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Day: August 18, 2025
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for narrowing the gap in education quality between urban and rural schools and accelerating the integration of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) into the country’s education system.
Speaking at the annual August Teachers’ Conference, Tokayev emphasized that building a modern, inclusive nation requires equal opportunities for all children, regardless of geography. “All children must have equal opportunities. Therefore, an important task is to eliminate inequality in the quality of education in cities and villages,” he stated.
Over the past four years, the material and technical infrastructure of more than 4,000 rural schools has been upgraded. Still, Tokayev stressed that this progress must be complemented by digital transformation, including the introduction of AI into the curriculum. “The concepts of ‘progressive nation’ and ‘technological nation’ are synonymous today,” he said, adding that digitalization is central to improving educational outcomes.
Currently, over 95% of schools in Kazakhstan are connected to high-speed internet. Tokayev has instructed that this figure reach 100%, potentially through the use of Starlink satellite technology. “This is not just a technical issue, but a principle of social justice,” he added.
The president also noted that advanced technologies will support the development of an inclusive education environment, particularly benefiting children with special needs.
Several core educational services in Kazakhstan have already been digitized, including school and college admissions, inter-school transfers, and the Bilim service on the eGov mobile platform. However, Tokayev underscored the need to further equip schools with interactive tools and ensure universal access to digital platforms and electronic textbooks.
The president placed particular emphasis on early instruction in AI technologies and continuous professional development for teachers. “Teachers must not only know their subject, but also be able to apply new technologies,” he said.
As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the latest PISA assessment noted improvements in education access across Central Asia but highlighted a decline in academic performance among students in the region.
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Archaeologists in Tajikistan have uncovered a remarkable ancient water pipeline system atop a 65-meter hill at the Mugtepa settlement, believed to have been constructed approximately 1,500 years ago.
The site, towering above the city at the height of a modern twenty-storey building, once hosted fortresses of the rulers of Uratyube across various historical periods. For nearly three decades, however, the archaeological site remained neglected. Construction in 2017-2018 further compromised its integrity, leading many to assume its secrets were lost forever.
That changed in the summer of 2025, when an expedition from the Department of Archaeology, Ethnography, and Religious Studies at Khujand State University, led by Professor Nabijon Rakhimov, began new excavations. The project, supported by staff from the Kalai Mug Historical and Cultural Complex under Mirzo Olimov, proceeded without official funding but succeeded thanks to the contributions of students and specialists.
Between June 18 and July 18, the team examined three segments of the aqueduct system. Water was drawn from a spring at the base of a nearby hill and transported via ceramic pipes known as kuburs, each approximately 40 cm in length. The pipes were joined using waterproof alabaster mortar and laid in trenches 85 cm wide and 20 cm deep. Small pools, or hauzes, were found along the route, likely used for water collection.
All components of the system were uniformly manufactured, suggesting the existence of specialized production workshops.
Unearthing Everyday Life
In soil layers dating to the 5th to 8th centuries, researchers discovered pottery, stone grain grinders, and spindle whorls, evidence of a thriving agricultural and textile economy. Deeper strata revealed artifacts from earlier eras, ranging from the 1st-3rd centuries CE to the Achaemenid and Hellenistic periods (6th-1st centuries BCE). Notable finds included fragments of tall-stemmed goblets, cup-shaped vessels, and red-slip bowls.
“Archaeological monuments are not just stones and shards; they are material evidence of our history. Without protection and careful treatment, they can disappear,” said Rakhimov.
The team now plans to petition the Agency for the Protection of Monuments under the Government of Tajikistan to secure official support for continued excavations and preservation efforts at Mugtepa.
Other Significant Finds in the Region
This discovery follows several notable archaeological breakthroughs in Tajikistan in recent years.
In 2023, a 7th-century sewer system was uncovered in Istaravshan by architect Amindjonov Khomid and Professor Rakhim Nabiev. The structure, approximately 1,300 years old, highlights the advanced engineering of the period. A rare 6th-century jug, made of concrete and coated in clay, was found nearby.
In May 2025, archaeologists from the National Museum of Tajikistan discovered a Kushan-era clay vessel near the village of Sarband, inscribed in the Bactrian language. The inscription read, “This water jug belongs to a woman named Sagkina,” offering a rare glimpse into ancient literacy and social life.
And in November 2024, an international team led by Professor Yossi Zeidner of the Hebrew University reported the discovery of artifacts dating back 150,000 years at the Soyi Khavzak site in the Zeravshan Valley. Finds included stone tools, animal bones, and plant remains, reinforcing the theory that the region served as a migration corridor for early humans, including Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.
The preservation of organic material at the site raises the possibility of uncovering human remains, which could significantly deepen understanding of prehistoric human presence in Central Asia.
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- Thunderstorms disrupted flights to and from Chicago on Saturday.
- More than 80 planes were diverted, including one that went all the way back to Toronto.
- An American Airlines jet diverted twice before landing on its third attempt.
The Windy City lived up to its name this weekend as severe weather over Chicago disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers in the Midwest.
Some 80 flights destined for Chicago O’Hare landed at different airports on Saturday evening, according to data from Flightradar24. Per FlightAware, roughly 280 others were canceled throughout the day.
A flash flood warning was issued for the two Illinois counties in which the airport is located, as thunderstorms rolled through the area.
One Air Canada journey became a 2-hour flight to nowhere as it returned to where it took off.
The Embraer E175 was over Michigan, an hour into its trip, when it abruptly U-turned and flew back to Toronto.
A second attempt at the flight was then canceled, per Flightradar24 data.
Some American Airlines passengers would take three attempts before reaching Chicago, seven hours later than expected.
Flight 6412, from Idaho Falls, had been in the air for four hours when it turned around over Iowa and diverted to Cedar Rapids.
An hour and a half later, the CRJ-700 made a second attempt at flying to O’Hare, the fourth busiest airport in the US.
It circled twice just outside Chicago, but ultimately decided to go back to Cedar Rapids.
Thankfully for passengers, the third time was the charm, as the pilots took off again and, this time, touched down in Chicago. It landed shortly after midnight, having been initially scheduled to arrive at 5 p.m.
Many flights were diverted to other cities around the Great Lakes, such as Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Indianapolis, among others.
Indeed, this meant many of them were able to launch second attempts and reach the Windy City later in the evening.
Another American flight flew three hours from San José del Cabo, when it entered a holding pattern over Missouri. The Boeing 737 spent half an hour circling before diverting to Kansas City.
It took off again an hour later — then spent another hour in a holding pattern — before landing around 8:30 p.m., a total delay of about three hours.
Air Canada and American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside North American working hours.
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