CIS MPs Discussed AI, Support of Young Talents and Student Exchanges

On October 22, a session of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Science and Education was held under the leadership of Chair of the Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Science, Education and Culture Lilia Gumerova.

The event brought together parliamentarians from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, representatives of academia and expert communities.

Chair of the Committee of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic on Science and Education Bahtiyar Aliev and Chair of the Standing Committee of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on Education, Culture and Science Igor Marzalyuk were elected Deputy Chairs of the Commission.

Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council Dmitriy Kobitskiy said that the Head of the Model Law-Making Support Unit of the Expert and Analytical Directorate Tatyana Baranova was appointed Secretary of the Commission.

One of the issues to be considered by the participants was the draft Model Law on Trust Funds to Support Scientific, Technical and Innovative Activities.

The document establishes the procedure for the establishment, reorganization and liquidation of trust funds, as well as the formation and use of trust capital. Among the innovations is the possibility of public collection of funds to replenish the capital. This helps to attract investors, including individuals and legal entities. The Law also defines authorized bodies, control over the activities of funds, rights and obligations of participants, as well as measures to prevent corruption.

To stimulate public-private partnership, the draft offers tax preferences for investors and enshrines the right to reasonable risk in scientific activities. It also establishes mutual recognition of the activities of trust funds between the CIS countries and the possibility of creating interstate funds for joint funding of research.

Parliamentarians also considered the draft Model Law on Scientific and Technological Activity (revised).

The document envisages new ways of financing scientific and innovative projects. It will allow the creation of special funds to support research and development through the cooperation of state, private individuals and companies. This approach will promote international cooperation on this issue.

The drafts of both documents have been approved by the Commission and could be adopted by the Assembly as early as this fall.

Another document for consideration and discussion was the draft Model Law on Artificial Intelligence Technologies.

The draft revises state regulation of AI technologies. The emphasis is now on risk assessment: if the use of AI can harm people or threaten safety, then a mandatory assessment of its impact is required. In case of high risk, the state may impose restrictions on the use of such technologies in order to protect human rights and the interests of society.

Adoption of the Law will allow for the formation of unified approaches to the legal regulation of human-centered AI use aimed at improving the quality of life, security and trust.

The document will be sent to the IPA CIS parliaments for expert opinions.

Draft amendments to the Model Education Code for the CIS Member Nations. Digitalization aspect will also be sent to the parliaments of the Commonwealth countries for proposals. Experts will review the document and make their adjustments.

The session separately noted the issue of using artificial intelligence technologies in education. The main challenge is that AI can replace human cognitive abilities, excluding creativity as an important aspect of the educational process. Therefore, the use of AI should be in line with the objectives of education, and its complete exclusion from the process is inappropriate.

Work continues on the draft Recommendations on Legal Regulation of Academic Mobility.

The document covers the training of participants in academic mobility, including administrative, legal, cultural, financial and linguistic aspects. It regulates the transfer of grants, the use of bank credits in the host country, the recognition of educational documents, the crediting of completed study programs and the reintegration of learners with the assessment of their competencies and skills.

Parliamentarians were presented with the draft Recommendations on Legal Regulation of the System of Development and Support of Young Talents.

The participants of the Сommission were told what model-legislative acts of the IPA CIS in the field of science and education are used in lawmaking in Uzbekistan.

The session was informed about the First Children’s Delphic Games of CIS Member States. The Games were held in Bishkek, about 500 young talents from 7 to 14 years old from all the CIS countries participated in 11 nominations of classical, folk and modern arts.

The participants of the session approved the project of holding the International Scientific and Educational Congress of the CIS Member Nations in 2025 in St. Petersburg.

The Congress can become an open discussion platform to discuss and disseminate best practices in science and education to improve the competitiveness of the CIS economies.

The mission of the Congress is to form mechanisms of rapprochement of the Commonwealth countries in the sphere of education, science, technology and innovation by promoting an open dialog between representatives of legislative and executive bodies of state power, academia and industrial communities.

The event plan may include an interactive poster session with young scientists, as well as an exhibition of online educational platforms.

The session presented information about the International Competition of Diploma Projects for the IPA CIS Award. The competition is designed to encourage students to conduct high quality research and promote the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the field of model lawmaking.

The next session of the Commission is scheduled for March-May 2025.