Covid-cat is ready to go back to school (if it's open) The impending start of the 2020/21 school year is presenting challenges for teachers, students, parents, and governments around the world. Although some countries have managed to come up with a plan, many are still fumbling in the COVID-19 induced darkness, even with September just …
Category: Turkmenistan
Watch/listen again: My SCOLAR Talk on higher education in Central Asia
Screenshot from my SCOLAR Talk on August 13, 2020 with Olesya Dovgalyuk Thanks to everyone who tuned in live last week to watch my SCOLAR Talk with the talented Olesya Dovgalyuk. We had a great time chatting about everything from Ibn Sino (Avicenna) to the 400+% growth in the higher education system in contemporary Kyrgyzstan! …
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Join me live: Thurs Aug 13 on SCOLAR Talk
Join me live at 9.30am EST / 9.30pm CST on Thursday August 13 talking higher education in Central Asia with SCOLAR Talk

Covid-19 and education in Central Asia
With the world's attention drawn to the coronavirus pandemic for the foreseeable future, this week's post looks at the current impact of Covid-19 on education in Central Asia. First, a few shout outs to others reporting on the spread of coronavirus in the region. For general updates on what's happening across Central Asia, check out …
Why are Uzbek students abroad being sent home?
No choice but to home for Uzbekistan's overseas students Uzbekistan's Ministry of Education has announced that Uzbek students studying abroad in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan should return home and enrol at a domestic higher education institution. The Ministry has been quick to underline that this decision is not connected to the novel coronavirus that …
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Activism, academia and equality in Central Asia
I'm a little late to the party on this, but then again it's never too late to find time to read a brilliant series of articles on OpenDemocracy from earlier this year on how academic research is conducted in Central Asia. Spearheaded by tireless UK/Sweden/globally based academic and activist Dr Diana T. Kudaibergenova, the series …
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International students from the former Soviet space
How many international students are there from the former Soviet Union? Has that number increased over time? Which country sends the most international students? Find out more in this post!
Values, Identities and the Problems of Modernisation in Central Asia: Public lecture in Almaty, June 26
If you're in Almaty on June 26, this upcoming University of Central Asia lecture looks great (although the word 'modernization' makes me queasy). Take some notes for me? Values, Identities and the Problems of Modernisation in Central Asia Eset Esengaraev Sociologist, Candidate of Historical Sciences Abstract Central Asian societies feature characteristics of both a traditional and …

The Bologna Process in Central Asia
Why do policymakers outside the European Union decide to implement the Bologna Process? How are these reforms received by faculty members? This post looks at these questions from a Central Asian angle.

Internationalizing Kyrgyzstan’s higher education: Double degrees and digitalization lie ahead
What are the challenges and opportunities for the internationalization of higher education in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia?