Iranian delegation meets with Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Report by Directorate for International Academic Cooperation, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran—

Source: atu.ac.ir/fa

Translated into English by Rasoul Firouzi

At the initiative of the Iranian Cultural Centre in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Dr Mandana Tishehyar, Vice President for Research at Allameh Tabataba’i University (ATU), and Mr Mostafa Nouri, Deputy Director-General for Academics and Research at the National Library and Archives of Iran, along with Mr Hossein Aghazadeh, Cultural Attaché and Head of the Iranian Cultural House in Almaty, met and held talks with Dr Zhanseit Tuimebayev, Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, on 2 May 2025.

During the meeting, Dr Tuimebayev stated: "We have cooperation agreements with five Iranian universities. Kazakhstan and Iran share cultural and historical commonalities, and we are ready to collaborate with Iranian universities in various fields, including faculty and student exchange at the graduate level." He added, "We can also cooperate in the fields of history and manuscript studies."

Dr Tishehyar, then, proposed specific cooperation initiatives in Farabi studies, ECO College of Insurance scholarships, Central Asian studies, and faculty/student exchanges and mobilities. She also suggested the establishment of an Iran-Kazakhstan Studies Centre under the name of "Ferdowsi and Abai" and a joint regional journal entitled "Nowruz".

Mr Hossein Aghazadeh, while introducing the collaborative efforts and support of ATU’s Vice President for Research and the Deputy Director-General of the National Library and Archives, emphasized that "the Iranian Cultural Centre in Almaty serves as a bridge for academic and cultural exchanges between the two countries and supports joint initiatives." He presented two recent publications—"Iranian Kazakhs" and "Children’s Book with a Collection of One-Page Stories"—as examples of their recent activities and gifted them to the Rector of Al-Farabi National University.

The Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University further proposed: "As a first step, we can launch and publish a joint research journal titned Nowruz, followed by the establishment of a Joint Central Asian Studies Center."

Mostafa Nouri, Deputy Director-General of Academics and Research at the National Library and Archives of Iran, also expressed readiness for cooperation in manuscript studies and information exchange. At the end of the meeting, cultural gifts were exchanged.

It is worth noting that Al-Farabi Kazakh National University ranks 163rd in the QS World University Rankings and offers active programs in Persian Language Instruction, Iranian Studies, and Persian Translation.

This meeting underscores both sides' serious commitment to strengthening and expanding scientific and cultural cooperation between Iran and Kazakhstan. The agreement to take practical steps, such as launching the "Nowruz" joint journal, will pave the way for deeper future collaborations, including faculty and student exchanges and the establishment of joint research centers. Given the existing capacities in both countries, their history of cooperation, and the support of cultural institutions, it is expected that these academic and cultural ties will significantly expand in the near future.