Kyrgyzstan and Russia are strengthening their educational partnership: the III Forum of School Leaders is taking place at KRSU
The III Forum of School Leaders of the Kyrgyz Republic opened today at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (KRSU). The three-day professional platform brought together about 300 participants — school directors and deputies, Russian colleagues, representatives of universities and experts in the field of education.
The forum was organized by Rossotrudnichestvo, Southwestern State University (g. Kursk) and the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic with the active participation of KRSU, the Ishenala Arabayev Kyrgyz State University and ANO «Eurasia». The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva, the First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic Alexey Poida, the Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Pavel Shevtsov, the head of the Russian House in Bishkek Albert Zulkharneev and the heads of leading universities in Kyrgyzstan.
The main directions of the forum are the creation of a single educational space in Kyrgyzstan and Russia, the training of teaching staff, the introduction of digital and pedagogical technologies, as well as the development of school management teams. The program includes plenary sessions, thematic sections and master classes dedicated to issues of innovative learning and education.
«Education has no boundaries. Our common task — is to form a real citizen, based on national and universal values», — emphasized the Minister of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva in her welcoming speech. According to her, the modernization of the school education system, the transition to 12-year education and the updating of national standards should be focused on «the real needs of the child and the challenges of the time».
The minister also noted that today there is an acute issue of shortage of teachers in the natural and mathematical cycle, especially Russian-speaking ones:
«We see that entire subject areas are closed in the regions. Therefore, we must act quickly — create a system of advanced training and retraining, launch short courses and internships. We need teachers —motivated, mobile and ready for modern requirements».
Kendirbaeva also spoke about a number of practical measures: the launch of a national educational platform in Kyrgyz and Russian, the creation of electronic textbooks and digital courses, as well as an internship program in Russia:
«200 of our teachers have already been trained at pedagogical universities in Moscow, and another 200 representatives of out-of-school organizations will go for internships in the near future».
Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Pavel Shevtsov in his speech emphasized that the forum — is not just a meeting of school leaders, but an example of live professional interaction:
«This format is in demand — a specific meeting of people will not replace anything. Today we are talking about cooperation not only at the level of ministries, but also at the level of schools, where directors exchange real practices and jointly solve problems facing the education system».
He also noted the importance of a careful approach to technology implementation:
«Artificial intelligence — our assistant, but it must not be allowed to replace live pedagogical interaction. The main thing in school —the personality of the teacher».
First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic Alexey Poida confirmed that Russia will continue to support the Kyrgyz education system:
«Today, more than 10 thousand citizens of Kyrgyzstan study at Russian universities. The Russian Federation provides large-scale assistance —from training quotas to joint programs for teacher training and the construction of modern schools, designed for more than 11 thousand students».
Rector of KRSU Sergei Volkov in his speech called the university «a practical center of a single Eurasian educational space» and emphasized:
«We accompany the school along the entire path — from teacher training to supervision of lessons and advanced training courses. KRSU is becoming a space where Russian and Kyrgyz experiences are combined to develop school education».
Particular attention within the forum is paid to interschool and interuniversity cooperation. ANO «Eurasia» presented a project «School Twinning» aimed at strengthening ties between educational institutions of the two countries and regular exchange of practices.
Also, as part of the Forum of University Leaders of the Kyrgyz Republic, a large-scale exhibition of Russian universities is being held «Education in Russia — 2026/27», organized by Rossotrudnichestvo. 28 Russian universities — from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Samara, Yekaterinburg, Tyumen and other regions of the country take part in the exhibition. Visitors to the exhibition can get acquainted with modern educational programs, training conditions under Russian government quotas and prospects for academic cooperation.
The forum organizers note that such events become strategic platforms for the development of educational diplomacy. Based on the results of the work, recommendations will be prepared to improve the qualifications of teachers, expand specialized classes and integrate innovative technologies into school practice.
The forum will last three days. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, work will continue at the site of the Ishenala Arabaev Kyrgyz State University, where thematic sections and practical classes for heads of educational institutions will take place.
