Participants of strategic session at ASU discuss issues of interaction between universities in Russia and Asian countries in the field of altaistics

Representatives of higher education institutions of 4 countries (Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan) took part in the event entitled “Development of international cooperation in the Central Asian scientific, educational and cultural space: experience and best practices”.

“At the session, we discussed new areas of relations with our colleagues from Central Asian countries. In particular, we plan to attract universities that are partners in the Association of Asian Universities to joint research, joint work in the framework of the Center for Altaistics and Turkology, the agreement on the creation of which we signed with the Gorno-Altaisk State University at the 1st International Altaistic Forum in 2019. Under the auspices of the Center for Altaistics and Turkology, we plan to develop new educational programs, hold joint conferences and forums,” President of Altai State University Sergei V. Zemlyukov said.

The strategic session was attended by representatives of 18 universities from 4 countries, some of which worked online. The event was also attended by representatives of national cultural public associations of Altai Krai.

The session participants were greeted by Yuri S. Zemsky, chief federal inspector for Altai Krai, wishing them fruitful work and effective interaction on behalf of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation to the Siberian Federal District Sergey I. Menyaylo.

Aleksey V. Vlasov, Head of the Department of the Presidential Administration for Interregional and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, congratulating the participants on the start of work, noted that the universities represented at the event, which are part of the Association of Asian Universities, are drivers in the implementation of scientific, educational, expert and analytical and cultural and educational programs, thereby making a tangible contribution to international and interregional integration processes in the field of science and education.

“Last year, Altai State University hosted the opening of the unique scientific and educational association – the Center for Altaistics and Turkology, the purpose of which is to integrate world scientific research in the field of Altaistics, combine efforts, potential of leading scientific schools, collect accumulated experience and gain new knowledge on the widest a range of issues related to ethnic history, archeology, ethnography and linguistics of the peoples of the Turkic-Mongolian world,” the representative of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation said. “We expect that a package of proposals, scientific concepts will be formed that substantiate the mechanisms of interpenetration and mutual enrichment of cultures of the peoples of the Turkic-Mongolian world, representing a single civilizational space. We also expect that a new vector of interdisciplinary research in the field of Altaistics and Turkology will be outlined.”

The strategic session, organized within the framework of the Association of Asian Universities, summed up the work of the university community of Central Asia for 2019, identified the best joint practices of universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia, reviewed plans for 2020.

“We live here in Altai, where the cultures of several peoples have united, each of which has its own language, traditions and peculiarities. Therefore, combining the efforts of scientists living on this earth in studying the history of each nation and its distinctive culture is very important in our time of globalization,” Rector of Gorno-Altaisk State University Valery G. Babin explained. “We have been working closely with individual universities and for certain programs for a long time, but now I want to expand this interaction to obtain new interesting results. Such events as today's strategic session help in solving problems of expanding the boundaries of interaction.”

The participants in the strategic session noted that it is important to involve as many young people as possible in the framework of the Association of Asian Universities and the Center for Altaistics and Turkology, so that the established ties develop and strengthen relations between higher educational institutions of Asian countries.

“The session addresses very important issues on the work of universities in different countries, on models of their interaction, and an exchange of experience takes place. We are all now in a system of globalization that poses many challenges that each university is trying to solve on its own. Therefore, the consolidation of our efforts at the site of the Association of Asian Universities, where we collect all our strengths, is an important point. The unification of forces gives rise to new projects! ” the First Vice-Rector of East Kazakhstan State Technical University Saule Z. Rakhmetullina emphasized.

In addition to the working part, as part of the program of the strategic session, excursions were organized to the museums and cultural venues of flagship Altai State University, an exposition dedicated to the 175th birthday of Kazakh poet Abay Kunanbayev was opened and a clothing collection created by students of the faculty of art and design was organized Altai State University based on Mongolian national motives.

The event ended with a festive concert dedicated to the anniversary of the Honorary Department "Kazakhstan's Way and N. Nazarbayev" of Altai State University, celebrating its 5th anniversary this academic year.