By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek of Kazakhstan paid an official visit to South Korea on April 1-2. During the visit, he held talks with his colleagues and Presidents of Korean Universities and discussed issues of cooperation in science and digital technologies. 

At a meeting with the Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong Ho they reviewed the present status of cooperation and charted the course for future collaborations.

Additionally, Minister Nurbek met with the Mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-hoon, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on providing scholarships to Kazakh students. Starting from 2024, the Seoul City Hall will provide 10 educational grants to citizens of Kazakhstan for master's studies in technical and engineering specialties such as artificial intelligence, robotics, biology, fintech/blockchain at Sungkyunkwan University, Kyung Hee University, Hanyang University and University of Seoul.

Furthermore, the Minister signed a Memorandum of Understanding with  the Im Tae Hee, Governor of Education of Gyeonggi Province, to send Kazakh graduates of pedagogical universities to help teach at high schools in the Province.

In  Daejeon, Minister Nurbek met with KAIST President Kwang Hyun Lee and discussed ways to expand student and facilitate exchange programs.

Minister Nurbek and Vice Minister of Education Oh Seok Hwan discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation in education, including the possibility of area studies and language learning at the universities of both countries.

Additionally, Minister Nurbek received President of Jei University Lee Nam Sik and discussed opportunities for vocational trainings in Kazakhstan. 

He also visited Seoul Cyber University to exchange skills in online teaching and technologies. He laid a wreath of flowers at the bust of Abai Kunanbayev, a poet, thinker and writer. He also visited the university compound, including the Kazakh room, which serves as a venue for seminars and roundtables on Kazakh-Korean cooperation.

The delegation also included leaders of Bolashak Scholarship program, which sends out Kazakh students and researchers overseas on full governmental support. Korea is emerging as one of the popular destinations for Kazakh students and scholars. 

Overall, Minister Sayasat Nurbek’s visit provided a powerful boost to education and science collaboration and helped better understand the priorities of both countries in science and technologies.