Formation of a Unified Educational Space in the Framework of SCO: Problems and Prospects

Strategic ways of educational reform

Ospanova A.N. Ph.D

A.S. Sadvokassova,

postgraduate student 2^nd course,

M.R. Mukanov,

postgraduate student 1^st course,

Regional Studies Department,

International Relations Faculty,

L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University

Education is an area where not only the future success lays, but also where you can meet the greatest understanding for today, to ensure and to enhance effective international cooperation, to multiply the spiritual and intellectual potential of Central Asian people. This century is the century of knowledge and new technologies.

As you know, "Shanghai five" (China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan) was established in 1996. Positive potential accumulated by solving these difficult problems, which were inherited since XIX century, allowed converting the "five" into Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Thus it was laid a political foundation for transition from confidence building measures to cooperation on a wide range of issues.

The Declaration, created by the SCO, gave such impulse to cooperation. It identified major challenges: strengthening between Member States, mutual trust, friendship, good neighborliness, the development of multilateral cooperation in order to maintain and strengthen peace, security and stability in the region and to help building a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic order; joint counteraction against terrorism, separatism and extremism, etc.[1].

But the most important thing is that the political elites of Central Asia at the present stage realized the need for radical reform in the educational sector. This is due to the transition to international standards of secondary and higher education, the formation of common set requirements for graduates in higher institutions, standardization in educational programs and to solve the problem of mutual recognition of diplomas in higher education.

For the Central Asian states the inclusion into Bologna process is a possibility to raise a level of national education, the desire to restore the continuity in personnel training.

From participation in the Bologna process of Central Asian countries it is expected to expand citizens' access to training and employment opportunities abroad, reducing the risk of international isolation and provincialisation of national system in higher education.

Despite the fact that in the states of Central Asia the reforms are going in the educational sphere, the largest dynamic and results of this process are achieved in higher education. At present three-tier system has been already functioning: Bachelor- Master - Doctorate Ph.D (Kazakhstan), two-tier system of education (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan), introduced new guidelines and specialties, new educational technologies are in a process of introduction, the work is going on improving the quality of student training, teachers` qualification, the demand for graduates in the labor market, increasing of mobility and more.

However there is no unity of approaches in a unified educational space in Central Asia.

In our opinion this can be explained by these following reasons: there is a big difference in educational systems between SCO member states, because of differences in political and socio-economic development, the features of economic organization and governance, including educational sphere. These differences manifest themselves in higher education primarily in different educational standards, which raise the question of mutual qualification recognitions and periods of study. The demand level and training for specific majors are also different. Finally, the difference manifests itself in the regulatory and legal framework of the SCO member states in general. These differences will certainly narrow the opportunities for effective interaction between the educational systems and individual universities in Russia and the SCO in total. Today in Central Asia has been experiencing the growth in the number of commercial schools, reducing the share of education expenditure by the state and simultaneously the formation of state order for training in priority areas. However, despite the declaration of reforming priority in educational systems in general and higher education in particular often remains the declarations and do not go into action to modernize the educational sphere. This is true of such key parameters as the introduction of a two-tier system of higher education, academic credit, student mobility, and control over the quality in higher education [2].

The transition to international standards in middle and high schools is associated with the formation in a common set of requirements for graduates in higher institutions, the standardization of educational programs, problem solutions, it means, the mutual recognition of diplomas of higher education. The formation of common labor market in European countries inevitably raises the question of the same type in system qualification assessment of the potential employee. It is impossible to solve this problem outside of common educational space and general standards, which are assessing the quality of university graduates.

The above circumstances lead to the following conclusion for the post-Soviet countries: a creative approach is needed for the assimilation of international educational experience. Higher education systems affect each other, and there is a constant exchange, borrowing and copying some of their traits. In this context, the Bologna process is one of many examples. Therefore the approach for using international experience, which is based on a thorough understanding of the specifics in their own and other countries will reduce the risk of possible unintended consequences.

But the Shanghai Cooperation Organization can contribute to the creation of a unified educational space within the organization. According to official documents, the purpose of Shanghai Cooperation Organization includes the joint struggle against international terrorism and religious extremism, organized by crime, drug and arms trafficking and other criminal activities and illegal mass migration.

The development of relations between SCO member- states meets the vital interests in all Central Asia. Only as a result of further good neighbor relations, friendship and cooperation can effectively protect their own interests, to realize the objectives of the joint development and prosperity, and education development as well.

According to history of modern international relations, creation and development of "Shanghai Five" provide an example of positive integration process. It marked the beginning in new outlook on security, containing principles of mutual trust, disarmament, security and cooperation, enriched bilateral relations in a new type, which were started by China and Russia, based on partnership, not a union, provided a model for regional cooperation. The distinguishing feature of which is a joint initiative, the priority of safety, mutual interaction between large and small states.

The SCO has joined unique civilizations, and their close cooperation is inevitably a source of enrichment for each separately. Integration of research capacities regularly contributes to the development of innovative technologies in all spheres of our societies.

To create the legal framework of cooperation by Member States it been developing a project of agreement on mutual recognition of education documents and documents on scientific levels and titles issued to graduates in educational institutions of SCO Member States. June 15, 2006 during the anniversary of the SCO Summit in Shanghai the Agreement on Cooperation in the field of education was signed. At the same time parties have been working out under the auspices of the possibility of creating a unified SCO Education Center [3].

The geographical and historical proximity of the SCO countries is the basis of complementarities and interdependence of cultures and traditions. Due to the peculiarities of human resources of each country every SCO Member state has a tremendous potential for interaction. According to the Charter of the SCO cooperation in the humanitarian field is one of the organization priorities. Leaders of SCO member states have repeatedly emphasized that the organization should pay more attention to the humanitarian cooperation, which is one of the fastest growing areas of cooperation within the SCO. Over the five years of SCO establishment member states have developed a practical and effective cooperation in the field of culture, education, environmental protection and consequence management after natural disaster.

At the same time, we must recognize that the SCO countries showed less attention to the development of unity approaches in the movement to a common educational space. And now there is a number of unsolved problems, the main of which is nonrecognition of diplomas, impossibility of free movement of students and college graduates and further employment in the specialty in other countries` market.

This theme is particularly relevant, since the functioning of a free labor market, migration of skilled labor creates the need for objective recognition of diplomas of one country by the professional community in another country. For each of the SCO countries it is typical its own specific features and problems in education, but in most countries there is an increasing number of private universities, reducing the share of education spending by the state and simultaneously the formation of state order for training in priority areas.

Used literature:

1. Korsak K. Nasha obrazovannost': mify i realii // http://www.mirror.kiev.ua

2.Obrazovatel'nye programmy: evropejskoe izmerenie // http:// www. ehu. unibel.

3. Zholdasbekov M. Voprosy modernizacii vysshej shkoly // http: // www. kazpravda. kz/ archive/ 09_01_2003/ n.html