How Belarusian diplomatic missions are promoting education in Belarus was outlined by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lukashevich during the National Rectors’ School, BelTA has learned.
“Experience shows that when Belarusian universities enter new markets, it is advisable, even before the admissions campaign begins, to assess the working conditions in specific countries, in cooperation with diplomatic missions and export promotion agencies. This includes examining issues of diploma recognition and verifying the status and business reputation of local recruitment agents and other intermediaries. It might even be worth compiling a unified list of trusted and reliable partners for Belarusian educational institutions by country. This would help minimize instances of false information, the use of dubious intermediary schemes, including those linked to illegal migration, and document forgery. It is also important to ensure direct communication between prospective applicants and the relevant Belarusian university,” Sergei Lukashevich noted.
Belarusian diplomatic missions are also focused on providing maximum assistance in finding reliable partners in their host countries, partners capable of organizing high-quality recruitment and support for future students, from consultation during the document preparation stage all the way through to arrival in Belarus and enrollment, he said.
Furthermore, to enhance the effectiveness of this work, including through embassies, it would be advisable to develop, for each priority market, a package of up-to-date English-language materials from universities, detailing available specializations, tuition and living costs, admission requirements, English-language programs, scholarships, dormitory availability, and visa procedures, the first deputy minister emphasized.
“Belarus’ education programs are traditionally most popular in the CIS countries. Promoting Belarusian educational services there is a key focus of our work. In line with agreements at the highest and high levels with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the number of applicants from these countries in the 2025/26 academic year exceeded 9,000 and 3,500 respectively. There is also some positive momentum in our work with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. However, friendly relations with these states do not mean that the number of students from there will grow on its own. This requires active engagement from universities, particularly at specialized exhibition venues in the CIS countries,” Sergei Lukashevich said.
The Second National Rectors’ School was held in Minsk on 26-27 August. The theme of the 2026 forum was The University of the Future: Advanced Workforce Training, Technological Sovereignty, Education in the Digital Environment, and the Export Potential of Higher Education. The event brought together rectors of the country's leading universities, heads of government agencies, representatives of the National Academy of Sciences, the High-Tech Park, and business community. The organizer of the event is the Education Ministry.
