SCO education ministers meeting kicks off in Minsk
16.06.2026
MINSK (
BelTA) – The 10th meeting of the education ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states is taking place in Minsk under the chairmanship of Belarusian Education Minister Andrei Ivanets, BelTA has learned.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko sent a message of greetings to the participants.
“The head of state has repeatedly emphasized the special role of the SCO as a unique platform for multifaceted cooperation among countries representing different civilizations, cultures, and development models. The president of Belarus pays particular attention to education. Last year, at the SCO summit in Tianjin, he proposed creating a common scientific and innovation space and a regional educational platform,” Andrei Ivanets noted.
“We live in an era of rapid change. Artificial intelligence, digital transformation, the development of high technologies, cybersecurity, and the transformation of the global economy impose fundamentally new requirements on workforce training,” the minister said. He stressed that in Belarus, the organization of advanced training for specialists in new high-tech and knowledge-intensive sectors of the economy is under the special supervision of the head of state and the government.
Experimental training programs are being launched at the country’s leading universities in cooperation with universities in China, Russia, and other countries. These programs include advanced fundamental training, individualized learning, and internships at major industrial enterprises. According to the minister, such programs make it possible to train the specialists of tomorrow in natural sciences and engineering, as well as research personnel equipped with applied skills and competencies.
Andrei Ivanets pointed out that at the external borders of the SCO, there is a certain fragmentation of the international educational space, growing politicization of academic contacts, and increasing restrictions on scientific cooperation. “Under these conditions, the formation of stable and mutually respectful mechanisms of cooperation in education and science becomes especially important. The SCO has all the necessary capabilities for this. It brings together leading universities, powerful research centers, rapidly developing technology companies, and unique cultural and civilizational diversity. Using this unique foundation, all the necessary prerequisites exist for moving from individual cooperation formats to more sustainable mechanisms of scientific and educational partnership,” the minister said.
SCO Deputy Secretary-General Sohail Khan emphasized at the meeting that the SCO attaches particular importance to developing cooperation in education and science. “The SCO Development Strategy specifically notes that member states will develop scientific, technical, and innovation cooperation in priority areas, as well as carry out joint scientific research and projects of mutual interest. SCO countries intend to further expand contacts with leading educational institutions and promote the dissemination of best educational practices, including through the potential of the SCO University,” he said.
More than 30 representatives of SCO member states are participating in the meeting, including ministers of education and their deputies, university rectors, and officials from relevant agencies. Before the meeting, the education ministers of the SCO countries honored the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War at Victory Square and laid flowers at the Victory Monument in Minsk.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko sent a message of greetings to the participants.
“The head of state has repeatedly emphasized the special role of the SCO as a unique platform for multifaceted cooperation among countries representing different civilizations, cultures, and development models. The president of Belarus pays particular attention to education. Last year, at the SCO summit in Tianjin, he proposed creating a common scientific and innovation space and a regional educational platform,” Andrei Ivanets noted.
“We live in an era of rapid change. Artificial intelligence, digital transformation, the development of high technologies, cybersecurity, and the transformation of the global economy impose fundamentally new requirements on workforce training,” the minister said. He stressed that in Belarus, the organization of advanced training for specialists in new high-tech and knowledge-intensive sectors of the economy is under the special supervision of the head of state and the government.
Experimental training programs are being launched at the country’s leading universities in cooperation with universities in China, Russia, and other countries. These programs include advanced fundamental training, individualized learning, and internships at major industrial enterprises. According to the minister, such programs make it possible to train the specialists of tomorrow in natural sciences and engineering, as well as research personnel equipped with applied skills and competencies.
Andrei Ivanets pointed out that at the external borders of the SCO, there is a certain fragmentation of the international educational space, growing politicization of academic contacts, and increasing restrictions on scientific cooperation. “Under these conditions, the formation of stable and mutually respectful mechanisms of cooperation in education and science becomes especially important. The SCO has all the necessary capabilities for this. It brings together leading universities, powerful research centers, rapidly developing technology companies, and unique cultural and civilizational diversity. Using this unique foundation, all the necessary prerequisites exist for moving from individual cooperation formats to more sustainable mechanisms of scientific and educational partnership,” the minister said.
SCO Deputy Secretary-General Sohail Khan emphasized at the meeting that the SCO attaches particular importance to developing cooperation in education and science. “The SCO Development Strategy specifically notes that member states will develop scientific, technical, and innovation cooperation in priority areas, as well as carry out joint scientific research and projects of mutual interest. SCO countries intend to further expand contacts with leading educational institutions and promote the dissemination of best educational practices, including through the potential of the SCO University,” he said.
More than 30 representatives of SCO member states are participating in the meeting, including ministers of education and their deputies, university rectors, and officials from relevant agencies. Before the meeting, the education ministers of the SCO countries honored the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War at Victory Square and laid flowers at the Victory Monument in Minsk.