KIX grant recipients recently held a launch event for their newly funded research project “Promotion of Innovative Distance Education Approaches to Reduce Inequalities and Improve Access to Quality Education in Schools in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan”. The event took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Among participants were representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Kyrgyz Academy of Education, Republican Institute for Training of Teachers, the KIX National Committee, educational institutions, international and non-governmental organizations, schools, experts in education, and PIL Research Company specialists. Consortium members and consultants from Mongolia and Tajikistan and Sangay Jamtsho, Senior Program Officer for KIX, participated online.
On behalf of the Ministry of Education, the Leading Specialist Olga Bryzgalova made her welcoming remarks. The Vice-President of the Academy of Education, Professor Ulanbek Mambetakunov, spoke about the measures in response to school closures during COVID-19 in Kyrgyzstan. Coordinator of the KIX EAP National Committee Doctor Janyl Bokonbaeva introduced the KIX program and spoke about Global Partnership in Education. The international expert of the project, a Senior Analyst at the UNESCO Institute for Higher Education, Dr. Emma Sabzalieva, spoke about the importance of the project, highlighted the consequences of COVID-19, and the school disruptions that followed on the global level. Country Coordinators Abduvohid Safarov (Tajikistan) and Tungalagtuya Khuukhenduu (Mongolia) introduced their organizations and shared the situation in their countries in response to the global pandemic with regards to education.
The project lead, Jyldyz Doolbekova, Director of Taalim-Forum, Almagul Osmonova, and researcher Gulnara Ibraeva introduced the goals, objectives, components, and research strategies. Dynamic discussions on distance education, its weak and strong points, potential for improving access to education for vulnerable groups, suggestions for upcoming research and its methodology followed the presentation. The event provided good communication opportunities for sharing ideas and participants, establishing collaboration and cooperation with stakeholders and potential partners.
