Ambassador of Kazakhstan Visits LUMS to Foster Future Collaborations
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His Excellency Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, visited LUMS on November 4, 2021 along with Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Senator. The visit was facilitated by CEO of Arco Plastics and LUMS donor, Mr. Ahmad Rafi. They were welcomed on campus by the University’s leadership, including Syed Babar Ali, Founding Pro Chancellor; Mr. Shahid Hussain, Rector; Dr. Farhat Haq, Provost; Dr. Tariq Jadoon, Vice Provost; Dr. Sabieh Anwar, Dean, Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, as well as members of the senior administration.
Mr. Kistafin holds a degree in International Law from Karaganda State University and a Masters degree in International Relations from the European Institute for International Strategic Studies, Brussels. He has previously served in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kazakhstan in various capacities. He has also served as the Consul Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the US and has the rank of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, II class.
During the session, Mr. Kistafin spoke about the importance of collaborations with educational institutions across different countries. “We should enhance our people-to-people relations, develop partnerships with educational institutions for the betterment of our future generations and join hands to develop the South and Central Asian regions. Let us focus on joint research to tackle the challenges of both regions and use the output to garner governmental support,” he said.
Syed Babar Ali also noted the importance of collaborations and said, “Student and faculty exchange programmes between LUMS and Kazakhstan universities are going to be a great learning experience for both.”
Mr. Hussain shared an overview about LUMS, including the signature National Outreach Programme. He also highlighted the research work underway at the University, which ranges from sustainable agriculture to water conservation and electric vehicles.
Mr. Rafi spoke about the existing collaborations of Arco Plastics with LUMS and said, “We have partnered with LUMS as it is an institution that hosts the most talented students of our country. I would strongly urge you to partner with them due to the presence of common culture and heritage between both countries.” Dr. Haq also noted that there is a common culture and heritage between South and Central Asia, and spoke about the importance of regional connectivity.
Dr. Taimur expressed her desire to collaborate with universities, centres of excellence and think tanks of Kazakastan to set Sustainable Development Goals as per a region’s own requirement. She also invited the LUMS faculty and students to come forward and partner with the Senate of Pakistan.
The event concluded with a networking session where the possibilities of future collaborations were discussed.
