DUSHANBE, January 9, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- In a report released at a  news conference in Dushanbe, Minister of Education Abdujabbor Rahmonov revealed on January 9 that more than 1,000 seats have been allocated to Tajik students at Russian higher educational institutions for this year.

Last year, more than 900 Tajik students were sent to study at Russian universities due to Russian quota for Tajik students.  “Russian regions have also allocated seats for out students at their higher educational institutions but we have failed to use those quotas fully,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, according to the statistical data from the Ministry of Education (MoE), Turkey has allocated 15 seats to Tajik students at its universities, China – 89 seats, and Belarus and Ukraine – 5 seats each.

Besides, 100 people have been sent to take preliminary courses to study at Kazakh universities and 28 other people have been sent to Kyrgyzstan.

Fifteen Tajik students are studying at universities in the countries of the European Union under financial support of the European Union.  They are studying at universities in Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany and Sweden.