Opening Ceremony & Welcome

Setting the Stage for Medical Education

Excellence in Central Asia

09:00 – 09:30 (10 min per speaker)

Prof. Waqar Ahmad — President, Nazarbayev University

Representative, Ministry of Health, RK

Representative, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, RK

Dr. Alexey Tsoy – Advisor to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Dr. Kamalzhan Nadyrov TBC

Dr. Syla — WHO Country Representative in Kazakhstan

Opening keynote address

“Curriculum Transformation: How a Research University Drives Change in Medical Education from Within”

09:30 – 10:00

Prof. Ng Huck Hui — Vice-President for Medicine & Dean,

School of Medicine, NU

Keynote 1 — Teaching Excellence

"Beyond Content Delivery: Reimagining Teaching Excellence

in Medical Education for the 21st Century"

10:00 – 10:40

Prof. Eric Driessen— Professor, School of Health Profession Education, Editor in Chief, Perspectives on Medical Education, Maastricht, Netherlands (40 min)

Keynote 2 — Digital Health Workforce

"Building the Clinician-Educator: Advance HE Fellowship Frameworks and Institutional Pathways in Medical Schools"

10:40 – 11:20

Mr. Stuart Norton, Advance HE, UK

Advance HE (40 min)

Plenary thematic session: Central Asia Perspectives

on Medical Education Reform

"One Region, Many Paths: Harmonizing Medical Education Reform Across Central Asia"

11:20 – 13:00

Moderators: Doctor of Medical Sciences (RK and RF)

Nurgul Kaliyevna Khamzina - Head of the Office of Medicine

at Nazarbayev University and Deputy

Chairman of the Board of the University Medical Center

Prof. Matthew N. Tanko - Vice Dean for Medical Education NUSOM;

Ministry of Health, Republic of Kazakhstan -

Yerzhanova Farida Nurmukhambetovna (15 min)

Speech from Prof. Anar Akylbekovna Turmukhambetova (representative of Kazakhstan) - Rector

of Astana Medical University (15 min)



Speech from Prof. Madamin Musayevich Karatayev (representative of Kyrgyzstan) -

Kyrgyz State Medical Academy (15 min)

Speech from Nodira Khakimovna Ruziyeva (representative from Uzbekistan) - Tashkent State Medical University (15 min)

Speech from Prof. Zarina Asror Ahroriyon (representative of Tajikistan) - Tajik State Medical University (15 min)

Open Q&A Panel — Keynote Speakers

Lunch Break (1pm-2pm) — Nazarbayev University School of Medicine

Keynote 3- Internationalization and Globalization of Health Professions Education

14:00 – 14:30

Prof. Emmaline Brouwer (MD, MPH, PhD) -

Director of SHE Collaborates, Maastricht, Netherlands

(30 min)

Keynote 4— Global Partnerships, Local Impact: ERASMUS+

in Medical Education

14:30 – 15:00

Laura Paluanova NEO KZ Coordinator (30 min)

Keynote 5 - Redesigning Higher Education:

Inclusive Pedagogy, Curriculum, and Gender Equity

15:00 – 15:20

Dariga Tukayeva

Diana Kalemeneva

NU, Department of Organizational Culture (20 min)

Keynote 6 — Closing the Gap Together: A Collaborative

Agenda for Population Health Research in Central Asia"

15:20 – 15:50

Prof. Abduzhappar Gaipov - Department of Medicine, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine,

Astana, Kazakhstan (30 min)

Keynote 7 - "AI and Digital Competence in Medical Curricula

"From Theory to Prescriptions: Embedding Digital & AI Competencies Across the Medical Degree Program"

15:50 – 16:35

Dr Vitaliy Sazonov- Department of Medicine,

Nazarbayev University School of Medicine (30 min)

Mr. Doug Corley - Sage Health Founder, Medical Innovation Expert (20 min),

Mr. Carlos Martinez - Anatomage Corporation,

Digital Competence Expert, Milan, Italy (Sponsor, Platinum)

(15 min)

Synthesis & Way Forward

"Turning Dialogue into Action: Key Messages and

a Collaborative Agenda for Central Asian Medical Education"

16:35 – 17:00

Advance HE Representative (15 min)

WHO Kazakhstan Representative

Conference Co-Chairs

Workshop Track A: Teaching Excellence and Faculty Development

"Knowing Your Practice: Mapping Teaching Activities

to Advance HE Professional Standards Framework"

Room A

Speakers:

Mr. Daniel Sheratte, Advance HE, UK

Mr. Stuart Norton, Advance HE, UK

- Understanding Fellowship pathways

- Mapping teaching activities to professional standards

- Building evidence portfolios

- Designing institutional faculty development pathways

Output: Draft individual or institutional Fellowship development plan

Workshop Track B

"Simulation and AI-Enhanced Competencies

for Medical Students"

Room B

Dr. Vitaliy Sazonov

Core competencies in simulation-based medical education, including clinical decision-making, teamwork, and patient safety

-Integration of artificial intelligence in simulation

(e.g., adaptive scenarios, virtual patients, AI-driven feedback and assessment)

-Design and implementation of simulation-based assessments, including ethical considerations and responsible use of AI

-Alignment with national digital health priorities and institutional strategies, including infrastructure and faculty development

Output: Draft competency framework for simulation- and AI-enhanced medical education adapted to the local context

Dr. Anvar Djumanov (Tashkent State Mdical University)

Low-cost laparoscopic training with blinded video assessment: a protocol for a multicenter pilot in Central Asia

Dr Gulshat Kemelova (Karagandy Medical University)

Transforming Medical Education: Kazakhstan's Experience Through the Lens

of FAIMER and Simulation-Based Learning

Workshop Track C

From Commitment to Action:

Building Cultures of Belonging

"Teaching for Every Learner: Redesigning Pedagogy

and Curriculum to Reflect the Full Diversity"

Room С

Speakers: Dariga Tukayeva

Diana Kalemeneva,

NU, Department of Organizational Culture

-Inclusive Teaching: redesigning pedagogy and curriculum to reflect the full diversity of learners.

-Gender equity: dismantling structural barriers that limit access, advancement, and belonging for all genders.

-Student support: creating layered, proactive systems that sustain every learner through the full arc of training.

Output: Institutional and regional roadmap on inclusive education

Workshop Track D Unlocking Opportunities

through Erasmus+:

Collaboration in Central Asian Higher Education

Room D

Dr. Laura Paluanova — Erasmus+ National Agency Representative, Kazakhstan / EU Delegation

Prof. Emmaline Brouwer (MD, MPH, PhD), Maastricht, Netherlands

-International partnerships: strengthening cooperation between Central Asian and global higher education institutions through joint projects and mobility

-Capacity building: enhancing institutional development, teaching quality, and governance through Erasmus+ initiatives

-Curriculum innovation: modernizing programs and integrating international perspectives into teaching and learning

-Knowledge exchange: sharing best practices, research, and experiences across institutions and countries

Output: Strengthened regional collaboration framework and roadmap for future Erasmus+ engagement and opportunities

Joint Session — All Participants

"From Workshop to Action: Presenting Outputs,

Identifying Pilot Institutions, and Agreeing Next Steps"

Plenary Hall — All tracks reconvene

Conference Co-Chairs

Track Facilitators (A–D)

Advance HE Representative

WHO Kazakhstan Representative

13:00-13:15. From Dialogue to Action: Presenting the Central Asia Medical Education Transformation

Resolution