The 8th General Assembly of the Turkic Universities Union (TURKUNIB) convened on 15 October 2025 in Tashkent, hosted by Tashkent International University (TIU) in its capacity as Chair University of the Union for 2025–2026. The Assembly brought together rectors, academics and representatives of more than seventy member universities from across the Turkic world.

The opening session was addressed by senior figures of the Turkic cooperation architecture and of the host country: Hilala Umarova, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan in charge of educational reform; Kongratbay Sharipov, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan; OTS Secretary General Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev; Shahin Mustafayev, President of the Turkic Academy; and Iskandar Yuldashev, Executive Director of TIU. Recalling that “education has always been a bridge connecting cultures,” the Secretary General underscored the Union's rapid growth: TURKUNIB's membership had reached 109 universities, with a further 62 institutions applying to join.

In its working session, chaired with the participation of OTS Deputy Secretary General Dr. Mirvokhid Azimov, the Assembly adopted a decision admitting all 62 applicant universities – bringing the Union past the 170-member mark – and considered a concept paper on establishing a Permanent TURKUNIB Secretariat together with a dedicated Programme Fund for the Orhun Exchange Programme. Delegates also examined proposals from Türkiye's Council of Higher Education on strengthening the Union's institutional framework, and proposals from the Government of Hungary on a joint Research, Development and Innovation Fund and an enhanced Orhun Exchange Programme.

The Assembly took place against a supportive political backdrop: according to the OTS, the Gabala Declaration adopted at the 12th OTS Summit one week earlier endorsed the reorganization of the Orhun Exchange Programme and the establishment of a Turkic World Higher Education Area, and the OTS announced that it will allocate one million US dollars to support the programme's implementation and expansion.

The Tashkent General Assembly thus marked a turning point for TURKUNIB – the largest enlargement in its history combined with a concrete roadmap toward permanent institutions, secured funding for mobility, and a strengthened role at the centre of higher education cooperation in the Turkic world.

Photo: Organization of Turkic States (turkicstates.org)

Photo: Organization of Turkic States (turkicstates.org)

Photo: Organization of Turkic States (turkicstates.org)

Based on official OTS reporting: Opening of the 8th General Assembly of the Turkic Universities Union convened in Tashkent