It discusses issues of updating engineering educational programs, strengthening interaction between universities and industrial enterprises, and effectively using the capabilities of AI in the training of future engineers. The East Kazakhstan Technical University named after D. Serikbayev is hosting the Asian regional meeting of the CDIO World Initiative - CDIO Asian Regional Meeting 2026. The international event, first organized in Central Asia, brought together more than 50 representatives of higher educational institutions and the expert community from 15 countries. Among them are representatives of Singapore, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. The main theme of this year’s meeting is “Next generation engineering: a new triad of academia, industry and artificial intelligence.” During the event, issues of updating educational programs in the field of engineering education, developing project-based and practice-oriented training, strengthening interaction between universities and industrial enterprises, as well as the effective use of artificial intelligence capabilities in the training of future engineers are discussed. The CDIO approach is focused on training engineers taking into account the full life cycle of a product - from ideation and design to implementation and operation. The model combines fundamental knowledge and professional skills, project and team work, as well as practical experience in solving specific production problems. In this context, the introduction of international experience contributes to the development of the national model of engineering education in Kazakhstan and increasing its compliance with the requirements of the labor market. Juha Kontio, co-director of the Worldwide CDIO Initiative, Vice-Rector of the Turku University of Applied Sciences, spoke about modern approaches in engineering education and the stages of development of the CDIO initiative. “In the process of development, CDIO has become an international platform for the modernization of engineering education, combining fundamental knowledge with project and practical activities. One of the key tasks today is the effective and responsible introduction of artificial intelligence into the process of training engineers,” noted Juha Kontio. The meeting program includes plenary sessions, expert sessions, round tables and practical seminars. Participants discuss improving the national model of engineering education, developing educational programs together with industrial partners, as well as the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the educational process. East Kazakhstan Technical University named after D. Serikbayev is the only university in Kazakhstan that has the status of a full member of the World CDIO Initiative. Holding the CDIO Asian Regional Meeting 2026 in Kazakhstan for the first time creates additional opportunities to expand interaction between domestic universities and the international community in the field of engineering education and the development of modern approaches to the training of engineering personnel. Let us remind you that on October 30, 2026, the PROFIT Education Day conference dedicated to information technologies in the field of education will be held in Almaty.