‘Russian language is our strength’: St Petersburg University expands cooperation with Kazakhstan

The special status of St Petersburg University offers greater academic freedom and an opportunity to independently implement unique academic programmes and work directly with ministries and regional authorities. Both University students and partners can fully use the University’s intellectual and other resources. ‘We would like to sign a direct agreement not only with the Ministry of Education and Science, but also with the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This will help us quickly and efficiently develop cooperation in the field of education and culture with organisations in your country,’ said Nikolay Kropachev. 

St Petersburg University has enormous scientific and technical potential and a rich cultural heritage, said Nikolay Kropachev. Today, the scientific library collections have more than seven million volumes of various literature, and the University’s museum collections, including mineralogical, palaeontological, physical and mathematical collections to name just a few, amount to three million exhibits.

As part of the cooperation agreements, St Petersburg University works in partnership with eight universities and research organisations in Kazakhstan, including Kazakh-Russian International University, the Institute of Linguistics named after A. Baitursynuly, and Al Farabi Kazakh National University. At the Network University of the Commonwealth of Independent States, St Petersburg University, with L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, implements the master’s programme "Russian Language and Literature". There is emphasis placed on research and cultural exchange between educational institutions of the two countries. Academic staff at St Petersburg University are actively engaged in joint research projects and publications with colleagues from Kazakhstan, which is confirmed by 119 publications co-authored with colleagues from 32 scientific centres and educational institutions in Kazakhstan.

Nikolay Kropachev suggested an initiative to develop online courses, for example, in the field of oil and gas, tourism, the history of Central Asia, and other areas. Today, St Petersburg University ranks first in the number of online programmes and audience coverage on the national platform "Open Education". There are more than 350 programmes, and the number of students is over three million people. St Petersburg University is the first Russian university to offer its courses on the Chinese massive open online course (MOOC) platform "XuetangX". 

The parties also discussed promising areas of cooperation in the field of medicine. The Rector of St Petersburg University spoke about the implementation of medical activities at the University. He told about the Pirogov Clinic of High Medical Technologies at St Petersburg University, which entered the top 20 state medical institutions in St Petersburg in 2023. ‘The doctors at the Clinic, in comparison with other medical universities in St Petersburg, have the best results in terms of the number of publications on medical topics. I, as Rector, work with the Russian Minister or Deputy Prime Minister who are responsible for medicine. We could develop mutually beneficial partnership with the Republic of Kazakhstan if you develop cooperation with your ministries,’ said Nikolay Kropachev. 

Representatives of both sides expressed interest in developing academic exchange and cultural cooperation. They also discussed the need to start to teach the Kazakh language at St Petersburg University. Dauren Abaev declared his readiness to support the initiative of the Rector of St Petersburg University and added that this decision would be one of the important steps towards strengthening friendly relations and a network of partnerships between students and scientific communities of Russia and Kazakhstan.

St Petersburg University has opened the Language Testing Centre that is set to offer an opportunity to take state tests and exams in Russian as a foreign language. Today, there are over 120 testing centres in more than 50 countries, including Norway, China, Italy, Great Britain, and Hungary. In addition to the state exams in the Russian language, exams are also held in 20 other languages, including Hungarian, Serbian, Polish, Chinese, and Japanese, to assess the level of proficiency. St Petersburg University is the only organisation in Russia that offers exams in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Turkish.

Nikolay Kropachev also emphasised that small and medium-sized businesses need high-calibre specialists who have a high level of proficiency in the Kazakh language and have extensive knowledge of the Kazakhstan’s economy, law, management, and other areas. ‘Our international policy is quite active, because what we are doing is in demand. We have councils of academic programmes that are operating under the leadership of the world’s leading figures and representatives of employing companies,’ said the Rector of St Petersburg University. 

Dauren Abaev thanked the University for the initiative to study the Kazakh language at St Petersburg University, emphasising the importance of developing intercultural exchange. This will gain a positive response in Kazakhstan, he added.

Our wealth is the Kazakh language. We are committed to preserving its value. It is an honour for us that St Petersburg University is ready to start the study of the language of our people.

Dauren Abaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation

During the visit of the delegation of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Dauren Abaev delivered an open lecture on the role of Kazakhstan in the modern international community to students. In his speech, the diplomat discussed the current issues related to political and economic transformations, considered the prospects for building Russian-Kazakh trade relations, and focused on the phenomenon of social capital. 

At the end of the meeting, Dauren Abaev called on the University students to understand their role on the international arena and actively participate in sustainable development to build a prosperous world. ‘Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate with the Russian Federation, including with students. Kazakhstan ranks first in terms of the number of applicants entering leading Russian universities, and we are proud of this. Students are the bridge between our countries,’ concluded the Ambassador Extraordinary.