In order to realize the strategic development of the university, the development of external academic mobility, also in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of science and education Department of the Far East of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University with Waseda University (Japan),  initiated the Winter School in 2017. Eight students specialized in the study of Central Asia arrived with professor Ogihara Atsushi.

These students were offered a course of "Region, politics, economics and culture of Central Asia", which includes field researches in Kazakhstan. Specialization course "Dialogue of cultures in Kazakhstan and Central Asia" was held in order to further develop and strengthen cooperation in the field of education and joint research between the University of Waseda (Japan) and Al-Farabi KazNU. “Certificates and transcripts from the KazNU has a great importance for everyone who came with me this year," -  noted by Professor Ogihara.

Program started from the exhibition of Japanese traditional meals opened by Waseda University within WAMIPOP project, during which the Japanese delegation revealed the secret of cooking one of the traditional sweets as "karintou". As a result, students staged a small fair, were everyone could taste national sweets of Japan.

As part of the Winter School was traditionally held 17th International Student’s Symposium. The theme of this year was the question "Who and where you trust the long-term care for the health of parents?". Students discussed in Japanese the using an interactive forms of communication. After the discussion, students from Waseda University prepared miso soup and japanese tea which were treated to all the participants of the symposium. They also performed a Japanese popular dance, and Kazakhstan students played a “kui” on dombra. At the end the students sang the national anthems of their universities.

Traditionally, KazNU organized a HomeStay program, whereby the Japanese students were invited to the families of Kazakh students to study the Kazakh culture. Relationship with the University of Waseda is lasting since 2009. As a result, there were held a lot of joint researches of the Kazakh culture and traditions led by Professor Ogihara.

In 2017 was opened a Laboratory of the Faculty of Humanities from the Waseda University initiated by the head of KazNU academician Galym Mutanovand. Waseda University also opened the Al-Farabi Center. This is a new area of ​​the campus within the project "Smart University".  Smart University is expanding its borders!

 Department of the Far East