Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development opened in Al-Farabi KazNU

On May 17, 2018 Al-Farabi KazNU opened the Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development on the platform of the Astana Economic Forum (AEF) in Astana. This decision was announced based on the successful university leadership in the field of sustainable development.

In the framework of the AEF events, Rector of KazNU academician Galym Mutanov presented the concept and directions of work of the Institute for Sustainable Development to the international academic community. He highlighted that thanks to the extensive activity of Ban Ki-moon in the post of Secretary General a global projects as UN Academic Impact Program, sustainable energy programs and other projects have been initiated as well as the goals of sustainable development of mankind have been defined.

Al-Farabi KazNU became a member and then one of the ten global hubs of the UN Academic Impact Program and it made a significant contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at many international venues, including the «G-Global» platform.

«A great support for activities of KazNU as the head of the Global Hub is being provided by the ideological inspirer of creation of the UN Academic Impact Program, the eighth Secretary-General of the UN Ban Ki-moon. We appreciate assistance and consent to give his name to the Institute that is being opened, it is a great privilege and responsibility», - emphasized the rector Galym Mutanov.

«It is a great honor for me to work together with such University as Al-Farabi KazNU. Its best practices as a world coordinator of the academic community on sustainable development are effective, sought-after and highly valued in the UN. It is a recognized leader in promoting the UN initiatives aimed at meeting the challenges of the millennium. And the fact that his authority to head the global hub has been extended until 2020 demonstrates the great confidence of the UN», - said Ban Ki-moon.

He also emphasized that this is a success for the whole of Kazakhstan and also confirms the growing world authority of the country and the national university. At the meeting, rector Galym Mutanov and Ban Ki-moon signed the Letter of Intent on joint work in promoting the activities of the Institute for Sustainable Development of KazNU.

«We are glad that the Institute for Sustainable Development opened in Kazakhstan and in the leading university - Al-Farabi KazNU. Our cooperation goes on to a qualitatively new high level, and it fully meets the interests of the UN and the international community in solving world problems of mankind», - said Myong-Sei Son, Director General of the Institute for Global Engagement & Empowerment of Yonsei University.