The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) visited the Faculty of International Relations, the Kazakh National University named after al-Farabi.

The Center for German Studies hosted the guests. The talks, which involved the DAAD head of the Central Asia and Caucasus department, Mr. Kai Franke (Bonn), the DAAD Bureau head in Kazakhstan, Mr. Michael Yaumann, the Vice-rector for research and innovation work of the KazNU, Mr. Tlekkabul Ramazanov, the Dean of the International Relations Faculty, Mr. Karimzhan Shakirov, the Centre for German Studies director Prof. Mara Gubaidullina, the Head department of International Relations and World Economy Ermek Chukubaev, were devoted to deepen co-operation between the DAAD and the KazNU.

DAAD - is the German Academic Exchange Service, the largest Germany-wide organization to support international academic exchanges of researchers and students (the headquarters is in Bonn). This organization has a long history, it was founded in 1925. It has been cooperating with Kazakhstan and being in touch with the KazNU for 20 years. Many teachers and students of our university are the fellows of DAAD. For example, with its assistance the past two years nine IRF students graduated the universities in Germany and six - took part in summer language courses, also several Faculty professors belong to the Alumnae (Prof. Galiya Movkebaeva, Prof. Mara Gubaidullina).

The both sides discussed various aspects: future cooperation, teaching German status in KazNU, new directions of scolarship programs for researchers and students, academic mobility prospects and etc. Vice-Rector Tlekkabul Ramazanov and International Relation Faculty Dean Karimzhan Shakirov, emphasizing the importance of existing co-operation with universities and research organizations in Germany, have expressed wishes for further german direction development. Also, Tlekkabul Ramazanov shared positive experience of training PhD students for their doctoral works presentation in cooperation with German colleagues and DAAD colleagues.

Kai Franke, whose agency is engaged in the strategy of cooperation with universities in the region, came out with a proposal to open a DAAD counseling center at the IRF and its further functions expansion. During the negotiations, the German side agreed to allocate DAAD lectureres for teaching German language and elective courses in German to KazNU. The honor guests from Bonn supported the Faculty initiative of profound specialization study in German by teachers from Germany and their invitation.

The German guests willingly answered numerous questions that students were interested in, especially concerned academic exchange programs. The Faculty of International Relations Students, who were the DAAD scholarship holders, shared their experience and showed a film about their group trip to the German universities.

German teachers, interns and researchers from Germany, in particular from the Ebert Foundation and International Relations teachers (Kulbaeva A.T., Kotiyeva L.M., Kusherbayev J.D. etc.), the Department of International Relations under Administration staff (Batkalova K., B. Sarieva) visited the meeting.

Center for German Studies of the KazNU