Kyrgyzstan is carrying out higher education reforms geared at amending European standards in higher education management. Particular emphasis is placed on the adaptation of the Bologna process and European quality standards in higher education. At present, the transition to three-cycle education has been completed. A national qualification framework has been developed and approved. However, reforms of the universities’ management system so far have not kept pace. In particular, financial management systems are not adequately promoting university autonomy which is a precondition to cultivate innovative and competitive universities. The development of alternative management tools to the old management models increasingly requires the expansion of autonomy in the activities of higher education institutions. The aspect of financial independence occupies a prominent place in the system of autonomy of the university. This project is devoted to piloting and expanding new systems of university self-governance and increasing financial autonomy. By means of studying the European partners’ experience with expanding their institutional and financial autonomy, a model for university financial autonomy in Kyrgyzstan will be developed, piloted and evaluated. The project plans are to perform a needs analysis, develop an implementation strategy, develop a model of university financial autonomy, develop proposals for revision of legal regulations in close cooperation with the authorities in charge, and pilot training activities for staff from universities and ministries representatives.The project will study further prospects for increasing the financial, economic independence of universities in Kyrgyzstan, clarify the current, and projected limits of the powers of universities in the paradigm of developed and legally established model of autonomy, project will identify effective solutions to the complex process of financial and economic autonomy.

In Kyrgyzstan, low budget of research led to massive outflow of highly qualified scientists & lowering their prestige.The quality & potential of scientific research expertise has declined leading to the mismatch of the existing scientific & innovation potential and production needs in the use of promising technologies, to the rupture of links between science & industry.The project is aimed at the strengthening research and innovation capacities in Kyrgyzstan through promotion of PhD degrees.The project consortium includeds 4 EU Universities with big expertise in research methodology and running PhD studies and 7 Kyrgyzstani Universities. The KG partner universities are the core of the active working network established during cooperation started in the project piloted by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Education & Science to introduce first PhD programs.To achieve the aim, the project consortium will conduct the following activities: 1. Modernisation of existing PhD studies and development of new innovative PhD program compliant with EU standards on specialties that are priority for the socioeconomic development of the country and meet society's needs.2. In order to enhance research competences of academic staff and to build innovative research expertise in Kyrgyzstan, the EU partners will provide comprehensive training trainers sessions PhD supervisors and teaching staff on needed topics covering Renewable Energy Technology, Agroeconomics, Public Health, Food Technology & Safety and others.3. Improvement of administration of PhD programs by training administrators of local PhD programs,4. Promotion of PhD culture amongst academic & non-academic stakeholders and wider society in Kyrgyzstan.

"Currently universities of economics and business in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have to master a series of challenges. They have• to demonstrate that they are reliable providers of good quality higher education by providing graduates with competencies required to evolve their professionality and to develop capacity for the labor market• to enrich the qualification-portfolio of HEI-teachers by improving their teaching qualifications• to complement and contribute to the co-creation of knowledge and to the knowledge exchange between universities and enterprises in innovative settings• to develop their students competencies and attitudes to enable them to act as innovative and responsible members of the society.In this joint project ""Teaching Competencies in Economics and Business"" served universities of economics and business as catalyzer to master these challenges. To support the development of excellence in this field a “Central Asian Center for Teaching, Learning and Entrepreneurship - CACTLE” was implemented in the innovative form of an international acting virtual expert network with a sustainable perspective.The CACTLE is dedicated • to qualify and certify HEI-teachers in modern Teaching Competencies in Economics and Business for the target groups: students, employees of private companies/public institutions and entrepreneurs.• to offer a course program and in class and long-distance training material for further training courses for enterprises/institutions to link the universities to business and industry, using specific modalities of teaching and learning patterns.• to develop a core-curriculum and teaching and learning material for an accredited elective “Entrepreneurship and Business development” at all participating universities.In the long run the CACTLE has a clear sustainable impact on human capacity building of Central Asian countries and acts as an international service network to foster the knowledge triangle."