11th November 2003

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Professor Alan Smith, UNESCO Chair at UU, with schoolchildren during his visit to Kyrgyzstan to discuss the development of new educational policies in the central Asian state

Education experts from the University of Ulster are advising officials in a former Soviet republic on the development of education policies which take account of the country’s many national minorities.

The University of Ulster staff, from the UNESCO Centre based at the Coleraine campus, will liaise with a working group set up by the President of Kyrgyzstan on education policy.
Professor Alan Smith, UNESCO Chair at the University, visited the country last week to take part in a two day meeting organised by Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, High Representative on National Minorities for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The role of Ambassador Ekeus is to seek an early resolution of ethnic tensions that might lead to conflict.

The working party was set up as part of an initiative on ‘The Development of Education in Multi Ethnic Societies’ by the President of Kyrgyzstan, His Excellency Askar Akayev.
Kyrgyzstan is one of five central Asian states that consist of over 100 nationalities and ethnic groups. The states were former Soviet republics that became independent following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The country has a population of 4.5 million people comprised of ethnic Kyrgyz, Russians and Uzbeks as well as a number of smaller minorities such as Uighurs.

A key challenge for the education system is to develop policies and practices that meet the Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities.

The UNESCO Centre at the University of Ulster has an international reputation for research and development in the role of education in divided societies. It has a special interest in education and the conflict in Northern Ireland and has specific expertise relating to the curriculum theme of Education for Mutual Understanding, Citizenship, Social, Civic and Political Education and the teaching of history in divided societies as well as the development of integrated education.

The Centre is currently involved with the Multicultural Teacher College in Sochi, Russia, supported by the British Council.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk