On January 28, 2022, a working seminar on the development of PhD programs in Kyrgyzstan was held at the International University of Kyrgyzstan. The event brought together representatives of accreditation agencies AAOPO and EdNet, PhD program leaders from universities including IUK, KNU named after J. Balasagyn, KTU “Manas”, UNPK IUK, KSTU named after I. Razzakov, as well as experts in higher education.
Main Goal:
To address challenges and explore opportunities for developing PhD programs in Kyrgyzstan, fostering the modernization and internationalization of higher education to strengthen the country’s scientific potential and support the training of highly qualified research professionals.
The seminar opened with a welcoming speech from the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, A.T. Abdraeva, who emphasized the importance of the event. She noted that, as of today, eight universities in the country hold licenses for PhD programs. However, there is a need to create a platform to address pressing issues faced by universities and the system as a whole, including challenges related to quality, equitable access, management, and the internationalization of higher education.
G. Zh. Bilbayeva, Head of the Department of Scientific and Technical Policy at the Ministry of Education and Science of Kyrgyzstan, highlighted the challenges in developing PhD programs and stressed their essential role as a foundation for training scientific personnel. She also underlined the importance of modernization and improvement of the higher education system.
Presentations were delivered by D.A. Shamatov, Professor at Nazarbayev University, I.G. Kenzhaev, Professor at OshSU, and A.A. Kydykov, Head of the Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies Department at KSTU named after I. Razzakov. Participants actively discussed the presentations, engaged in dialogue, and raised important issues concerning PhD candidates.
This seminar served as a crucial platform for addressing current challenges and exploring the prospects for PhD program development in Kyrgyzstan, contributing to the strengthening of the country’s scientific potential and supporting higher education reform.