For the first time education and culture stakeholders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan came together to discuss benefits and methods of integrating intangible cultural heritage in formal and non-formal education programmes. UNESCO Almaty organized this sub-regional meeting for Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from 18 to 19 June 2019, which was hosted by the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO.

As part of the discussions, participants shared recent experiences from the region such as surveys on technical and vocational education and training institutions for intangible cultural heritage and on integrating intangible cultural heritage in schools. Participants saw a great need for teacher training in this new important area of work, its integration in in-service teacher qualification programmes and more support to non-formal education programmes. The latter have solid experience in working closely with bearer communities in developing innovative programmes and learning materials.

Meeting participants included government officials from ministries of culture and education, representatives of National Commissions for UNESCO, coordinators and teachers from the UNESCO Associated School Project network (ASPnet) and representatives of civil society, UNESCO Living Heritage Entity, UNESCO Almaty Office, UNESCO Tashkent Office and the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHCAP).