Document for Public Release
Minutes of Discussion
between
HE Mr Zhanseit Tuimebayav,
Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan,
Lord Rees of Ludlow, Master of Trinity College Cambridge and President of The Royal Society,
Dr Anil Seal, Founder Director of The Cambridge Trusts and Fellow of Trinity,
Dr Siddharth Saxena (Chairman of Cambridge Central Asia Forum) and
Dr Shailaja Fennell, Lecturer of Development Studies (Director of Research, Cambridge Central Asia Forum), both
Fellows of Jesus College, Cambridge at Trinity College Cambridge,
on 7 October 2008
The aim of the visit to Cambridge of the Minister of Education was to fortify links which have already been forged between the Republic of Kazakhstan and Cambridge. Among the business concluded and the matters discussed (and were provisionally agreed):
- a programme of Bolashak scholarships of 3,000 talented scholars fully-funded by Government were to be supported each year to pursue courses of study abroad in subjects relevant to Kazakhstan’s needs. It was agreed that more of these scholars will be encouraged to apply to Cambridge, particularly where Cambridge has strengths relevant to the priority subjects specified by the Ministry of Education.
- in addition, Cambridge Central Asia Forum would collaborate with the Ministry and its agencies in helping to place these scholars studying abroad at universities in the UK and indeed worldwide which might be encouraged to take some of these students; matching the strengths of particular universities and the needs of the students;
- the planning and establishment of an University at Astana, which was intended by the Government of Kazakhstan to be a international centre of academic excellence capable of satisfying, at least in part, the growing demand in Kazakhstan (and in the region generally) for university education of a high standard.
- to organise programmes of scientific collaboration, as suggested by Lord Rees, President of the Royal Society perhaps under the joint aegis of the Royal Society of England, Royal Academy of Engineers, the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences and of relevant departments at Cambridge,such as Physics, Earth Sciences and Engineering and Chemical Engineering, to collaborate and build up capability in petroleum engineering and other related industry;
- to build academic and scientific collaboration with Royal Botanical Society and Kew Gardens, and relevant departments of plant sciences, and biotechnology to build research networks in the advancement of GMO research and dissemination in wheat and other related cereal crops;
- in these ways, to deploy Cambridge’s linkages to European and global educational institutions and Kazakhstan’s unique connections in Cambridge, as a gateway to Europe and the outside world, particularly, in the eastern and developing arcs;
- to organise short visits from students and academics from Kazakhstan to Cambridge and other centres of excellence in the United Kingdom and Europe; and similarly to organise short visits from Britain and Europe to Kazakhstan to promote mutual understanding between Europe and Kazakhstan. As part of this proposed programme we would like to suggest short visits by Cambridge undergraduates, preferably study-related, to Kazakhstan during their Long Vacations and, vice-versa, thereby giving students from Kazakhstan to Europe.
