The Erasmus+ Programme in Central Asia: Priorities, Results, Impact

The paper provides a comparative analysis of the planning and implementation of projects under the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme in five Central Asian states in the periods 2014–2020 and 2021–2027, based on EU documents and statistics. It examines such aspects as the volumes and areas of Erasmus+ funding available to the region, and statistics related to participation in projects by country. The analysis showed that, firstly, after the peak period of 2014–2020, there was a strong reduction in Erasmus+ funds allocated to Central Asia for 2021–2027. Secondly, the structure of Erasmus+ actions in the region has generally been preserved, with a focus on projects to support reforms of universities and the higher education system and on academic mobility. Thirdly, if in 2014–2020 the main actor in the Erasmus+ projects was Kazakhstan, the only official participant in the Bologna Process among the countries of the region, but in 2021–2027 the first priority has become Uzbekistan, which has been carrying out structural reforms in higher education since 2017. Also, the paper determines, using the example of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, that in 2017–2022 there was a twofold increase in educational migration from Central Asian countries to the EU countries, and that the EU states occupy a significant share in the international relations of universities in Kazakhstan and a growing share in universities in Uzbekistan, which is also facilitated by the Erasmus+ projects. In general, it is concluded that even with reduced funding, the Erasmus+ programme will continue to promote the diversification of educational ties between Central Asian countries and the EU to the detriment of Russia’s educational diplomacy.