To explore global and regional trends in teaching excellence in medical education
To strengthen faculty development pathways through Advance HE frameworks
To foster regional collaboration among Central Asian medical schools
To support the integration of digital health and digital competency frameworks into medical curricula
To align medical education reform with national and regional health system needs
DAY 1
Conference moderators:
Dr Naanlep Matthew Tanko - Associate Professor of Practice, Ag. Vice Dean of Medical Education, Director, 4-year MD and
6-year Undergraduate Entry Medical Programs
Dr. Nurgul Khamzina - Head of the Office of Medicine, Nazarbayev University; Deputy Chairman of the Board, CF "University Medical Center"
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 Ministry of Health, Republic of Kazakhstan Speech from a Kazakhstani representative; Speech from a Kyrgyzstani representative; Speech from a Tajikistani representative; Speech from a Uzbekistani representative; Moderator: Dr. Lyazzat — Doctor of Medical Science, WFME Assessor, Adviser on Quality Improvement in Medical Education in CIS and Central Asian Republics |
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. 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 |
DAY 2
Participants select one track for the full day.
Theme: From Frameworks to Implementation
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 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 | |
Contacts
General inquiries
For further details, please contact:
Email: med_edu@nu.edu.kz
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Email: nusom.marketing@nusom.nu.edu.kzNazarbayev University, Astana city, Republic of Kazakhstan