The AA Visiting School Samarkand, titled 'Imagined Skies,' will be held at the Ulugbek Observatory. This facility, designed for celestial observation, will serve as a starting point for participants to delve into broader themes such as astronomy, heritage, and climate change.
The school's program explores the connection between climate change and heritage through a visual perspective. With support from the Uzbekistan Foundation for Art and Culture Development, this ten-day workshop will investigate, using the various layers of the Ulugbek Observatory, how humanity perceives the world and how it chooses to represent it.
Participants will be encouraged to collaborate with archival materials, research, artistic practices, and the rich history of the region. The objective is to develop projects that reflect sensitivity both to the sense of vision and to the specific history of the location.
Ancient celestial maps tell stories of both visible constellations and terrestrial perceptions. The program based in Samarkand addresses how we interpret the world and how we choose to portray it.
As part of the Climate Cartographies initiative, the Samarkand school agenda analyzes the intersection between climate change and heritage, also considering innovative methods of representing these subjects through photography and visual perception.
The Ulugbek Observatory not only serves as a starting point for studies on spatial observation but also for analyzing its architectural manifestations and the most recent efforts in architectural preservation.
Registration is open to architecture and design students, PhD candidates, post-doctoral researchers, and young professionals. The event is scheduled to take place from September 4 to September 14, 2026, at the site itself. The deadline for registration is August 16, and the event is free of charge.
During a night-time personnel reshuffle on Monday, the government appointed Dipti Gaur Mukerji, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 1993 batch from Madhya Pradesh, to the post of new Secretary for Higher Education.
This appointment came just three weeks after Naresh Pal Gangwar, an IAS officer from the Rajasthan batch, was appointed to the same position, but his appointment was suspended.
The growing number of international students in Iranian universities has raised the pressing issue of how to make learning the Persian language more accessible for those starting with minimal or zero knowledge of the language.
ParsiGo, an initiative in Iranian educational technology, was created to partially address this problem. It is a digital learning system that combines online Persian language lessons with features for assessment, monitoring student progress, and providing educational support.
This system was developed by Daneshgostar, a company specializing in educational technologies, in collaboration with the International Language Center of Amirkabir University of Technology in Iran. The system is designed for non-Iranian students and all others studying Persian, including those in their home countries before traveling to Iran.
Unlike many language apps that offer only lessons or exercises, ParsiGo is built on a more structured learning process. Students follow a specific educational path corresponding to their level and can move through lessons that include video materials, short tests, and assignments.
The system also allows learners to submit written or audio assignments and receive feedback. At the administrative level, teachers and academic staff can track student progress and identify areas requiring additional help.
One of the key components of the system is artificial intelligence. According to the developers, AI can analyze test answers and completed assignments, detect recurring language errors, and assist in creating educational reports.
The developers emphasize that the technology is not intended to replace teachers. Instead, they view AI as a supplementary tool for teaching staff, especially when performing tasks related to analyzing student results and the initial stage of providing feedback. Human support remains part of the proposed model, as educational curators are responsible for monitoring student activity and intervening if students fall behind.
This combination is particularly relevant for online learning, where students can easily lose regular contact with the instructor. The ParsiGo model includes monitoring attendance, assignment completion, and overall activity, allowing support staff to keep track of students who become less active or encounter academic or technical difficulties.
The initiative is aimed not only at individual learners but also at educational institutions. In addition to the student application, ParsiGo has a web administrative section through which universities and educational organizations can register students, activate courses, and view learning reports. This feature could allow a foreign university interested in teaching Persian to offer courses to its students without needing to create its own digital learning system. The proposed model also allows for course adaptation to the requirements of specific institutions or countries.
Potential users identified by the developers include international students preparing to study in Iran; foreign students already enrolled in Iranian universities; students interested in Persian language and culture; and universities with programs in Iranian studies, Persian language, or regional studies. Other potential users listed include language institutes and cultural and academic organizations.
The project also envisages cooperation with foreign universities, educational agencies, and organizations involved in recruiting international students. Depending on agreements, partner institutions may introduce students to courses, monitor their progress, and receive reports on their results.
For Iranian universities seeking to attract more international students, the ability to access Persian language lessons before the student arrives can be a significant advantage. This gives students a chance to familiarize themselves with the language in advance, and universities a clearer picture of their progress during the learning process.
At the same time, the broader significance of such systems extends beyond the technology itself. Expanding digital education in Persian can provide Iranian universities and cultural institutions with another channel to reach students in countries where access to Persian language instructors is limited.
Whether digital platforms can ultimately provide the same depth of interaction as traditional classrooms depends on their implementation methods and the effectiveness of combining technology with qualified teachers. However, for the Persian language, online systems can offer a way to expand learning opportunities for a wider international audience and make language preparation part of the academic journey even before international students step onto an Iranian campus.
Persian, also known as Farsi, is an ancient language spoken primarily in Iran, Afghanistan (as Dari), and Tajikistan (as Tajik). It possesses a rich literary heritage spanning over a thousand years. Its alphabet, derived from Arabic, can initially pose difficulties for those unfamiliar with right-to-left writing. The vocabulary of Persian has been influenced by both Arabic and various Turkic languages, adding complexity. Although the phonetic structure of Persian is relatively simple and lacks grammatical gender, nuances of its grammar, such as verb conjugation and the use of subordinate clauses, require targeted study and practice, often making it both useful and challenging for foreign learners.
The difficulty level of learning Persian can vary greatly depending on the learner's background and native language. For speakers of languages similar to Persian, such as Turkish or some Indo-European languages, the transition may be smoother due to shared linguistic features. Nevertheless, students from languages with significantly different structures, such as Mandarin or Vietnamese, may find the concepts of Persian syntax and grammar more daunting. Furthermore, the rich cultural context embedded in Persian literature and expressions requires learners to immerse themselves deeply in cultural references to achieve fluency. Nevertheless, many students find learning Persian to be an enriching experience that provides insight into a diverse and historically significant culture.
The Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan announced that the opening ceremony of the 38th International Informatics Olympiad (IOI 2026) took place in Tashkent on August 10. This marks the first time this competition has been held in Uzbekistan.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Preschool and School Education Ezozhon Karimova, President of the International Informatics Olympiad Sung Tek Tan, representatives from international organizations and the IT sector, as well as coaches and participants.
During the event, delegations from participating countries were presented to the public and welcomed by representatives of Uzbekistan and the leadership of the International Informatics Olympiad.
Sherzod Shermatov emphasized that hosting the IOI in Uzbekistan is of great significance in the context of the country's efforts to develop the field of information technology and artificial intelligence. He also noted the historical contribution of the scholar Muhammad al-Khwarizmi to the development of mathematics and science, linking his legacy to modern informatics.
Sung Tek Tan stated that the goal of the competitions is to identify talented youth, encourage participants to improve their skills in informatics, and provide an international platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience.
The ceremony included musical and theatrical performances that combined elements of Uzbek national culture with modern technological solutions. Visual animation demonstrating the programming process was also presented.
IOI 2026 will bring together young programmers from different countries to demonstrate their algorithmic and programming skills. Furthermore, the competition serves as a platform for international interaction and exchange among members of the global IT community.
