US-funded teacher training program launches new cycle in Kyrgyzstan
NextGenEd to train over 1,200 English and STEM teachers annually across Kyrgyz Republic
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (MNTV) — A U.S.-funded teacher training initiative supporting English and STEM education has launched its 2025 cycle in Kyrgyzstan, aiming to train more than 1,200 teachers across the country this year.
The Next Generation Education program, known as NextGenEd, began this month with a kickoff event hosted at Arabaev State University in Bishkek.
The event featured remarks from representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Republican Institute for Teachers’ Professional Development, and the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Implemented by the Lingua Foundation for Innovative Education, NextGenEd offers free annual training for 800 English teachers and 400 STEM teachers in all seven regions of Kyrgyzstan.
Since its launch in 2022, the program has focused on enhancing educators’ skills through student-centered, communicative, and project-based methodologies.
Speaking at the event, Jeffrey Bunting, cultural affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, emphasized the strategic importance of teacher training.
“The U.S. government supports the NextGenEd program because it is an investment in teachers’ human capital. Teachers’ professional development is one of the most impactful ways to support the students of the Kyrgyz Republic,” he said.
According to Kabar, a state-run Kyrgyz news agency, the opening ceremony also honored the winners of the 2025 English Language Teacher Olympiad, a nationwide competition initiated by the U.S. Embassy in 2021.
The Olympiad has grown significantly, drawing over 1,200 participants this year from both secondary schools and universities.
Bunting joined representatives from the Lingua Foundation and the Republican Institute to present certificates to the top-performing teachers.
Importantly, the Republican Institute for Teacher Professional Development formally recognized the training as meeting Kyrgyzstan’s national professional development standards — a milestone in aligning the program with the country’s long-term education goals.
The program reflects the growing U.S.-Kyrgyz cooperation in education and human capital development, with a shared focus on expanding high-quality learning in underserved regions.
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