This spring, in the framework of the winter school, the Far East Department has welcom on the campus of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University 47 students from Japan. Among them were senior students from the University of Tokyo, Univesity of Tsukuba, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and Kochi University.

Graduate of Kyoto University, associate professor of the Far East Department, Ph.D. Akhapov E.A according to the results of the survey among Japanese guests, he left the most vivid impression as a lecturer of the course “Regional Studies. Politics, economics and culture of Central Asia”, which also provides for field research in Kazakhstan.

During two weeks Ph.D Akhapov E.A. delivered a lecture in an interactive form using new research methods. After introducing students to the work of his research laboratory, the lecturer gave a lecture to Japanese students on the topic “Environmental problems of Kazakhstan: on the example of Almaty” and invited Japanese students and professors to a joint research project. This lecture was particularly successful, the students decided to hold a similar seminar in their universities. The lecture was continued at the Medeo high-mountain skating rink, where Japanese students could feel the "Kazakhstan's clean air of the mountains."

According to a student group supervisor of 19 people from Tokyo University associate professor Okada Terue, “Japanese students have a opportunity to talk about Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Japan and to visit Kazakhstan again.”