Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- First Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Komiljon Karimov during his official visit to France on 6-9 March took part in a number of events and held negotiations.

He took part in the extraordinary session of the Intergovernmental Conference of the UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education.

The Global Convention sets out universal principles for the recognition of courses, prior education and qualifications to improve access to and mobility between higher education institutions around the world.

The event was opened by UNESCO Deputy Director General for Education Stefania Giannini. She noted that today there are more than 250 million students in the world, of which more than 6 million study outside their region, and in this context, the recognition of their qualifications and skills raises problems and questions. Also the main goal

The Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications is to ensure gender equality in expanding the coverage of the world’s population in higher education, as well as supporting the education of refugees.

Stefania Giannini also noted that the number of countries that have ratified the Global Convention is increasing, and emphasized the need to increase coverage in order for actions to have a positive impact. In this regard, it was reported that UNESCO is providing technical and advisory assistance to a number of countries.

As of March 2024, 28 countries have ratified the Convention and approximately 20 more countries are in the process of ratification.

By ratifying the global convention, states undertake to strengthen international cooperation in the field of higher education, improve its quality in their country and throughout the world, help in the implementation of academic mobility and the recognition of qualifications throughout the world.

During the event, the results of the work of working groups of representatives of the participating countries of the Global Convention were heard and a program of mutual actions of the participating countries for 2024-2025 was approved.

After the event, a meeting was held with the head of the UNESCO Department of Lifelong Education Systems and Policies, Boren Chakrun, and the organization’s higher education project coordinator, Tortian Hassmik.

Boren Chakrun highly appreciated the scale of reforms being implemented by the head of state Shavkat Mirziyoyev. During the dialogue, proposals to support Uzbekistan’s membership in the World Convention, launching projects in cooperation with UNESCO, and raising funds for the further development of the higher education system were discussed. visit of the organization’s working group to Uzbekistan in April of this year.

Meetings were held with the Deputy Advisor for European and International Affairs of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research M. Bouir, the Director of the Department of Culture, Education and Research of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs M. Peyraud, and the Head of the Marketing and Scholarships Department of the Campus France Agency E. Jadot.

During the negotiations, a number of agreements were reached regarding measures to accelerate the implementation of agreements reached during the high-level visits of the leaders of the two countries. Including:

1. Creation of the Uzbek-French University in Uzbekistan.
In this direction, a corresponding Agreement will be signed between the ministries responsible for higher education of both countries, and the composition of the group of French universities will be expanded to help organize the activities of the university.

2. Allocation of grant places for Uzbek students to study in France.
The Campus France agency, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, will develop a mechanism for sending young people to study at French universities, and co-financing measures will also be taken.

3. Cooperation in the creation of advanced engineering schools in Uzbekistan.
Cooperation will be implemented with the French Association of Directors of Engineering Schools and engineering schools “Sentrale supelec”, within the framework of which the experience of special schools at specialized lyceums and universities in France will be studied.

4. Conducting an Uzbek-French forum of higher education.
In October 2024, a forum will be organized in Tashkent with the participation of universities of the two countries; representatives of relevant French ministries will also take part in this event.

5. Further expansion of teaching French to Uzbek youth.
In this direction, work will be expanded with the organization “French Alliance” in the regions of Uzbekistan on teaching the French language and assessing knowledge. Training programs will also be organized for French language teachers from Uzbekistan.

Also during the visit, a meeting was held with the director of the National Engineering School of the University of Rennes, France, K. Musho and the vice-rector of the University of Paute, K. Fernandez-Malouane.

An agreement was reached on the visit of the next group of French universities to open a university in Uzbekistan in the second half of March this year.