aiming to build domestic capacity ahead of Kazakhstan’s planned entry into the nuclear power sector. This week, Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek signed a four-party memorandum launching the new program. Other signatories included Almasadam Satkaliev, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency; Adil Kusmanov, Chairman of the Board of JSC “Center for International Programs”; and Yernat Berdigulov, General Director of LLP “Kazakhstan Atomic Power Plants.” “The initiative will attract specialists in engineering, technical, and scientific fields, which will be key to the development of Kazakhstan's nuclear energy sector,” the ministry stated. The program will provide 20 pilot grants in 2026, with similar allocations expected annually. It will cover international internships, as well as master’s and doctoral programs at top universities around the world. A key requirement will be cooperation with potential employers and guaranteed job placement for graduates. Tripartite agreements are being signed between scholarship recipients, nuclear sector enterprises, and the Bolashak program’s administrator to ensure employment pathways. Work is already underway to finalize agreements with several foreign institutions, including Pennsylvania State University (U.S.), Grenoble INP-UGA (France), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China), City University of Hong Kong, and the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Russia). “The creation of a dedicated training track for the nuclear sector within Bolashak will help form a skilled pool of engineers, technologists, operators, and other specialists with international-level qualifications,” the ministry noted. Earlier this year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced plans to establish two “science cities” in Almaty and Kurchatov to support the development of nuclear energy and nuclear medicine. Kazakh universities have also launched domestic training programs to prepare personnel for the country’s first nuclear power plant, which is currently under development.

Higher Education

Central Asian Countries Agree to Recognize Each Other’s University Degrees

The governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have officially agreed to mutually recognize higher education diplomas issued within the region. Kazakhstan approved the relevant draft on November 12, as documented in an intergovernmental agreement. The initiative aims to create a unified educational space in Central Asia and eliminate barriers related to qualification recognition. Under the agreement, all five countries will automatically recognize university diplomas that are legally valid, officially accredited, and issued by state higher education institutions in any of the participating countries. Recognition will apply in three key areas: Employment in another Central Asian country Internships Continuing education at the next academic level However, qualifications must meet common higher education standards. Recognition may be denied only if substantial differences in the educational systems are identified. The agreement outlines a clear implementation mechanism: each country will appoint a designated authority responsible for diploma recognition and notify the depositary, which will in turn inform the other signatories. If the structure or authority of the appointed body changes, the state is required to issue an immediate notification through diplomatic channels. Despite agreeing on a shared framework, the countries still maintain varying standards for recognizing foreign university degrees. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan have agreed to recognize diplomas from universities in any participating country, provided those institutions are legally operating and issue officially recognized state diplomas. Kazakhstan, however, has adopted stricter criteria. It will only recognize diplomas from regional universities that appear in the top 1,000 of the following international rankings: Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings (QS) Times Higher Education (THE) Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) Diplomas from these universities will allow holders from participating countries to work, intern, or pursue further studies in Kazakhstan, subject to an application process. The agreement is expected to ease the movement of skilled professionals within Central Asia and reduce bureaucratic barriers to regional academic and professional mobility.