VI AKHP Annual International Conference: Navigating the Digital Future of Humanities Education in Central Asia: Ethics, Regulation, and Global Best Practices

The 2025 conference successfully mapped the broad contours of AI’s impact on humanities education in the region. Now, the focus shifts to concrete regulatory mechanisms. Central Asia faces the dual challenge of integrating AI into pedagogy while simultaneously building a robust ethical infrastructure and developing national and regional legal strategies, all while learning from international practices at the intersection of education and technology.

This conference addresses critical questions: How can pedagogy preserve humanistic values amid algorithmic transformation? What legislative initiatives are necessary to ensure the safe and equitable use of AI in schools and universities? Which foreign experiences (from the EU, China, the USA, and others) can be adapted to Central Asian realities, and which are fundamentally incompatible? A special focus will be placed on the prospects for establishing both national and a potential supranational Central Asian regulatory body that, drawing on best international practices, can coordinate the interaction between AI, education, and science across the region.

The conference aims to unite educators, legal scholars, policymakers, and representatives from the natural sciences to forge a comprehensive strategy for governing AI within Central Asia’s educational landscape.

Proposed Themes (including, but are not limited to):

• Ethical Dimensions of Digital Humanities Education
• Policy, Regulation, and Governance
• Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanities Teaching
• Digital Pedagogies and Innovative Teaching Practices
• Digital Humanities and Emerging Research Methodologies
• Global Experiences and Comparative Perspectives
• Equity, Access, and Inclusion
• Teacher Professional Development and Digital Competencies
• Cultural Heritage, Identity, and Digital Transformation
• The Future of Higher Education in Central Asia

Submission Guidelines

• Abstract length: 250–300 words (including title, author(s), institutional affiliation, and email).
• Short bio: 100–150 words for each presenter.
• Submission deadline for abstracts and bios: 2 September 2026.
• Full papers submission: 6 November 2026.
• Languages: English (primary); Russian and Tajik are also accepted.
• Format: Hybrid; presenters may participate either in person or online.
• Venue: 61/2 Nisor Muhammad Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
• Travel: The conference does not provide funding or travel support. Presenters are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.

Full papers submitted by the deadline will be considered for publication by the University of Central Asia.

Contact: Dr. Pulat Shozimov, Senior Research Fellow pulat.shozimov@ucentralasia.org