Students may be allowed to launch their own start-up instead of writing a dissertation

In Kyrgyzstan, students may be allowed to launch their own start-up or business project instead of writing a dissertation. 

The Ministry of Education has put forward a draft bill for public consultation that changes the format of final assessment. In addition to exams and a thesis defence, a new option is proposed: a four-month practical placement or internship with a final report. This could be a business plan, a start-up or an applied project with potential commercial application. The decision on the format will be made by the educational institution.

The initiative aims to bring education closer to the real market and foster entrepreneurship among young people. Previously, we reported that against the backdrop of digitalisation and the development of AI, demand for practical skills and applied projects is only growing.

Previously, analysts noted that due to the development of AI and new technologies, the labour market will change more rapidly, and employers already believe that education is lagging behind the real demands of the labour market.