Solving Global Problems Together with Europe

The Austrian Alpbach hosted an authoritative annual high-level political forum with participation of existing and former heads of state, governments, international organizations and Mass Media. The event, which is dedicated to finding solutions to European and global problems, gathered together 5,000 participants from 100 countries around the world.

President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, the eighth UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the former Austrian President Heinz Fischer and others became the keynote speakers of symposium, who emphasized the relevance of the forum in the context of global tectonic political and economic changes.

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and the Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development that has been recently created at the University were invited to participate at this event in order to discuss prospects for cooperation in implementing United Nations initiatives in the field of global citizenship and sustainable development.

KazNU heads the Global Hub of the UN Academic Impact Program on Sustainable Development since 2014 and it is an internationally recognized leader in implementing important principles of the Program.

The speech by the Rector of Al-Farabi KazNU, academician Galym Mutnov entitled «University 4.0 - a New Era in Higher Education» has gained a great interest of forum participants. Earlier this University initiative was first presented at a conference in the UN headquarters on May 2018 in New York. The state program «A Look into the Future: Modernization of Public Consciousness» serves as a clear guide in the implementation of this project.

The mission of the University of new generation is aimed at formation of young people as virtuous citizens of the world with high spiritual and moral qualities and an active civil position. As highlighted by the forum participants - the new model «University 4.0» is especially relevant in the context of globalization and in the rapid development of new technologies.

The important outcome of the participation of Kazakhstani University in the forum was the signing of an Agreement on Strategic Partnership between the Center for Global Citizenship (Austria), the Institute for Sustainable Development (South Korea) and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. The document was signed by the former Austrian President Heinz Fischer, the eighth UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the rector of KazNU Galym Mutanov (Kazakhstan). The agreement will support to unite the efforts of the parties to solve global problems of humankind and challenges of the modern world.