Education - The Times Of Central Asia

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Education

New OECD Assessment Reveals Central Asia’s Student Performance

International student assessments help governments identify where students are succeeding, where they are falling behind and how learning outcomes are changing over time. The Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, tests how well 15-year-olds can apply what they have learned in science, mathematics and reading to real-world problems. Run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the assessment is intended to identify weaknesses and track whether learning improves over time. The results released on September 8 show improvement in some areas, declines in others and significant gaps in the regional data. PISA 2025 placed particular emphasis on science and introduced a new assessment of computational problem-solving, part of its broader work on learning in the digital world. What the Results Show Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan participated nationally. Tajikistan was represented by Dushanbe rather than a national sample, while Turkmenistan did not participate. Participant Science Math Reading Comp. ProblemSolving Kazakhstan 420 414 385 449 Kyrgyzstan 363 364 344 388 Dushanbe, TJK 334 382 368 — Uzbekistan 438 N/A N/A 402 OECD average 482 463 461 500 Kazakhstan recorded the highest published regional scores in mathematics, reading and computational problem-solving, while Uzbekistan recorded the highest score in science. Uzbekistan’s mathematics and reading results were not published, preventing a complete comparison across the three core subjects. Central Asia remained below OECD averages, but Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan scored higher than several EU member states in some subjects. Across OECD countries, average mathematics and reading performance fell to the lowest levels yet recorded by PISA. Science was comparatively stable. What Changed The latest scores and the longer-term trends do not always point in the same direction. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan both participated in PISA in 2022, while Kyrgyzstan’s previous participation was in 2009. Country ComparisonPeriod Science Math Reading Kazakhstan 2022–2025 −4 −12 −1 Kyrgyzstan 2009–2025 +33 +33 +30 Uzbekistan 2022–2025 +83 N/A N/A Kazakhstan’s mathematics score fell by about 12 points from 2022, a statistically significant decline for the country. Its smaller declines in science and reading were not statistically significant. Kyrgyzstan improved in mathematics, reading and science compared with its previous participation. The gains cover 16 years rather than a single PISA cycle. Uzbekistan recorded the largest movement in the regional results. Its science score rose from 355 in 2022 to 438 in 2025, an increase of 83 points. That was also the largest science gain among education systems with comparable results worldwide and more than twice the next-largest increase of 38 points. What Other Assessments Show Other international assessments help put the larger changes in context. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were the only Central Asian countries to participate in the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS. The assessment tests younger students and uses a different methodology from PISA. Among eighth-graders, Kazakhstan scored 443 in science and Uzbekistan 396. Two years later, PISA recorded science scores of 420 for Kazakhstan and 438 for Uzbekistan. The assessments cover different students and testing methods, so the scores cannot be compared directly....

Education

Kazakhstan Tests AI After Finding 700 Errors in School Textbooks

Kazakhstan is testing artificial intelligence (AI) as part of an overhaul of school textbooks after the Education Ministry identified around 700 errors in existing educational materials. A pilot digital textbook platform is already being used in 40 schools while the authorities consider how AI could improve future editions. One of the more striking errors is in an 11th-grade history textbook, which still refers to the capital as Nur-Sultan, even though the name Astana was restored in September 2022. Education Minister Zhuldyz Suleimenova confirmed on September 8 that the textbook, last updated in 2024, will be reissued next year. Suleimenova referred to the pilot as AI-oqulyq, a name combining AI with oqulyq, the Kazakh word for textbook. It brings school textbooks together on a single platform and incorporates AI tools for working with their content. The ministry’s review covered educational materials from different publishers across 16 subjects. The problems identified include outdated information and factual inaccuracies. Publishers are required to correct and reissue problematic books at their own expense. The ministry has also referred the matter to the Department of Economic Investigations, part of the Financial Monitoring Agency, because some of the same errors remained despite an earlier allocation of public funds. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev publicly raised the issue of textbook quality in August. He was particularly critical of history materials containing unreliable information and accounts of supposed heroes and events that, he said, never existed. Tokayev argued that patriotic education should not be based on falsified history. AI is also becoming part of Kazakhstan’s school curriculum. Digital Literacy in grades 1–4 is being expanded to include artificial intelligence, while Computer Science in grades 5–11 is becoming Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. In grades 10–11, students are expected to study machine learning and neural networks and learn how to analyze data. Separately, Kazakhstan has begun piloting a national AI-powered education platform intended to personalize learning by adapting assignments to students’ abilities and identifying gaps in their knowledge. The first stage began in September in 10 small rural schools, with further expansion planned. At university level, Qazaq AI Research University in Astana is admitting around 600 students in its first intake for the 2026–27 academic year. Kazakhstan is moving relatively quickly to introduce the technology into schools, while education systems elsewhere continue to debate how generative AI should be used. UNESCO recommends a human-centered approach, with teacher training and safeguards to protect children and their personal data. Using the technology to check textbooks carries its own risk because generative AI can produce convincing text containing false information or incorrect dates. AI may help identify inconsistencies across large amounts of material, but expert review remains necessary before textbooks are published. For the Education Ministry, however, the more immediate challenge is correcting the hundreds of errors already found in school materials. The AI-oqulyq pilot will test whether the technology can help prevent similar mistakes from reaching classrooms.

