DG DEVCO

Central Asia Education Platform (CAEP)

Promoting policy dialogue

in the fields of

Higher Education and

Vocational Education and Training

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DG DEVCO

European Union and Central AsiaCooperation in Education

The EU's Central Asia Strategy, adopted in 2007, includes education

as a priority area for cooperation

The strategy set up the EU Educational Initiative for Central Asia to

enhance policy dialogue on education between Central Asian states in

higher education and VET

It envisaged the creation of a platform to prepare, organise and

implement this policy dialogue

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DG DEVCO

CAEP objectives

To enhance cooperation between the EU and Central Asia, as well as

regional cooperation between Central Asia countries, on reforms in

higher education (HE) and vocational education and training (VET)

To ensure better coordination of donor financed education projects and

programmes in Central Asia

CAEP is a regional programme, covering all five Central Asian

countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,

Uzbekistan)

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DG DEVCO

CAEP Dimensions

Provide technical, organisational and logistical support to thenational and regional dialogue forums (conferences, meetings,workshops)

Carry out studies and stock-taking reports to complementdialogue forums and to support technical and policy dialogue

Provide a communication platform supporting the policy dialoguein the education sector

• http://www.caep-project.org

• http://dbase.caep-project.org

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DG DEVCO

Activities to Date

The Joint Communiqué identified the following priority areasfor cooperation:

(1). Development of Qualification Frameworks and Standards

(2). Quality Assurance and accreditation

(3). Employment and labour market needs.

Ministers also acknowledged the readiness of Poland to assume a leading role for HE and the readiness of Latvia to assume a leading role for VET under the "Central Asia Education Platform (2015-2018)".

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CAEP Phase 2 – Riga, June 26, 2015

First Meeting of Ministers for Education of the Member Statesof the European Union and of the Central Asian countries

DG DEVCO

Activities to Date

Dialogue forums:

Regional Conferences on Qualification Frameworks in Central Asia Countries (Riga 2016), Enhancing cooperation in HE – Mobility, Capacity Building (Cracow, 2016), Quality Assurance and Accreditation in HE and VET (Dushanbe, 2017)

National Dialogue Forums on National Qualifications Frameworks (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan 2016) and on Quality Assurance and Accreditation (Kazakhstan, Kygyzstan 2017)

Peer Learning on National Qualifications Frameworks to share good practices on selected topics with leading experts from Latvia and Poland and CA countries (Istanbul 2017, Bishkek 2017).

Working Groups on Data Collection Methodologies and Evidence-based policy making in HE and VET has been established in close coordination with the ETF (Istanbul 2017, Bishkek 2017).

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DG DEVCO

Activities to Date

Studies:

Stock-taking reports on 'National Qualifications Frameworks', 'Mobility and Capacity Development', and 'Existing Cooperation in the Field of HE and VET between the EU, EU Member States and Central Asian countries' have been completed.

A paper on the current state of reform developments in Central Asia with regards to the Bologna and Torino process is also in the pipeline.

•• The reports and background papers can be downloaded at:

• http://www.caep-project.org/useful-content/studies-and-reports/

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DG DEVCO

Activities to DateCAEP Phase 2 – Astana, June 23, 2017

• Second Meeting of Ministers for Education

• of the Member States of the European Union and of the Central Asian countries

• Hosted by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan

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DG DEVCO

Activities to DateCAEP Phase 2 – Astana, June 23, 2017

• Astana Declaration of the Second Meeting of Ministers for Education of the Member States of the European Union and of the

Central Asian countries

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31. Participating Ministers and delegates underlined the importance ofEuropean Union cooperation to advance modernisation of the Central Asiaeducation and training systems and invited the European Commission, theEuropean External Action Service, European Union Member States and thedonor community to dedicate appropriate resources and expertise to addressexisting and new priorities identified in this Declaration: (i) QualificationFrameworks and Standards; (ii) Quality Assurance and Accreditation; (iii)Employment and Labour Market Needs; (iv) Innovative teaching methods; (v)Contribution of education to prevent violent radicalisation of youth; (vi)Contribution of education in addressing gender inequalities; (vii) Effectivefinancing of education systems and education institutions. These prioritiesshould be kept in mind when defining bilateral or regional educationprogrammes, notably when defining regional and national priorities for theErasmus+.

DG DEVCO

CAEP Extension Phase March 2018 to March 2019

Dialogue Forums:

Regional Conferences on The Role of Education in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE), and a closing CAEP conference in January 2019.

Working Groups on Evidence based policy making to strengthen employability (with ETF)

Webinars on Stakeholder involvement in NQF, Gender Equality in Education, Innovative Teaching Methodologies in HE/VET, Effective Financing of Education Systems and Institutions.

Studies:

In addition, background papers on Education in P/CVE, Gender Equality in Education in Central Asia – Trends and Challenges, and Financing of Education in Central Asia will be produced to support the policy dialogues.

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DG DEVCO

Achievements

An evaluation of CAEP is planned for 2018.

We think its key achievements lie in the following areas:

• (1) Improved policy dialogue and facilitated regular exchange on reforms in HE and VET

• (2) Regional cooperation between the countries of Central Asia has been facilitated

• (3)Sector modernisation

• (4) Improved knowledge and mutual understanding

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DG DEVCO

THANK YOU

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