The University of Westminster is set to play an integral part at the second Uzbekistan-United Kingdom Education Forum 2024, which will be held at Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) between 4-5 March.
The Forum is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the British Council in Uzbekistan, the University of Westminster and Westminster International University in Tashkent. The University will be represented by Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Bonfield, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Employability and Global Engagement Professor Dibyesh Anand and Director of Transnational Education Stephen Wallis.
The Forum will address core priorities for Higher Education in Uzbekistan and the UK and highlight key ways in which these priorities are delivered, including through transnational educational (TNE) collaborations. The impact of Higher Education policy, practice and partnerships will be a focus throughout.
The objectives of the Forum include addressing how universities can and do respond to the requirements of global and local contexts and markets, how they affect positive change as well as responding to national higher education reform and internationalisation agendas by addressing how universities ensure excellence in governance and quality assurance. Along with this, the event aims to further develop inclusive higher education in Uzbekistan through a presentation of the Inclusive University stakeholder mapping exercise and the new Good Practice Guide.
Other objectives include providing a platform for partnership development to be taken forward and sharing good practice in development and innovation in the areas of research, knowledge exchange and technology transfer, with a focus on impact and how it is evaluated. Finally, the Forum will offer a space to discuss key trends in TNE, launch the British Council TNE strategy and explore how Uzbekistan-UK TNE collaborations and international learning can impact positively upon wider higher education developments in Uzbekistan.
The event will see Uzbek Government officials, invited delegates from British and Uzbek universities and representatives from the private sector, international agencies and think tanks share ideas, knowledge and expertise. Future collaborative opportunities between Uzbekistan and the UK and developments in higher education policy will be areas of attention throughout the Forum.
Professor Peter Bonfield, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Westminster, said: “The Forum brings together stakeholders from Uzbekistan and the UK for two days of dynamic discussion, addressing opportunities and challenges facing Higher Education in both nations. I’m delighted to be able to share perspectives drawn from our longstanding and unique TNE partnership with Westminster International University in Tashkent. And I’m excited to be part of the Forum’s energetic exploration of how transnational educational connections can support the further growth of capacity building work and excellence in Higher Education in Uzbekistan and the UK.”
This event will contribute towards the Partnerships for the Goals (17) and Quality Education (4) development goals of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were adopted by the University of Westminster to help make the University a more sustainable, responsible and inclusive place to live, work and study.
Find out more about the event and about the University of Westminster’s Transnational Education partner institutions.
