Ambasz, DiegoNikolaev, DenisMalinovskiy, SergeyOlszak-Olszewski, AdrienZavalina, PolinaBotero Álvarez, Javier2023-10-192023-10-192023-10-19https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/40502The purpose of this Report is to provide recommendations for addressing common challenges while promoting academic and research excellence in higher education in Central Asia through regional cooperation between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Regional integration of higher education systems in Central Asia has the potential to drive positive changes in the sector and to generate significant economic and social benefits overall. By fostering cooperation, knowledge sharing and resource pooling among universities, the quality of higher education, research and innovation in Central Asia can be enhanced. This can be achieved through the establishment of centers of excellence, world-class universities and regional hubs that can attract highly qualified students and workers. Moreover, the regional integration of higher education systems offers an effective platform for sharing best practices and receiving support from regional leaders. The harmonization of academic standards facilitates the recognition of qualifications across countries, contributing to the mobility of students, faculty and workers, enabling them to participate in regional labor markets. This, in turn, stimulates the development of industries that are important to the economies of Central Asian countries. Finally, greater cooperation in higher education can play a crucial role in establishing a dynamic knowledge-based economy and enable Central Asia to move away from extractive industries – to ultimately achieve competitiveness on the global level.en-USCC BY-NC 3.0 IGOHIGHER EDUCATIONCENTRAL ASIAQUALITY OF TEACHINGINNOVATIONREGIONAL INTEGRATIONReportWorld Bank10.1596/40502