Leaders from Central Asia convened in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to advance the region’s higher education landscape at the inaugural QS Eurasia Forum 2025. This significant gathering brought together over 300 university leaders, government officials, and industry representatives from Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The forum marked a pivotal moment, reflecting Central Asia’s aspirations to take a leading role in global academic trends rather than merely following them.
Uzbekistan’s Emergence in Global Education
A central theme of the forum was Uzbekistan’s remarkable transformation in higher education. Sardor Radjabov, Uzbekistan’s first deputy minister of higher education, science, and innovations, elaborated on the reforms that have reshaped the country’s academic sector. Notably, international partnerships have expanded significantly, with collaborations established with institutions in the UK, US, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Turkey, and the EU. Currently, seven Uzbek universities are ranked in the latest QS World University Rankings, with three making it into the top 1,000. The higher education system has seen a dramatic increase, rising from 69 institutions a decade ago to a current total of 204.
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek, acknowledged Uzbekistan’s achievements and emphasized the need for closer regional cooperation. He stated that Eurasia is experiencing a “historic window of opportunity” to enhance the academic landscape. Nurbek highlighted Uzbekistan’s partnerships with approximately 20 British universities as a benchmark for collaboration.
New Partnerships and Future Aspirations
The forum also showcased significant developments in regional cooperation. Emin Amrullayev, Minister of Science and Education in Azerbaijan, reported that student enrollment in his country has nearly tripled. He underscored the importance of maintaining high academic standards as a primary goal. The Uzbekistan-Germany Rectors’ Forum yielded over 50 cooperation agreements, with similar discussions taking place with representatives from China and Japan.
At the event, Jeffrey Hunter from George Washington University expressed his institution’s commitment to establishing memorandums of understanding, exchange agreements, and joint programs, reflecting the rising academic standards in Uzbekistan. Additionally, Svetoslav Spassov, a professor at the University of National and World Economy in Bulgaria, invited Uzbek students to apply for a fully funded Master’s program in Nuclear Security supported by the IAEA.
According to Nunzio Quacquarelli, president of QS, the number of Central Asian universities listed by QS has increased from 14 to 32 in recent years. Uzbekistan has made significant strides, rising from zero ranked universities to seven. Quacquarelli noted that Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan are enhancing research output, teaching quality, and curriculum standards, creating new opportunities for joint degrees, student mobility, and research collaboration.
The QS Eurasia Forum 2025 not only highlighted the region’s progress but also positioned Central Asia as an emerging hub for global education, promising a future rich with potential for academic innovation and collaboration.
