CURRENT TRENDS IN CENTRAL ASIAN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS

Due to the ongoing global and regional economic, political and social processes, educational systems of several Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), once being parts of a unified educational system, have been drifting away from each other, transforming in their unique ways, under the pressure of their local circumstances. The article discusses the evolution and the current state of higher education institutions (HEI) in Central Asian countries, concentrating on such topics as the accessibility of tertiary education, its funding, digitalization, global mobility, and accreditation processes. The systems are analyzed and compared within the given categories. The purpose of this article is to characterize some trends in the development of higher education systems in these countries, which are characteristic of the current period of their political and social development.