From April 14 to 18, 2026, the International Forum “Cooperation for Sustainable Development: Green. Digital. Smart” is taking place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in partnership with UI GreenMetric. As part of the forum, the VII Meeting of the Rectors’ Club: Central Asia+ will be held on April 15 at the International University of Tourism and Entrepreneurship of Tajikistan. This meeting will serve as a continuation of the summit, transforming the discussions into an intensive strategic dialogue focused on the universities of Central Asia.
The connection with the summit “Universities of the Future: Green. Digital. Smart” ensures the integration of the regional agenda into the global transformation of higher education.
The Rectors’ Club is organized by Almaty Management University. The AlmaU delegation includes Rector Timur Buldybayev, Vice-Rector for Global Partnership Sholpan Tazabek, Deputy Director of the Institute of Education Madyar Makatov, and Director of the International Cooperation Office Aliya Akpayeva.
The strategic advisor to the President and Rector on educational transformation and international development, founder of Global Education Futures, associate researcher at the Learning Planet Institute, and member of the World Academy of Art and Science, Pavel Luksha, will be one of the key speakers on the topic “Transformation of Higher Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Challenges for Universities of Central Asia.”
Among the speakers of the event are also Tristan McCowan, Professor and Deputy Dean for International Affairs at the Institute of Education, University College London, and Elmira Karmanova, Chief Project Manager at the Almaty Development Center, Co-founder of the “COMMUNITYPLUS” foundation, and CEO of LLP “Community.”
Holding the meeting in Dushanbe expands the regional dialogue and strengthens the positioning of the “Rectors’ Club: Central Asia+” as a platform for collective leadership.
The “Rectors’ Club: Central Asia+” is a regional platform for strategic dialogue that brings together presidents, rectors, vice-rectors of universities, and experts to shape the future of higher education in Central Asia and partner countries. The Club promotes the development of partnerships, open dialogue, and the global advancement of universities in the region, based on the principles of equality, trust, and cooperation.
Since June 2023, six meetings of the “Rectors’ Club: Central Asia+” have been held in Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan (Almaty), Uzbekistan (Bukhara and Tashkent), Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek), and Azerbaijan (Baku).
In the context of the transition to a green and digital economy, universities are becoming key actors in shaping new competencies and employment models. The objective of the VII Meeting of the “Rectors’ Club: Central Asia+” is to discuss the role of Central Asian universities in preparing the workforce of the future and developing sustainable economies in the region, as well as to define directions for joint action.