Issyk-Kul Summer School sparks vocational excellence dialogue across Central Asia

From the idyllic shores of Issyk-Kul – considered to be the soul of Central Asia – emerged a powerful sense of unity and ambition. Over four days, more than 100 educators, VET provider managers, education professionals, policymakers, representatives from the Ministries and SCAFFOLD trainers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan gathered for the 2025 DARYA Summer School (camp) on excellence in teaching and learning. 

Against a backdrop of turquoise water and high mountain peaks, the event transformed into a dynamic space of shared purpose, policy dialogue and pedagogical inspiration.

Organised under the EU-funded DARYA programme, and following the first joint engagement of Central Asian countries with the EU’s concept of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in Turin last May, this summer school laid the groundwork for something bigger. The event, which received coverage in Kyrgyz national media, showcased how education policy in the region is evolving – and why it matters.

The school introduced to the diverse audience the ISATCOVE self-assessment tool for schools and followed up on the SCAFFOLD methodological tool for educators, both of which are central pillars of the ETF’s vision on vocational excellence. The event showcased achievements and celebrated recent winners and finalists of the DARYA SCAFFOLD competition, recognising innovative teachers who are pushing the boundaries of quality education.

The ETF’s perspective is more than just about one model of development, vocational excellence is an ecosystem where different actors, perspectives and layers are interconnected.

This vision was echoed in the opening remarks by Georgios Zisimos, Head of Policy Advice Unit at the ETF, who emphasised the need for an integrated ecosystem that connects education providers, employers, local authorities and communities. “The lake itself is a biological ecosystem,” he said. “And for vocational excellence, you also need a skills ecosystem between stakeholders, where everything is connected.”

The event follows previous milestones on Vocational Excellence, such as the first-ever Winter Camp on VET in Slovenia held in February.

A recipe for regional reform and cooperation

Using the culinary metaphor of plov – the region’s iconic rice dish – participants reflected on the essential “ingredients” needed to achieve vocational excellence: work based learning,  applied research, teachers professional development, labour market relevance, infrastructure, digital skills, motivation, and cooperation between different institutional levels. The culinary recipe metaphor is an effective ETF device to illustrate how visions of vocational excellence may vary across the globe, yet start from the same basic ingredients – as highlighted in several case studies featured in the recent publication ‘A Taste of Vocational Excellence: International Recipes for Skills Development’.

Christine Hemschemeier, ETF’s Senior Human Capital Development expert and focal point for Central Asia, highlighted the central role of educators in this process. “We have many teachers here,” she said, “so insights are very teacher-centred. But there are many dimensions affecting vocational excellence. Everyone plays a role, and sometimes boundaries between levels make collaboration hard. Our goal is to cross those boundaries.”

“We are grateful to the ETF for its long-standing support in driving innovation in education. For us, the key ingredient is knowledge — deep knowledge and mastery of one’s own profession, especially for teachers,” said Gulnura Mamyrova, Head of the Department of Initial Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic. “It is inspiring to see that representatives from the Ministries of all five countries under the DARYA project share a common vision on education, which shows that at policy level we are moving in the same direction, referring to the European Union experience, this is fundamental for us”.

The presence of SCAFFOLD competition winners and highly commended participants further amplified the voice of educators. Elena Yekimova from Kazakhstan and Guncha Chonanova from Turkmenistan, both active as SCAFFOLD trainers, described how the tool is helping teachers rethink their role and build innovative strategies tailored to learners’ needs, while supporting skills development in areas much in demand by the employers – especially in key Global Gateway and country leading sectors like energy and construction.

Umed Asoev, Executive Director at the Association of Adult Education of Tajikistan, noted that the Scaffold tool also offers adult learners the opportunity to structure their training and learning more effectively. 

Gulmira Azimova, Special‑Subject Teacher at the Zarafshan City Polytechnicum in Uzbekistan underlined that “the DARYA project is not just about courses and good practices, but a whole world of ideas and goodwill — where the mentor is neither above nor stricter, but walks alongside, helping and supporting.”

CoVEs, ISATCOVE and the DARYA roadmaps

The summer school offered a unique opportunity for countries to deepen their understanding of the key elements supporting the development of CoVEs – not as static institutions, but as systems that can be catalysts for change. “CoVEs are a model,” said Georgios Zisimos. “They are one way – not the only one – to reach vocational excellence. But they are a very powerful model, and the EU is investing in them more and more as part of a broader vision for transformation.”

The presence of European VET provider associations EVTA and EfVET was particularly valuable for the Central Asian participants, who expressed strong interest in engaging with international networks as a key driver of growth and excellence in their own systems. 

The sessions evolved around identifying the criteria for excellence (based on ISATCOVE) most suitable to each country’s system from the participants’ perspective, and then focused on the crucial dimensions of teaching and learning, partnership and collaboration, governance, and funding. As the moderators observed, “the proposals became more complex and ambitious day by day,” reflecting the high level of responsiveness and engagement shown by Central Asian participants — both at institutional level and among representatives of educational institutions.

