UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On April 4, Penn State welcomed a delegation of senior administrators from Narxoz University, Almaty, Kazakhstan. The visit, coordinated by Penn State Global, marked a milestone in the evolving relationship between the two universities that was established in 2018 when the first general memorandum of understanding (MOU) was initiated by Penn State Law. Penn State and Narxoz University re-affirmed an interest in expanding the scope of collaboration by renewing the MOU as a university-wide agreement in a signing ceremony.

Narxoz University was founded in 1963 as an economics and public administration higher education institution, and since then has grown into a progressive, internationally accredited, private non-profit university providing a globally oriented education, in demand among the new generation of Kazakh students. The delegation, led by Provost Yerlan Shulanov, met with Penn State Global leadership, deans, and academic administrators in the Penn State Schools of Law and International Affairs, the College of Business and the School of Public Policy. The visit included a campus tour and an informal meeting with Kazakh students who study at Penn State. 

“Penn State Law and Narxoz University have a relationship now of almost 10 years,” said Penn State Law Assistant Dean Stephen Barnes. “Penn State Law has graduated 12 Narxoz alumni from our one-year Master of Laws (LL.M.) program.  And, three of our LL.M. graduates — from India, Moldova, and Russia — have been placed in faculty positions at Narxoz.  Five Penn State Law faculty have lectured at Narxoz.  So, this relationship in dynamic Kazakhstan, is one that holds great value to Penn State Law, and it’s exciting to see this initial relationship expand through other colleges at our respective institutions.”

The university representatives discussed the possibility of establishing collaborative educational programs, administrative vists, as well as faculty exchanges and research opportunities. Leadership discussions underscored the close alignment of institutional objectives and strategic priorities.

“It was an honor and pleasure to host the delegation from Narxoz University building upon existing collaboration with Penn State Law,“ said Sabine Klahr, interim vice provost for Penn State Global. “The signing of the MOU aims to facilitate the expansion of this partnership across the university and we look forward to exploring additional opportunities and disciplinary synergies in business, international affairs, and public policy, among others.“

Stimulating discussions explored the possibilities for faculty and student exchanges including faculty-led embedded courses and internship opportunities for Penn State students with companies in Kazakhstan.

“Hosting the delegation from Narxoz University was a highlight,” said Alexandra Persiko, interim director for Global Partnerships. “We realized how many areas of interest exist between our universities in addition to the established strong connections we have enjoyed for some time.”  

Facilitating faculty-to-faculty linkages and communication on both educational and research topics, as well as involving students, will be critical for the success of this budding relationship. Support mechanisms, such as the Bolashak scholarship program in Kazakhstan and Penn State Global travel awards, exist on both sides to enable continued interaction between the two universities. 

“There is a lot of interest from faculty both at University Park and on Commonwealth Campuses to engagement initiatives in Kazakhstan,” said Vlad Likholetov, associate director for Partnership Agreements at Penn State Global, who is also coordinating partnership development in Central Asia. “The next step will be to follow through on the ideas discussed during the visit, enable faculty connections, and move toward formalized arrangements and activity-specific agreements.”

For more information contact Vlad Likholetov, associate director for Partnership Agreements, at vzl12@psu.edu.