Informatics Olympiad

Uzbekistan Wins Four Medals as Tashkent Hosts Informatics Olympiad

Uzbekistan won one silver and three bronze medals as Tashkent hosted the International Olympiad in Informatics for the first time. The 38th edition of the annual competition ran from August 9 to 16. Official IOI statistics recorded 375 contestants from 92 member delegations. Students compete individually, tackling algorithmic programming problems over two five-hour days in the contest. Jahonali Khaydaraliev, a ninth-grade student at the Muhammad al-Khwarizmi Specialized School in Tashkent, won Uzbekistan’s silver medal, while Timur Kadirbergenov of the Presidential School in Nukus took bronze. Ulugbek Rakhmatullaev and Jahongirshoh Avazkhonov, both from the Presidential School in Namangan, also won bronze. It was the first time all four members of Uzbekistan’s main team had won medals at the same IOI. Sardor Salimov, who competed for a second Uzbek host team, received an honorable mention. The result improved on Uzbekistan’s previous best showing; at the 2025 Olympiad in Sucre, Bolivia, the country won one silver and one bronze medal. Uzbekistan was selected to host the 2026 competition in 2023, and received the IOI flag at the closing ceremony in Bolivia last year. Digital Technologies Minister Sherzod Shermatov linked the event to the country’s effort to expand technology education. “Hosting the IOI in Uzbekistan for the first time is more than a milestone; it is a homecoming,” Shermatov said. He referred to Uzbekistan’s association with the ninth-century mathematician Muhammad al-Khwarizmi. The word “algorithm” derives from the Latinized form of al-Khwarizmi’s name. Uzbekistan has expanded specialist technology education in recent years through Presidential Schools and dedicated IT schools. Several members of the 2026 team came through that system, while the national squad had trained since November 2025 and attended camps in Romania and Kazakhstan before the competition. The government has also put programming and digital skills into national education programs. For Tashkent, hosting the IOI gave those efforts an unusually visible international stage without changing the basic character of the event: a demanding school competition decided by how well students solve problems under time pressure. Elsewhere in Central Asia, Kazakhstan also had a strong competition, winning one gold and three silver medals. Maksim Tsoi finished fifth in the individual standings, according to Uzbekistan’s national news agency. Uzbekistan first competed at the IOI in 2015. Four medals from its four main team contestants therefore marked a new high for the country on home ground. Germany is due to host the next International Olympiad in Informatics in 2027.

Foreign Students

Kazakhstan International Student Scholarships Draw 16,000 Applicants

More than 16,000 people from 71 countries applied for 550 scholarships at Kazakh universities for the 2026-2027 academic year, giving applicants a success rate of just 3.4%. The successful candidates represent 49 countries, up from 26 in the previous academic year. The largest numbers of applications came from the Palestinian territories, Indonesia, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Kazakhstan's state scholarship program provides 490 undergraduate scholarships, 50 master's scholarships, and 10 doctoral scholarships. The awards cover tuition and provide recipients with a monthly stipend. For the first time, students from the United States, Italy, Germany, the Maldives, and South Korea have been awarded scholarships under the program. A total of 27 universities are participating in the initiative, offering 886 academic programs. The largest numbers of scholarship recipients will study at Astana IT University and L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University in Astana, Satbayev University and the Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages in Almaty, and Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau University in Kokshetau. The program involved 37 universities and offered 2,668 academic programs last year, compared with 27 universities and 886 programs this year. The ministry did not explain the change. Launched in 2019, the scholarship program is designed to attract talented international students to Kazakhstan while expanding academic cooperation with other countries. It is open to foreign nationals, including ethnic Kazakhs living abroad who are not citizens of Kazakhstan. The ministry said ethnic Kazakhs from abroad accounted for a “significant” share of applicants, but did not disclose what proportion of the 550 scholarships they received. Applicants can select Kazakh, Russian, or English as their language of instruction, depending on the degree program. They must demonstrate sufficient proficiency before admission, as the scholarship program does not include preparatory courses in basic subjects or foreign languages. Competition for the scholarships has intensified. Applications increased from 13,723 candidates from 57 countries for the 2025-2026 academic year to 16,098 applicants from 71 countries this year, an increase of 17.3%, while the number of awards remained unchanged at 550. The scholarship program is part of Kazakhstan's broader effort to establish itself as a regional higher education hub. During the 2025-2026 academic year, the country hosted 35,075 international students from 88 countries, an increase of 11% from the previous year, while the government has expanded partnerships with foreign universities and opened 32 foreign university branches, attended by approximately 12,000 students. International students nevertheless account for only about 5% of Kazakhstan’s total university enrollment. Kazakhstan occupies the top three positions in the QS Central Asia University Rankings 2026. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University ranks first, followed by L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and Satbayev University. Eighteen Kazakh institutions appear in the QS World University Rankings 2027, although none ranks among the global top 100. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University leads the country at joint 177th, followed by L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University at joint 338th and Satbayev University at joint 351st.

