BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 5. Kazakhstan is actively developing educational cooperation with Azerbaijan by expanding academic exchange, increasing the number of scholarships, and involving universities in international programs, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek told Trend.
"Currently, more than 70 Kazakhstani universities have signed bilateral agreements with Azerbaijan. These agreements cover student and faculty exchanges, joint research, and internships. In addition, 22 leading Kazakh universities have signed 40 new agreements, mostly related to academic exchange," the minister pointed out.
According to him, Azerbaijani students will now be able to come to Kazakhstan for exchange programs, and Kazakh students will be able to study in Azerbaijan.
The minister emphasized that in 2025, Kazakhstan will allocate 550 scholarships for foreign students, including applicants from Azerbaijan.
"This is a great opportunity to get quality education close to home, especially since there are direct flights between our countries: Baku-Almaty, Baku-Astana, Baku-Aktau. Flights operate daily, which makes education even more accessible."
The parties are also working on simplifying the procedure for mutual recognition of diplomas.
"Back in 2013, we signed a framework agreement. Last year, an additional protocol was signed, under which we will work to ensure that diplomas from our countries are mutually recognized without additional procedures, tariffs, or confirmation," the minister stressed.
The minister mentioned that leading international universities, including German, Italian, US, and South Korean universities, operate in Kazakhstan. Among them are the Mendeleev Russian Chemical-Technological University, the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Queen's University Belfast, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Arizona.
"We are also actively developing participation in the Horizon Europe program, in the network university of Turkic states, and other grant initiatives," he also noted.
The minister said that Kazakhstan focuses on training specialists in the fields of energy, nuclear technologies, green hydrogen, and the digital economy.
According to the minister, in 2025, Kazakhstan will send five top professors to work at Azerbaijani universities where they will teach mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, and English in this language.
"This program will expand, and in the future, more of our professors will be able to share their experience with students in Azerbaijan," he said.
Nurbek underscored that Kazakhstan is also interested in Kazakh students studying in Azerbaijan.
"Currently, 79 of our students are already studying at Azerbaijani universities, and this number will grow. We have signed an agreement under which the governments of our countries will annually allocate 12 scholarships each for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs."
The minister stressed that educational cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan plays a key role in strengthening bilateral ties.
"We are actively developing cooperation in logistics, transit, and laying a fiber-optic line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea. However, it is education that forms long-term bonds of friendship between our countries," he explained.
Furthermore, the minister mentioned that Kazakh companies are involved in the construction of the Central District Hospital in Fuzuli, and the Kurmangazy Children's Creativity Center has already begun operation, which reflects the high level of partnership between the two countries.
"We are not just neighbors, we are brothers. We share a common language, religion, values, and history. As more students and professors participate in exchange programs, the stronger our union will be," concluded Nurbek.
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