Turkistan (TDI): Education ministers from across the Turkic world gathered in Turkistan for the ninth ministerial meeting of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
The meeting, chaired by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek, brought together ministers under the umbrella of the “Vision of the Turkic World – 2040” and the OTS 2022–2026 strategy.
Central to discussions was a long-running ambition to knit together the region’s higher education systems into something resembling a common academic zone, akin to the European Bologna Process, where qualifications are mutually recognized and students can move freely between institutions.
OTS Secretary General, Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, highlighted the continued growth of the Orhun Exchange Program and noted that the Turkic Universities Union (TURKUNIB) now brings together 170 universities.
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He announced proposals to establish a permanent TURKUNIB Secretariat and a dedicated programme fund, with the OTS Secretariat already committing one million US dollars toward the effort.
Ministers discussed a proposal to create a Turkic World Higher Education Area, designed to harmonise academic standards, strengthen quality assurance, and facilitate mutual recognition of diplomas.
The meeting also considered a new Turkic World Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, a regional data bank for higher education, a Turkic Universities League, and a sister school programme linking institutions across member states.
On the sidelines of the 9th Meeting of Ministers of Education of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), H.E. Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the OTS, met with H.E. Emin Amrullayev, Minister of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on 8 June… pic.twitter.com/SFlw5Z0ykL
— Organization of Turkic States (@Turkic_States) June 9, 2026
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Science and Education, Emin Amrullayev, was among the meeting’s more vocal advocates for deeper institutional ties.
He welcomed the initiatives underway within the OTS framework and presented Azerbaijan’s proposal for a more formalized mechanism for higher education cooperation across the Turkic world.
On the sidelines, Amrullayev met separately with Secretary General Omuraliev, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to advancing cooperation in education, science, and academic mobility.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a joint communiqué and approval of several strategic documents, including plans for student and teacher exchange programs, a Turkic States Education Information Network, and the establishment of an Education Cooperation Working Group.
