Abstract

The article discusses the problem of coordinating national models of integration of science and education in the countries of the Central Asian region (CAR) as a key condition for the formation of a unified regional scientific and educational space. The relevance of the study is due to the need for the transition of the Central Asian states from a resource‑based economy to a "knowledge society", which requires the synergy of science, education and production. Without a coordinated policy in this area, the countries of the region will not be able to compete effectively in the global knowledge economy. The paper analyzes: objectives (unification of training standards, reduction of duplication of research, creation of knowledge exchange networks, mutual recognition of qualifications); priorities (formation of horizontal links, attraction of extra-budgetary sources of financing, development of technology transfer); opportunities (common history of interaction, growing share of women in science, external incentives for integration); barriers (low R&D funding, gap between universities and businesses, differences in education models, bureaucratic obstacles) to coordinating national models of science and education integration in Central Asian countries.

Based on socio‑philosophical analysis and a scientific approach, as well as data from world and regional statistics, a comparative analysis of national models of integration of science and education in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan is carried out. Both the common features (the dominance of state financing, weak commercialization of R&D) and the differences (the level of openness to international cooperation, the share of the private sector in R&D, the degree of autonomy of universities) of these models have been identified. The main conclusions of the study include: the need to create a regional Central Asian institute for advanced training of teaching staff; the importance of expanding sources of financing for science and education (venture funds, partnership with business); the prospect of forming an infrastructure of horizontal links (clusters, joint databases, virtual laboratories); the importance of involving the scientific and university community in the development of reforms. The article suggests specific mechanisms for coordinating national models of science and education integration: from the creation of interregional funds to the introduction of the best international practices, taking into account regional specifics. It is emphasized that the formation of a unified scientific and educational space of the Central Asian Republic is not a utopia, but an objective necessity that requires overcoming bureaucratic barriers and mobilizing human potential.

Keywords: integration of science and education, Central Asian region, scientific and educational space, R&D, academic mobility, regional innovations.