Education

Why Global Universities Are Expanding into Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's campaign to bring foreign universities into the country has moved far beyond a small pilot. By July 2026, the government said it had established partnerships with 40 foreign institutions and had 32 foreign university branches in operation. A separate government summary said those institutions enrolled about 12,000 students and employed 1,500 teachers, including 500 foreign professors. The expansion has accelerated since 2021. Universities from Europe, North America, Russia, China, and South Korea now operate campuses, joint institutes, or degree partnerships across Kazakhstan. The projects range from branded campuses in Astana and Almaty to specialist programs in Petropavl, Aktobe, Turkestan, and Taldykorgan. The figures describe more than a higher education reform. Kazakhstan is importing degrees, teaching methods, and university brands while trying to retain local students and attract more from abroad. The country's international student population reached 35,075 from 88 states in 2025, an increase of 11% from the previous year. These are related but distinct trends. Most international students attend Kazakh institutions, while foreign branches serve both domestic and overseas applicants. Kazakhstan wants to turn both flows into a regional education industry. The result will depend less on the number of openings than on degree quality, graduate employment, research, and regional demand. Universities Are Following the Students International education was long built around students moving to a small group of destination countries. That model remains powerful, but universities are increasingly taking their programs to the markets where students already live. UNESCO says 7.3 million of the world's 269 million higher education students now study outside their home countries, up from about two million in 2000. This has created a large mobile market, but it has also increased pressure on housing, immigration systems, and university capacity in popular destinations. The OECD noted in April 2026 that leading host countries were reassessing how international enrollment fits with housing supply, public services, and institutional capacity. Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and several European countries have reviewed visa or admissions policies in recent years. For universities, an overseas campus or joint degree offers another route to growth. It can bring in students who cannot afford several years of housing and travel abroad. It also gives an institution a presence in a new market without relying entirely on migration. Coventry University made the logic unusually clear when it announced a second Kazakhstan campus in June. "It is harder for students to come to the UK, so we are taking quality UK higher education to them," vice-chancellor John Latham said. Foreign operations are not always replicas of the home campus. They differ in ownership, staffing, admissions, language, and the qualification awarded. Some universities manage a branded campus. Others deliver programs through a Kazakh partner's buildings and staff. This makes expansion faster and cheaper, but it also makes quality assurance more important. Why Kazakhstan? Kazakhstan offers universities a sizeable domestic market and access to a much larger region. The country enrolled 678,100 higher education students at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year, including more than...

Education reform

World Bank Approves $100 Million to Improve Primary Education in Uzbekistan

The World Bank has approved $100 million in concessional financing to help Uzbekistan improve the quality of primary education, strengthen foundational learning skills, and expand school capacity in some of the country’s most underserved regions, the bank announced. The funding, provided by the International Development Association, will support the Transforming Public Education for Economic Growth (BILIM) Program. The initiative will also receive a $5 million grant from the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), marking the first partnership between IFFEd and the World Bank. Together with $273 million from Uzbekistan's government, the program has a total budget of $378 million. According to the World Bank, Uzbekistan’s public education system is under increasing pressure from rapid population growth and internal migration. School enrollment is expected to exceed 7.6 million students in 2026, requiring the construction of around 300 new schools every year to meet demand. Although more than 99% of primary school-age children are enrolled in school, learning outcomes in reading and mathematics remain below international standards. The bank also noted that teaching methods and teacher professional development require significant improvement. “Strengthening foundational skills in primary school, including reading, mathematics, and socio-emotional skills, is central to further building Uzbekistan’s human capital base and advancing its development,” said Najy Benhassine, the World Bank’s Division Director for Central Asia. “These skills will help children develop more advanced competencies and prepare them for the rapidly evolving jobs market. They are also critical to the country’s economic growth, which depends on a workforce capable of driving innovation.” The BILIM Program will be implemented by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Preschool and School Education and the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Karakalpakstan and the Khorezm, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Bukhara, and Navoiy regions. These areas account for about 45% of the country’s schools and face some of the greatest shortages of education infrastructure and learning resources. By 2030, the program aims to train 50,000 teachers, school leaders, and education administrators and create 27,000 student places through school construction and expansion. It will also improve education planning through better data collection and management. Around 2 million primary school students, half of them girls, are expected to benefit from the reforms. The financing adds to the World Bank’s existing education work in Uzbekistan. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the bank approved a $250 million loan last December for the Edulmkon Program, a three-year initiative designed to expand access to higher and vocational education. Scheduled for implementation between 2026 and 2028, that program is expected to benefit around 600,000 young people. About 80% of the financing will go toward tuition loans for students from low-income families and women, who continue to face significant barriers to higher education.