International cooperation

Scientific internships and the enhancement of academic mobility competencies at foreign universities are envisaged at the following institutions:

• Baku State University, Baku, Azerbaijan;

• Graduate School of International Relations, Institute of Humanities, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation;

• Institute for Eurasian Studies, Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, Russian Federation;

• Maxim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University, Minsk, Belarus.

For the successful implementation of the socio-humanitarian modular project “ANK Academy,” the experience of organizing the First International Summer School entitled “Modern Technologies of the Negotiation Process in the Interethnic Sphere: Practical Application Potential” was utilized. The Summer School was conducted offline from June 2–8, 2024, at the scientific and educational platform of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University.

The scientific and applied skills acquired during the First International Summer School, as well as competencies in negotiation preparation and conduct and the role of mediation in ensuring productive negotiation processes, made it possible to train mentors and experts capable of implementing similar programs in the regions and integrating negotiation process topics into university educational projects (Master’s and PhD programs). A total of 40 participants from 11 regions completed the training and received official certificates, covering 72 academic hours.

The first joint cooperation experience between L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, the Republican Public Association “Association of Departments of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan ‘Shanyrak,’” the ANK Mediation Council, and the Republican Public Association “Assistance and Law” became the starting point for engaging public and analytical institutions as co-organizers of the “ANK Academy” project.

All disciplines within the Master’s program “Ethnopolitical Studies” and the PhD program “Diplomacy and Management in Ethnopolitics,” delivered by the academic staff of the ANK Department, are aimed at developing professional competencies, research and analytical skills, and their practical application. Guest lectures by national and international experts organized by the ANK Department at the Faculty of International Relations create unique platforms for knowledge and practice exchange and contribute to strengthening the scientific potential for further research in the field of interethnic relations.

From September 2024 to December of the reporting year, the ANK Department organized a series of scientific and expert events aimed at developing students’ analytical and expert competencies:

• Guest lecture by Krystian Pachucki (September 2024) on “Poland and Kazakhstan in the Face of Global and Regional Challenges”;

• Roundtable discussion (October 2024) on issues of scientific diplomacy and ethno-religious trends with scholars and experts from Georgia, including Dr. Ekaterine Metreveli, President of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies; Dr. Tornike Turmanidze, Professor at Tbilisi State University; and Mamuka Komakhia, expert at the Georgian-American University (GAU);

• Guest lecture (October 2024) by Dr. Sergey N. Pogodin, Director of the Graduate School of International Relations at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, summarizing the results of the international research internship of second-year Master’s students in the “Ethnopolitical Studies” program;

• Guest lecture-meeting with Pascal Lorot, President of the Choiseul Institute (France), and Małgorzata Tuar, ANK Friendship Ambassador in France (October 2024);

• Expert meeting (November 2024) with Professor Catherine Poujol of Sorbonne University (Paris, France), presenting an authoritative international perspective on the processes taking place in Kazakhstan and contemporary global challenges;

• Guest lecture (December 2024) by Dr. Aziz Kamalovich Burkhanov, Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University, on issues of national identity formation and consolidation.

One of the key areas of the Association’s activity is international humanitarian cooperation. Active collaboration is maintained with leading foreign experts from Sofia University (Bulgaria), Russian State University for the Humanities (Moscow), Istanbul University (Turkey), Saratov State University named after N.G. Chernyshevsky (Russian Federation), the International Institute for Central Asia (Tashkent), the Siberian Institute of Management – Branch of RANEPA (Novosibirsk), Astrakhan State University, and others.

Extensive humanitarian ties have been established with national universities named after Taras Shevchenko and Ivan Franko in Ukraine. During the reporting period, the Association of ANK Departments participated in numerous international scientific and practical conferences and forums.

Presentation speeches and academic reports delivered by members of the Association generated significant interest in the activities and institutional development of the ANK Departments, contributing to the strengthening of international and cross-border cooperation.

In particular, at the invitation of the Assembly of the Peoples of Russia and the Assembly of the Peoples of Eurasia, the Kazakhstani delegation participated in the International Forum of Friendship Houses “Eurasian Bridges of Friendship.” During the plenary session at the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Chairperson of the Association presented a report on the Association’s activities.

Proposals were received to further develop cooperation between the Association of ANK Departments and scientific, educational, and public institutions of the Russian Federation, including cross-border initiatives within projects such as the Forum “Orenburg Region – the Heart of Eurasia,” the Information and Analytical Center “Eurasia-Volga Region,” the Eurasian International Platform “Caspian-Eurasia,” and the Expert Club “Siberia-Eurasia,” where students of Kazakhstani universities play a significant role.

The ANK Department serves as a platform for cooperation with foreign partner universities, ethnocultural associations, and centers. Within the framework of international internships for Master’s students, academic ties were established with universities in Azerbaijan and Russia, significantly enriching the professional training of future ethnopolitical specialists.

As part of this cooperation and exchange of best practices, a joint textbook with Russian scholars entitled “Geopolitical and Ethnopolitical Processes in Eurasia: Theory and Practice” was published and is actively integrated into the educational process.

Further development of previously established academic partnerships is planned within the framework of projects of the “DIGITAL SOCIAL RESEARCH” Research Center of D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, which has long-standing joint programs with Altai universities and public institutions.

Overall, 12 foreign centers from China, Russia, Belarus, Brussels, Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and other countries are successfully operating at the university, contributing to strengthened cooperation and the development of a tolerant academic environment.