Central Asian Education Platform Juergen Weiss, Team leader Astana, 13 February 2013

Project Background (1) The EU launched in 2007 the “EU Central Asian Strategy for New Partnership”, aiming at the five Central Asian (CA) states, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The EU’s Central Asia Strategy focuses on a number of priorities for cooperation (security, stability, rule of law, good governance, human rights, youth and education, environment and energy, security, and water management, etc.).

Project Background (2) High-level political and thematic dialogues in three main areas have been agreed upon. In order to prepare, organise and implement these dialogues, as well as disseminate their results, three platforms are to be set up: Rule of Law Platform; Environment and Water Platform; Education Platform.

Project Objective The Central Asian Education Platform (CAEP) is a key pillar of the European Education Initiative for Central Asia which is to “contribute to the adaptation of education systems of Central Asian States to the needs to the globalised world” (Strategy, p.9) as well as the necessities of the region, economies and the societies in each particular country

Aim of CAEP The CAEP is aimed at strengthening education reforms in the CA region by promoting policy dialogue in the education sector between the European Union and Central Asia, and within the CA region and countries assisting better coordination of donor financed education projects and programmes in CA by supporting policy dialogue

Project Objective Map the state-of-play on VET and HE in each CA country (including a CAEP needs assessment and a stakeholder analysis) and make proposal for contents of the political dialogue Provide technical, organisational and logistical support to the national and regional dialogue forums (conferences, meetings, workshops) Provide a communication platform supporting the policy dialogue in the education sector Carry out studies to complement dialogue forums

Needs assessment Objective – create a design of CAEP that ensures an valuable impact of CAEP- supported political dialogue on the reforms of CA education sectors, taking into account Needs and desires of the stakeholders in VET and HE in Central Asia Past and on-going initiatives in VET & HE as well as the intentions of the various Commission services (EEAS, EAC, EACEA Tempus, DEVCO) and ETF Limited resources of the project

Results of the needs assessment for VET & HE in CA (KA, KG, TA & UZ) Major common needs for VET & HE identified: Strengthen the cooperation with the EEA (further introduction of Bologna principles in HE, learning from Copenhagen & implementing the Torino process in VET, etc.) Promote qualifications relevant to the labour market and attractive for the students Educate competent and motivated teachers to deliver these modern qualifications enabling students for lifelong employability Assist quality assurance practices and cross-sector tools like national qualifications frameworks

Results of the needs assessment of the EU Focus on VET and HE and reinforce their interaction in modern qualification systems Build on prior successful initiatives like Tempus, Erasmus Mundus and ETF projects and actions, seek for possible synergies and avoid duplications Valorisation and dissemination of results of prior initiatives and projects Include value-oriented education, education on democratic society and human rights education

Technology of supporting political dialogue Designing & preparing a study on the agreed topic as resource material Conducting a regional workshop on technical expert level to introduce and discuss the results of the study Disseminating the results through a national expert meeting and prepare high level political dialogue on the topic Organising event for regional high level political dialogue Final editing of the study including results of political dialogue

Teacher education and training (TET) Main political dialogue support line(1) Teacher education and training (TET) Analyze and discuss TET policy on state, institutional & organizational level Teacher’s competence and qualification profile and curricula Initial training for secondary education teachers (including VET teachers and trainers) Teacher’s recruitment, careers and lifelong professional developments

Main political dialogue support line (2) Quality of VET & HE Analyze and discuss Quality of graduates in terms of lifelong employability and career development Quality of the qualification system allowing vertical progression and horizontal mobility and recognition of prior learning in various forms, contexts and extents Quality assurance practices in VET (European quality reference framework) and HE (Bologna QA practices), NQF

Support on request Political dialogue support on request of MoE, CA stakeholders or EU partners: Introduction of the “Erasmus for all” programme, National Alumni meetings of Erasmus Mundus, Dissemination workshops for valorization of good Tempus results, Seminars on education for democratic citizenship and human rights education, Value-oriented education Support to HE reform exerts and expert teams

Main political dialogue support line (3) Interaction of VET & HE Analyze and discuss Access of IVET and CVET learners to HE (opening HE; permeability, planning and support of transition) Recognition of prior formal, non-formal and informal vocational education, training and learning for HE programs (including work-place based learning, key competences, transferable skills, etc.) Newly emerging forms of interaction of VET and HE (Vertical integration of qualifications via NQF, Vocational higher education, dual higher education, institutional integration, etc.)

Support requested by HERE Invite HERE to national and regional dialogue forums (including internet discussions) and study visits Further discussion and training on introduction and improvement of Bologna principles with HERE Provide specific HE expertise: support NQF development, establishment of independent accreditation agencies, development of third cycle of HE; provide expertise in quality assurance Involve HERE in development of project proposals and project evaluations/monitoring Prepare HERE team as successors of CAEP in facilitating the political dialogue

First activities Appraisal of the Education Sector Plan in Uzbekistan ETF´s Torino Process 2012: VET Developments in Central Asia (end of January 2013 in Astana) Study on TET for SE (incl. VET) (starting in November) National follow-up meeting of the Tempus study “HRM in public HEI” (spring 2013) (might be complemented by HRM in VET schools) Support to HE reform exerts and expert teams (on request)

Project Team Wolfgang Hellwig Project director Tel.: +49 6172 930 451 E-mail: wolfgang.hellwig@gopa.de Dr. Juergen Weiss Team leader +49 30 63927671 +49 160 4777267 E-mail: juergen.weiss@gopa.de Muchtar Guljamow Project manager +49 30 63927673 +4917629556880 E-mai: muchtar.guljamow@gopa.de