UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State hosted a delegation of senior administrators and faculty from Satbayev University, located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Feb. 1-2. The visit, coordinated by Penn State Global, marked a milestone in the evolving relationship between the two universities that was first established in 2018. Penn State and Satbayev University re-affirmed an interest in expanding the scope of collaboration by signing a general agreement for academic cooperation.
Founded in 1934, Satbayev University (formerly known as the Kazakh National Technical University) is Kazakhstan's leading technical institution designated as a national research university in 2014. The delegation, led by Rector Meiram Begentayev, met with Penn State leadership, academic administrators, faculty and staff in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) and the College of Information Science and Technology (IST) on the University Park campus. The visit included facility tours, presentations, a library tour, break-out sessions with Penn State faculty, and an informal event with Kazakh students who study at Penn State.
The university representatives and faculty discussed establishing collaborative educational programs in four disciplinary tracks: petroleum engineering, geology, materials science and cybersecurity, as well as implementing a visiting scholar program and potential opportunities for research collaboration.
“This collaboration is strategically significant for the education system of Kazakhstan,” said Samgat Yermekbayev, the chief adviser to the country's minister of science and higher education, and a 2018 master of laws degree graduate of Penn State Law. “Satbayev University is a No. 1 STEM university in the country. The implementation of joint research projects, dual degree programs and scientific internships will give an impetus to our collaborative work.”
Leadership discussions underscored the close alignment of institutional objectives and strategic priorities.
“We look forward to developing new opportunities for global learning as well as research and scholarship that are transformative for both of our institutions,“ said Sabine Klahr, associate vice provost for Penn State Global. “At Penn State, we seek to develop partnerships that are multidisciplinary and involve students, faculty and staff — Satbayev University fulfills all of those attributes.“
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.
"There are multiple opportunities for Penn State faculty to be involved with colleagues at Kazakhstani partner institutions," said Vlad Likholetov, associate director for partnership agreements in Penn State Global, who is overseeing the University's partnership initiatives in central Asia. "In this case, potential synergies exist in the areas of mining, oil and gas, geology, engineering sciences, and materials science — and also in cooperation with industry and research commercialization."
The next steps will be to implement the plans discussed during the visit, including enabling faculty-to-faculty communications and finding ways to involve students. Support mechanisms, such as the Bolashak scholar program in Kazakhstan and Penn State Global travel awards, exist on both sides to enable continued interaction between the two universities.
For more information or to get involved, contact Likholetov at vzl12@psu.edu.