DUSHANBE, April 11, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Branches of Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys and Moscow Power Engineering Institute (Technical University) will be opened in Tajikistan this year, Minster of Education Abdujabbor Rahmonov announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on April 11.

According to him, chancellors of these universities are expected to arrive in Dushanbe in late April to discuss further plans and define the number students at the universities’ branches.  “They will also familiarize themselves with buildings that are allotted for the branches,” the minister said.

We will recall that a government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Russia on the procedure of establishment and functioning of branches of Russian higher educational institutions in Tajikistan and branches of Tajik higher educational institutions in the Russian Federation was signed in Moscow on December 14, 2009.  Under this document, the branches of Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys and Moscow Power Engineering Institute will be established in Tajikistan.

On the student quotas allocated by foreign countries for Tajikistan for this academic year, Rahmonov noted that universities in various countries have allocated totaling 1,300 seats for Tajik students this year.  “Tajikistan now collaborates with 39 countries of the word in field of education and 1,893 Tajik students are currently studying abroad,” he said.

Rahmonov added that by president’s decree Tajikistan’s education facilities have increased a student quota for neighboring Afghanistan.  Before that, Tajikistan had allocated the quota of 50 students for Afghanistan.