Through the Business Model Canvas (BMC) exercise, country teams mapped out tailored visions for CoVEs in their own contexts, defining objectives, offers, beneficiaries and enabling conditions. The ISATCOVE tool supported this process by offering an evidence-based structure to identify strengths and gaps across relevant dimensions affecting teaching and learning quality.

“ISATCOVE is a flexible tool built around three key dimensions of excellence, designed as a common language for vocational excellence. It provides a standard framework that can help VET providers identify strengths, as well as areas for improvement and collaboration,” explained Doriana Monteleone, ETF Human Capital Development Statistician and co-developer of the tool. She noted that it is not necessary to apply all the dimensions at once, but rather to select those that best fit the context at national and school level. Monteleone also encouraged participants to use the tool not as a checklist, but as a catalyst for policy dialogue, stakeholder engagement, and measurable improvements in VET provision.

Excellence in practice: country insights and shared challenges

Throughout the week, participants engaged in three thematic tracks, focused respectively on policy, continuous professional development, and SCAFFOLD. From Kazakhstan’s national “Year of Professions” to Uzbekistan’s reforms on dual education, to Tajikistan’s ambitions for a national quality assurance platform, the event revealed a clear appetite for transformation.

In Kyrgyzstan, a new vocational course for solar panel technologies is set to open this September – a tangible example of aligning VET with the green transition. In Turkmenistan, recent social investment reforms and private sector involvement are reshaping how vocational training responds to labour market needs.

Yet challenges persist. One recurring theme was the limited financing of VET pathways and the difficulty of employer engagement. “Some of you mentioned that employers are missing from the room,” Zisimos noted during a discussion. “If they were here, they might say: ‘you’re not producing the skills we need’. That’s probably true. But that’s also why partnership is so essential to overcome these limits, present in all the countries around the world.”

Another recurring concern shared by participants was the low attractiveness of vocational and professional education – a feature present not only in Central Asia, but globally. Breaking this stigma is essential to ensure better employability and parity of esteem for VET graduates.

Giulia Meschino, EVTA’s Secretary General, pointed to this challenge: “Our organisation works to increase the reputation and attractiveness of VET and promote its image. In this context, ISATCOVE is a really important action tool to support our fight stereotypes that exist in Europe as well.” EVTA, with members in 40 countries in Europe and beyond, representing almost 10,000 teachers and trainers and 300,000 students, was one of the two VET providers associations moderating the discussions and workshops.

Echoing this point, Paolo Nardi, Executive Director of EfVET – engaged with over 2,000 VET providers, encompassing 150,000 professionals and 2,000,000 learners across Europe – underlined two transformative ideas developing in the European Union vision.

“First, education is not just what happens in school. It’s an ecosystem that extends beyond, involving many stakeholders. Second, we’re moving towards micro-credentials – small certifications linked to specific competences, whether you gain them in class, at work, or abroad. They are shaping a more flexible and inclusive vision of excellence,” said Nardi.

Adding to this international perspective, Russell Grigg, senior lecturer in teacher education at Swansea University, highlighted the role of innovative pedagogy in excellence. “Quality of teaching is the most important dimension,” he said. “Innovation is not just technological. It’s about how we teach – the attitudes, methods, and learning resources we use.” Earlier, he had invited participants to reflect with a metaphor: “You might be afraid of falling off a bicycle – but in today’s world of e-bikes, maybe you don’t need to pedal. So perhaps you should focus on something else.”

A gateway to global cooperation

The event also underscored the strategic relevance of the EU’s Global Gateway, which prioritises cooperation with partner regions in energy, critical raw materials, connectivity and green transition sectors. Sectors where Central Asia is already actively engaged. 

“You’re already working on sectors that matter globally,” Zisimos said, referencing tourism and infrastructure investments in Turkmenistan, energy priorities in Kazakhstan, and water management – a shared concern across the region. “CoVEs play a key role in value chains. They should be connected to these strategic developments.” 

A clear example of how the needs of Central Asia connect with already existing European CoVE projects, highlighted by Nardi, is the PoVE Water initiative, which focuses precisely on optimising water resources through vocational education and training.

The discussion also touched on Erasmus+, the EU’s flagship programme for education and training, in which €400 million are currently dedicated to the CoVEs. “The Erasmus+ budget is expected  to increase,” Zisimos reminded the room. “And yet, Central Asia has no CoVEs in the current funding cycle. That needs to change – and now is the time to prepare. It’s an initiative that should come from the relevant authorities, and could benefit all parties.”

Beyond policy discussions, the summer school was rich in human moments. From energising group activities to storytelling exercises, participants brought not only professional commitment but also cultural warmth, humour and solidarity.

Certainly, this summer school is not an endpoint. As DARYA prepares for its next High-Level Group meeting in Torino on 30-31 October, the energy built in Issyk-Kul will feed into national roadmaps, capacity-building efforts, and regional peer learning.

In her closing remarks, Hemschemeier said: “After three years of the DARYA programme, we are like a big family, committed to the quality and relevance of education and to continuously improving what we offer to our students. That is why having a shared vision is so important.”

As one participant from a national ministry put it: “It’s rare to find a space where you reflect on your own system, learn from others, and feel part of something bigger.”

In DARYA, that space is real – and constantly growing.