{
  "id": 7694880,
  "title": "From vocational training to AI governance: KOICA's evolving role in Central Asia",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/from-vocational-training-to-ai-governance-koicas-evolving-role-in-7694880",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-16T03:37:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/20260916/from-vocational-training-to-ai-governance-koicas-evolving-role-in-central-asia"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has been adapting its development aid strategy in Central Asia from vocational training and rural development to focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital governance. This shift in focus aligns with the region's ambitions and Seoul's strategy for building lasting partnerships amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Between 1992 and 2025, KOICA provided approximately $440 million in official development assistance (ODA) to the five Central Asian states, with Uzbekistan receiving the largest share, followed by Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Education accounted for 30.2% of the assistance, public administration for 24.9%, and technology, environment, and energy for 18.8%. Traditionally, KOICA's work in the region centered on conventional development needs such as vocational training centers, primary health care programs, rural infrastructure, and capacity building in the energy sector. However, a turning point occurred around 2021 when the governments across Central Asia began advocating for digitized public services.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "From vocational training to AI governance: KOICA's evolving role in Central Asia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/from-vocational-training-to-ai-governance-koicas-evolving-role-in",
        "published": "2026-09-16T03:02:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}