Тезисы докладов республиканской электронной конференции
«ПРОБЛЕМЫ И ПУТИ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫХ ЭКОНОМИК: НОВЫЕ
ВЫЗОВЫ ИНВЕСТИЦИОННО-ИННОВАЦИОННОГО ПРОРЫВА»
97
Nozim G. MUMINOV
Associate Professor of the
Department "Economic Theory"
National University of Uzbekistan
named after Mirzo Ulugbek
Umidakhon RAKHIMOVA
Deputy Director of the Center for
the Development of Higher and
Secondary Specialized Education
of the Ministry of Higher and
Secondary Specialized Education
of the Republic of Uzbekistan
INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS A FACTOR IN
IMPROVING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY
1
In 2015, the United Nations member states adopted the 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Higher education is one of the
priorities of Task 4.3 of the SDGs -
―By 2030, ensure equal access for all
women and men to affordable and high-quality vocational and higher
education, including university education‖. To achieve this goal, one of the
illustrative strategies is to promote the internationalization of higher
education.
In the Astana Declaration (2017), the Central Asian countries
’
Ministers of Education reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening
cooperation in the field of internationalization of higher education, including
for sustainable and inclusive development
2
. Despite the fact that there are
many definitions, the internationalization of higher education is understood
as: Intentionally expanding the spatiality of higher education through cross-
border mobility and interconnection between educational institutions,
students, scientists, knowledge, programs and suppliers (systems and
providers)
3
.
This definition includes holistic policies and practices in higher
education in response to globalization. Given the rapidly evolving trends in
economics, technology and science, internationalization poses growing
1
The thesis is based on the materials of the regional leadership forum for improving the
quality of higher education: The policy and practice of internationalization in the Asia-
Pacific region. UNESCO. May 22-24, 2019. Almaty, Kazakhstan.
2
Central Asia Education Platform (CAEP)
3
Developing Holistic Indicators to Promote the Internationalization of Higher Education
in the Asia-Pacific (UNESCO Policy Brief on Education in the Asia-Pacific Region,
November 2018)
Тезисы докладов республиканской электронной конференции
«ПРОБЛЕМЫ И ПУТИ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫХ ЭКОНОМИК: НОВЫЕ
ВЫЗОВЫ ИНВЕСТИЦИОННО-ИННОВАЦИОННОГО ПРОРЫВА»
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challenges for higher education systems in Central Asia in the areas of
quality assurance, graduate employment, employer satisfaction with the
quality of graduate training, and the preparation of comparable mobility
statistics
1
. World experience shows that Kazakhstan, in its State Program
for the Development of Education, aims to increase the overall percentage
of foreign students in the country
2
. About 14,000 foreign students are
currently studying in Kazakhstan, including from Uzbekistan and India
3
.
Kazakhstan also aligns its higher education system with the European
Higher Education Area (EEPO), adopting the relevant principles of the
Bologna process, including the introduction of a three-tier degree structure,
an independent quality assurance system and the National Qualifications
Framework (NQF) in accordance with European higher education systems.
In Kyrgyzstan, there were more than 14,000 mobile students from other
countries, including India. The country is taking steps to promote the
recognition of qualifications in order to increase the transparency of
qualifications, promote mobility, expand employment opportunities and
increase the level of lifelong learning. From the middle of 2019, new and
more accelerated procedures for the recognition of foreign diplomas and
qualifications will appear in Uzbekistan
4
. Tajikistan also gives priority to
international cooperation in higher education, including exchange programs
and recognition of qualifications in its State Program for the Development
of Education until 2020
5
. These issues are particularly important for
strategic cooperation with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, which
is the fastest growing region in the world, in terms of the number of foreign
students arriving and departing.
In October 2018, the member states of the Asia-Pacific region
announced a ―new era of mobility and internationalization of higher
education in the Asia-Pacific region through the recognition of
qualifications‖
6
. Within the framework of the Seoul Declaration, the
countries of the Asia-Pacific region reaffirmed their commitment to ratify
and implement the Tokyo Recognition Convention, which entered into force
1
Astana Declaration (June 2017). Second Meeting of Ministers for Education of the
Member States of the European Union and of the Central Asian Countries (Astana,
Kazakhstan)
2
State Program of Education Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2016-
2019
3
Center for International Programs of the Ministry of Education and Science of the
Republic of Kazakhstan
4
Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan ―On Additional Measures to Improve the System of
Control over the Quality of Education‖. https://regulation.gov.uz/uz/document/669
5
State Program of Education Development in Tajikistan until 2020
6
Seoul Statement (October 2018). First Session of the Committee of the Asia-Pacific
Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education (Tokyo
Convention Committee). UNESCO Bangkok
Тезисы докладов республиканской электронной конференции
«ПРОБЛЕМЫ И ПУТИ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫХ ЭКОНОМИК: НОВЫЕ
ВЫЗОВЫ ИНВЕСТИЦИОННО-ИННОВАЦИОННОГО ПРОРЫВА»
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on February 1, 2018 after ratification by five Member States - Australia,
China, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea.
As an analogue of the Lisbon Convention in Europe, the Tokyo
Convention in the Asia-Pacific region provides new opportunities for
harmonizing recognition policies and practices in order to increase student
mobility in the region and beyond. Although student mobility remains one of
the main trends in the region, the concept of internationalization of higher
education is expanding rapidly and includes more diverse aspects,
including at the institutional and system level.
Key aspects include:
A. At the level of national
education systems:
B. At the institutional level:
Mobility of teaching and learning
(for example, mobility of people,
programs and institutions)
Mobility of teaching and learning
(for example, mobility of people and
programs)
Scientific collaboration
Scientific collaboration
Network policy (for example, credit
transfer systems)
Institutional network
Coordination with international
regulatory documents (for example,
the Tokyo Convention)
Social inclusion
Quality assurance tools (for
example, internationally recognized
quality assurance agencies)
Management and Leadership (e.g.
Institutional Management)
At each level, new opportunities and questions emerge to explore
how internationalization can improve the quality of higher education at
home and abroad. The goal is to promote a holistic approach to
internationalization and promote the creation of sustainable societies in
Central Asia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
At present, the internationalization of higher education is focused
primarily on internationally mobile learners. However, the majority of
students in higher education institutions probably do not have opportunities
or financial resources for short-term or long-term study abroad. In this
regard, so that the majority of local students can take advantage of
internationalization,
without
necessarily
going
abroad,
the
internationalization of programs and curriculum, such as home-based
internationalization, is also important and requires a holistic and inclusive
approach for all students.
In conclusion, it should be emphasized that in order to deepen the
process of internationalization of higher education in Uzbekistan, it is
necessary, first of all, to ratify and accede to international regulatory
documents (Tokyo Convention, Astana Declaration). In the future it is
Тезисы докладов республиканской электронной конференции
«ПРОБЛЕМЫ И ПУТИ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫХ ЭКОНОМИК: НОВЫЕ
ВЫЗОВЫ ИНВЕСТИЦИОННО-ИННОВАЦИОННОГО ПРОРЫВА»
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necessary (vital) to solve the problems associated with the language
barrier, the lack of material resources to ensure the mobility of students and
teachers. And, probably, in order to achieve the set goals, first of all, it is
necessary to establish international scientific cooperation (writing and
publishing joint articles, monographs) that will enable the establishment
and development of partnerships between universities, professors and
researchers.
