The 8th General Assembly of the Union of Turkish Universities was held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The meeting took place between October 14 and 16, 2025, and was hosted by Tashkent International University. Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil also attended the event. During the meeting, which brought together many participants, opinions were shared on potential collaborations in higher education.

Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan Hilale Umarova addressed the participants at the meeting, presenting ongoing initiatives in education, with a particular focus on higher education. She noted that education is the most crucial sector for a country where over 60% of the population is young. Umarova also highlighted that the Union of Turkish Universities currently has 11 member institutions, and that several additional universities would be admitted during the session.

At the General Assembly, where the future activities of TÜRKÜNİB were discussed in detail, issues such as improving the Orhun Exchange Program, strengthening the union, establishing the Research and Innovation Fund, creating the permanent secretariat of TÜRKÜNİB, and organizing the Turkish Science and Innovation Days were also addressed. The meeting also included the review of new membership applications, all of which were approved unanimously. In addition, the Turkic Academy presented the findings of its “Turkish Barometer” project for the 2024–2025 academic period.

Following the meeting, member universities of TÜRKÜNİB from Uzbekistan set up promotional stands, and bilateral meetings between universities were also held as part of the event.

In his evaluation of the General Assembly, Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil underlined that TÜRKÜNİB represents a significant platform for Turkish universities and expressed confidence that it will foster strategic partnerships among institutions. He further emphasized that the union will contribute to advancing quality in education, scientific research, and social responsibility, wishing that the 8th TÜRKÜNİB General Assembly brings prosperity to the entire Turkic World.

Rector Karahocagil attended the symposium titled “Descendants of Alp Er Tonga: The Turkic-Islamic World During the Karakhanid Era”. The symposium was jointly organized by the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Organization of Turkic States, the TÜRKSOY General Secretariat, Tashkent International University, and the National Media Association of Uzbekistan.

In the opening speeches of the symposium, the role and importance of the Karakhanid period in shaping Turkic-Islamic civilization were emphasized. Attention was drawn to the significance of this period in terms of a shared sense of history. During the scientific sessions, scholars from Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and other countries presented papers on the historical, linguistic, literary, artistic, religious, and intellectual heritage of the Karakhanid era. The sessions also evaluated new proposals for digitally mapping historical sites from the Karakhanid period and promoting cultural heritage within the scope of the visitor tourism project.
In his remarks on the symposium, Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil emphasized the great importance of the event for Turkic-Islamic civilization. Rector Karahocagil noted that the Karakhanid period marked the time when the Turks first encountered Islam. He also highlighted that the Karakhanids used Turkish as their official language, thereby preserving and transmitting the historical and cultural heritage of that period to the present day. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil underlined that the Karakhanid era left valuable scientific, cultural, and social works to our civilization and stated that this heritage belongs to the entire Turkic world. He concluded by thanking everyone who contributed to the symposium.

Giving importance to internationalization, Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil held a series of important meetings in Uzbekistan. As part of his program, Rector Karahocagil met with Education Counsellor of Uzbekistan Ebubekir Aydın, Program Coordinator of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) in Uzbekistan Esin Acar Ergin, Rector of Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies Prof. Dr. Gulchehra Rikhsiyeva, and President of the Turkic Academy Prof. Dr. Shahin Mustafayev.

During the meetings, Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil provided information about the projects, scientific studies, and cultural activities of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University. He emphasized the importance they attach to international activities and bilateral relations, stating that such collaborations will make significant contributions to the Turkic world. Rector Karahocagil noted that the implementation of the Orhun Exchange Program among the Turkic states would strengthen the academic infrastructure of universities and, at the same time, enhance cultural interaction, thereby creating stronger ties between countries. He added that through the Orhun Exchange Program, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University would share its understanding of quality in education with other Turkic states. “As Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, we carry out our quality initiatives based on the Ahi values of Ahi Evran-ı Veli,” said Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil. He underlined that as Turkic states, they inherit a thousand-year-old civilization and that they will preserve this legacy and continue to uphold the values of Turkic civilization through quality.

In addition to the meetings, Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil gave an interview to Uzbekistan Channel 24, where he introduced Kırşehir Ahi Evran University and spoke about the contributions our university will make to the Turkic world.

During his visit to Uzbekistan, Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil was accompanied by Musa Talha Altun, Coordinator of the Office of International Relations.