ANALYSIS OF CHINA'S EDUCATION DIPLOMACY IN CENTRAL ASIAN STATES

Abstract

In the 21st century, when countries move beyond the traditional understanding of diplomacy and expand their interests through education and intellectual exchange, education diplomacy has become one of the important tools to advance political goals and ambitions. People’s Republic of China, being the second-largest economy with the largest higher education system in the world, is a prime example of this approach. Using the analytical framework of education diplomacy, the article aims to examine how China’s presence in the education sector of Central Asian countries is evolving. The article provides the context of China’s global education strategy; discusses the development of China’s education strategy in Central Asian countries through the establishment of branch campuses of Chinese universities, the opening of Lu Ban workshops, the operation of Confucius Institutes, and the expansion of contacts and exchanges between Chinese and Central Asian universities; and analyzes the sustainability of China’s education initiatives and the challenges of China’s education diplomacy in the region.