KazNU and UNDP in Kazakhstan: Prospects for Cooperation in Sustainable Development

A working meeting was held between UNDP representatives and the leadership of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University to discuss prospects for cooperation in the field of sustainable nature management, raising the level of environmental education and awareness among students and the general public to support sustainable development.

Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Member of the Board A.G. Kazmagambetov acquainted the guests with the educational programs of KazNU in tourism and other promising areas for the development of cooperation, the results of the implementation of the principles of sustainable development in the leading university of the country, opportunities for joint work in the areas of exchanging information on research projects, harmonization of approaches to the development and implementation of educational courses and programs focusing on environmental education and sustainable development, organizing and holding conferences, seminars and panel discussions to exchange knowledge and best practices in the field of sustainable development. The parties, represented by Vice-Rector A.G. Kazmagambetov, and the coordinator of projects in the field of biodiversity of UNDP in Kazakhstan Meruert Sarsembayeva discussed the possibilities of cooperation.

The discussion of issues was attended by the dean of the faculty of geography and environmental sciences of the Al-Farabi KazNU, candidate of geographical sciences Aktymbayeva A.S., head of the sustainable tourism laboratory, candidate of technical sciences Artemyev A.M., analyst of the UNDP BIOFIN project in Kazakhstan Yerkulan Duisekeyev.

The outcome of the meeting was the decision to implement the educational module on the standardization of ecological tourism, developed within the framework of the UNDP BIOFIN project, in the academic disciplines "Ecological tourism" and "Standardization and certification of tourist services" of the educational program "6B11101-Tourism" and continue consultations on the introduction of international experience in the educational programs of universities.