Tempus is one of a number of European Community programmes designed to help the process of social and economic reform and/or development inits partner countries:Western Balkan countries, the Eastern European and Central Asian countries, and the Mediterranean countries.

The Tempus Programme focuses on the development of the higher education systems in these countries through co-operation with institutions from the Member States of the European Community.

The programme is based on the understanding that higher education institutions are of particular importance for the social and economic transition process as well as cultural development; they are also pools of expertise and of human resources and provide for the training of new generations of leaders.

For detailed information consult the website:http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/index_en.php

National Tempus Office of Kazakhstan

The National Tempus Office was inaugurated in June, 2005, in Almaty. Activities of the NTO aim to stimulate implementation of Kazakhstan educational policy priorities in higher education and facilitate integration of higher education into the European educational area. Its main objectives include

1. provision of information support and advice to the Kazakhstan higher education institutions regarding guidance in writing applications;
2. finding partner-institutions for implementing projects;
3. project monitoring;
4. preparation and presentation of information and data about Kazakhstan higher education system and its priority development strategies to the European Commission and European Training Foundation;
5. organizing activities aiming at the networking among on-going Tempus projects and dissemination of project results;
6. supporting in establishment of project consortium and the EU partner search for local applicants; etc.