in 2019, British Council announced an open-call to find partners for the implementation of this program among universities in the UK, as well as organizations involved in craftsmanship in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. As a result, two partners from the UK were identified - Royal College of Art and University of Leicester and two local ones, from Kazakhstan - the Union of Artisans of Kazakhstan and from Kyrgyzstan - the Resource Center in Kyrgyzstan of the Central Asian Association for the Support of Crafts (CACSARC), which received a joint grant for further project promotion. As a result of a study visit (Scoping visit) in October 2019, the British partners compiled a report on the situation in the craft industry of the two countries, which describes further measures to improve the craft industry in the country, in particular, to improve the quality of business education among beginners and already experienced artisans. The next stage of the three-year project is to conduct training sessions by British partners for industry leaders and practicing artisans, which are scheduled to take place in February-March 2020 in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.