On January 19, 2026, UNESCO IITE participated in the expert discussion “Educator in the AI Era: International Trends and Kazakhstan’s Experience” organized by the National Center for Professional Development “Orleu” – the leading organization in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of teacher professional development, adult education, and the dissemination of best educational practices in the country.
The discussion took place at the “Orleu ThinkSpace” expert platform. During the discussion, participants explored key international trends in the implementation of artificial intelligence in education, national approaches to regulating new technologies, as well as practical experience in applying AI in the school environment.
Participants in the discussion included:
- Tatiana Murovana, Programme Specialist, UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education;
- Ekaterina Smyshlyaeva, Deputy, the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
- Nursultan Zhakupov, Physics Teacher, Riviera International School;
- Quanysh Abeshev, Head of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the National Center for Professional Development “Orleu”.
The discission was moderated by Marat Turashev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the National Center for Professional Development “Orleu”.
Tatiana Murovana presented UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers, which emphasizes that teacher professional development must be continuous, pedagogy-focused rather than technology-driven, and should enhance “human” qualities such as empathy and emotional support, critical thinking, and creativity. During the discussion, participants debated the recently adopted Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Artificial Intelligence” and its impact on the use of AI in education, as well as practical strategies for integrating the capabilities of neural networks into school teaching and learning processes.
The podcast recording can be viewed on the “Orleu ThinkSpace” channel