On Tuesday October 16, 2018 L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University, together with the Iranian Allameh Tabataba'i University and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Islamic Republic of Iran, held a round table discussion at the Iran-Kazakhstan Academic and Cultural Centre at the ATU on "Acquaintance with Kazakhstan".
In the round table there were professor at the Islamic Azad University Dr. Ahmad Mohammad Hossein Abedini, professor at the Allameh Tabataba'i and Tehran Universities Dr. Bahram Amir Ahmadian, "Turk Studies" and "Central Asia and Caucasus Studies" Master students at the Allameh Tabataba'i University, Hamid Jalili and Javad Toufiqi. The moderator of the round table was a doctoral student of the second year of the "International relations" specialty at the Eurasian National University Tyulubayeva Akmaral, performing for the period of passing the foreign research internship in Iran as a representative of the Kazakh side in the above-mentioned Centre.
Recall that this Centre was opened in Tehran on May 6 of this year on the initiative of the ENU first vice-rector Moldazhanova Asemgul Aleksandrovna with the participation of the rectors of the L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National and Allameh Tabataba'i Universities.
At the beginning of the event, given that the main target audience was Iranian and foreign students, moderator Tulyubayeva A. provided general information on the Republic of Kazakhstan: geographical location, state standards, population, area of the country, state symbolism, administrative division, peculiarities of foreign policy, etc. A presentation of the richest nature of Kazakhstan was also presented to the participants of the meeting.
Professor Amir Ahmadian, a specialist in Central Asia and Caucasus region, and also in the past the Chairman of the Friendship Assembly of Iran and Georgia, spoke about his working visit to Kazakhstan as a participant in one of the international conferences, his vision and impressions about this country.
Doctor of Islamic Azat University M.H. Abedini presented the report "Features of Kazakhstan in comparison with other Central Asian republics. Cultural relations between Iran and Kazakhstan ". Mohammad Hossein Abedini, being in 2000-2001 a employee of the Cultural Centre of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, wrote several books in Persian on Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, one of which, entitled "The Cultural Figure of Kazakhstan" («سیمای فرهنگی قزاقستان»), was gaved to the Centre.
Graduates of ATU Hamid Jalili, who came to Kazakhstan with a group of lecturers and students of the "Turk Studies", and Jawad Toufiqi, who studied at L.N. Gumilev ENU one semester, also shared their little experience of staying on Kazakhstan's land. Presentations with photos taken by them during the trip were shown.
The round table discussed issues of tradition, culture, national dishes of the Kazakhs, peculiarities of mentality, climate, and also touched on investment issues. The topics addressed have aroused the genuine interest of the guests. The invitees asked questions about Kazakhstan's language policy, clarified some statistical data regarding the population in the republic, were interested in weather conditions in the severe winter in Astana.
A translator from the Kazakh department of the Pars Today website in the Iranian television and radio company (www.parstoday.com/kk) Omarhanova Gauhar was invited to cover this cultural event in the Iranian media.
These events are aimed at developing cooperation between the two universities and strengthening the close relationship between Kazakhstan and Iran. Similar moves will help open doors to Iranian students wishing to study in Kazakhstan's universities, as well as open the veil for students and young scientists from Kazakhstan in relation to such a mysterious country of Iran.
In the next two months, several events are planned within the framework of the cooperation agreement between the two universities, including on-line conferences and the official opening of the Kazakhstan-Iran cultural and educational centre at L.N. Gumilev ENU in Astana.
Tyulyubayeva A.
