REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UN AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES ATTENDED A ROUND TABLE AT KazNARU

On July 25, 2023 Kazakh National Agrarian Research University held a round table entitled: "MBA program on agribusiness in KazNARU: challenges and prospects".

The representative of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Chad Kinnear - Acting Public Affairs Officer of U.S. Consulate General Almaty, Mario-Ingo Zoos - Council General of Germany in Almaty, Fabrice Neveu - Council General of France in Almaty, Mr Kiraz Mehmet - Education Attaché of the Consulate of the Republic of Turkey in Almaty City, Director of the UN Information Office in Kazakhstan - Vlastimil Samek, Head of the Department providing services for safety and security of the UN - Justin Rashid, Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Kazakhstan) - Dr. Hussein Ozhan, heads of companies Coca-Cola, Efes Kazakhstan and business structure of Kazakhstan participated in the work of the round table.

Participants of the round table discussed the prospects of international cooperation in the field of agro-education. They talked not only about the state policy on the development of agro-industrial complex, but also the ways of attracting innovative technologies and training young people in new methods and techniques of agricultural development, including the development of international agribusiness and agro-entrepreneurship.

Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Chairman of the Board-Rector of KazNARU Akhylbek Kurishbayev opened the event and noted that scientists and young researchers of the university systematically work on the study of global problems of food security. They also analyze the prospects of using innovations and innovative agricultural technologies to address the challenges of sustainable development, climate change, distraction of international food chain, and food security in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In the research direction KazNARU has created an infrastructure of international level. For example, Agrotechnological Hub works on search, attraction and transfer of the best innovative technologies and new knowledge in agro-industrial complex. 7 research institutes, 8 innovation centers, 31 research laboratories carry out about 100 research, implementation and international projects.

"As the head of one of the leading universities in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, I see the strategic importance of training for the agro-industrial complex! We train both Kazakhstani students and students from many countries of the world to solve the most complex problems and challenges of our time. And in this aspect, international cooperation plays an important role in our activities to attract the latest agro-technologies and educational programs from around the world. In the field of implementation of educational programs we develop cooperation with 140 leading universities and research centers of the world. The University is a member of 15 international associations and organizations, including the United Nations Academic Impact Program (UNAI)," Akhylbek Kurishbayev stressed.

In recent years, laboratories and research institutes of KazNARU have been actively working on the development of international cooperation with leading universities and scientific and educational institutions of the USA, Germany, France, Turkey, PRC, and others.

For example, a number of joint educational programs with the Chinese Agrarian University (Beijing), Henan Agricultural University, Lanzhou University (LZU) are successfully implemented. As a result of these meetings, the parties agreed to establish the Kazakh-Chinese Center for Water Training and the Center for Digitalization of Agribusiness on the basis of KazNARU.

The Kazakh-German Institute for Ecosystems and Biodiversity Conservation was established on the basis of KazNARU, which was inaugurated in April 2023, and a Memorandum of Cooperation with KaGEB was signed.

In the new academic year, a branch of the National Research University "Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers" will be opened in KazNARU. New innovative educational programs for training specialists with higher and postgraduate education (bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies) in the direction of training "Water resources and water use" are being developed.

In 2022-2023 academic year for the first time in the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University on the basis of the "Graduate School "Business and Law" KazNARU held the defense of the first graduation of managers on MBA/EMBA program for the agro-industrial complex of the country and became a flagship program for entrepreneurship development.

EMBA, MBA degree is in demand all over the world, including in the economy, business structures and public administration of Kazakhstan. Master of Business Administration - Master of Business Administration - is an academic degree awarded to diploma holders who have received education in the field of professional management.

Within the framework of training for students were organized individual internships in the field of agribusiness, invited the best teachers from European countries. Graduates of the EMBA program in agribusiness conducted research in such important areas as:

- Cooperation and knowledge exchange with foreign universities;

- Conducting joint research and projects;

- Development of agribusiness skills among young people;

- Digital transformation of the educational process.

Cooperation with the world's leading universities will certainly contribute to strengthening KazNARU's focus on advanced international technologies and intensifying cooperation with foreign colleagues.

"I would like to emphasize that promotion of international cooperation is an important part of our strategy for the development of the university in training personnel for the new Kazakhstan! And the work with leading foreign universities in the implementation of a new innovative educational program EMBA - "Business Administration" - is an indicator and example of our openness to new approaches in training," - concluded the head of the university Akylbek Kurishbayev.

In conclusion, the moderator stated that KazNARU is ready to cooperate with foreign universities, local and international companies, agricultural holdings and representatives of large and small businesses.

During the discussion, the participants of the round table expressed their opinions and proposals for solutions to the issues on the agenda - "MBA program in agribusiness at KazNARU: challenges and prospects".

Taking into account that today knowledge becomes outdated rather quickly, the speakers touched upon the problems of accelerating the integration of education, science and production in the training of specialists of a new format; in the integration of innovations in the educational process and training of specialists in new areas in the field of agribusiness.

The participants also noted the increasing competitiveness and demand for young specialists of KazNARU, who meet global requirements and professional competencies.

KazNARU Press Service