Strategic Meeting at the Institute for Asian Studies of Al-Farabi KazNU: Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the “Open World” Foundation

The Institute of Asian Studies of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (henceforth referred to as the Institute) hosted a historic event on November 7: a strategic meeting that established a long-term collaboration between two prominent think tanks. Timur Serikuly, a representative of the Public Foundation "Center for Analysis and Prognosis "Open World" (henceforth referred to as the Foundation) and an authority on international conflicts, geopolitics, and global security analysis, was hosted by Prof. German Kim, Director of the Institute.

Open communication was encouraged by the meeting's welcoming and laid-back start. The current geopolitical environment and important theoretical and applied issues in modern international relations were among the many topics covered by the parties.

The possibility of beneficial collaboration between the Foundation and the Institute was given special consideration. It was mentioned that the Foundation is actively involved in examining the current Middle East and Central and South Asian agendas and events. Conversely, the Institute maintains a wide range of academic collaborations throughout the Far East and Southeast Asia. Based on the distinct skills of each participant, this disparity in geographic reach establishes a strong basis for cooperative efforts that benefit both parties.

One of the Institute's primary research areas is diaspora studies and related issues that arise in diaspora communities, including radicalism, separatism, and conflict studies. This was another important item on the agenda. Timur Serikuly was very interested in this subject. The parties decided to host a number of future joint events with the goal of having in-depth conversations about this topic and encouraging its popularization because they recognized how important it is in today's world.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding marked the conclusion of the meeting. The parties' intentions to foster expert, scholarly, and analytical cooperation in fields like international law, transportation logistics, geoeconomic transformations, and regional integration processes in Central Asia and beyond were formalized in this document. The signatories stressed the necessity of developing practice-oriented approaches in research and consulting activities, as well as the significance of collaborating to thoroughly analyze current regional and global processes.