The organizers of this event were the Far East Department of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development, MDP global classroom, Model UN New Silk Way. This scientific-practical seminar was organized for faculty members and undergraduates of the University of Tokyo, which is one of the most prestigious universities in Asia and is in the list of Top 50 Universities in the world rankings.
During the event, teachers and undergraduates from Japan were introduced with the peculiarities of multi-vector policy of Kazakhstan in the international arena and with its contribution to the development of the New Silk Road. This course is conducted within the framework of the winter school and the program “Regional Studies: Politics, Economics and Culture of Central Asia”, which also provides field research in Kazakhstan. It was also possible to present the entire palette of Kazakhstan’s approaches to the development of cooperation in Central Asia and on the Great Silk Road.
Before the lecture, the first vice-rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Professor Burkitbayev Mukhambetkali, expressed that Al-Farabi Kazakh National University has a long and fruitful relationship with such a prestigious university as the University of Tokyo emphasizing the general project “Nanosatellite”.
The lecture was conducted by the Professor Rafis Abazov, director of the Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development, author of books and textbooks for American universities “The Central Asian Republics” and “Palgrave Concise Atlas of Central Asia”.
The agenda covered such topics as: Kazakhstan on the Great Silk Road, youth and sustainable development; education; education in Kazakhstan and Japan. During the presentation, the guests were able to familiarize themselves with the structure and activities of the Kazakh government and its policies on the Great Silk Road. During the seminar, students of the University of Tokyo spoke about their research papers about Kazakhstan and the Great Silk Road and about the huge interest in the Republic of Kazakhstan among students in Japan.
After the lecture, an exchange of questions and answers took place, during which Japanese students were able to demonstrate knowledge and great interest in Kazakhstan, and also discussed the development of academic and educational exchanges between the Kazakh National University and the University of Tokyo.