Photo: iStock
Aidar Kurmashev
29/01/2025 23:19
Today, these ties go beyond ordinary diplomatic exchanges, becoming part of a deeper process of integration and cultural revival, uniting the peoples of the two countries through their Turkic heritage.
Culture and sport. In 2024, Kazakhstan hosted the World Nomad Games, a large-scale international event that brought together athletes and spectators from all over the world. This event not only emphasised the richness of the nomads' cultural heritage, but also became a symbol of increasing cultural exchange and strengthening Kazakhstan's status on the world stage.
The demonstration of a common cultural identity opens up new opportunities for partnership, including with Hungary, which as a member of the Organisation of Turkic States actively supports such events by sending a delegation of 47 athletes to Astana.
Education and science. Another area of co-operation between Kazakhstan and Hungary is the educational sphere, where significant successes have already been achieved. Kazakh and Hungarian students have the opportunity to study on exchange in each other's leading universities, which contributes to strengthening mutual understanding and knowledge exchange.
Within the framework of the bilateral agreement on cooperation in the field of education and science, 250 grants are allocated annually under the programme ‘Stipendium Hungaricum’.
Such programmes in the long term not only promote knowledge exchange, but also create a basis for training future strategic partners. Kazakh students studying in Hungary acquire valuable skills and acquaintances that can serve as an important factor in the formation of future elites oriented towards co-operation with Europe and the Turkic world.
Expert-analytical co-operation between Kazakhstan and Hungary is becoming one of the key areas of partnership, allowing the countries to strengthen their positions in the international analytical and scientific environment.
Kazakh and Hungarian think tanks, including the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS) and the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, hold expert meetings in bilateral and multilateral formats. The events cover a wide range of topics from regional security to sustainable economic development. These initiatives create important platforms for dialogue and exchange of experience, bringing together experts to make recommendations on key issues concerning the future of the region.
Promising ideas for developing expert co-operation. First, in order to strengthen human resources capacity in the field of international relations and analytics, Kazakhstan and Hungary could develop joint lecture training programmes on forecasting, data analysis, cross-cultural communications, as well as specialised trainings that take into account the unique features of Kazakhstan-Hungary relations.
Secondly, the possibility of organising internships in leading analytical centres at universities in Kazakhstan and Hungary should be considered. Internships will allow young analysts to strengthen ties with international partners in the educational environment and prepare them to work on projects related to interstate initiatives that can significantly improve the quality of cooperation between the two countries.
Thirdly, it is worth exploring approaches to the possibility of holding analytical marathons where young Kazakh and Hungarian experts can work together on a specific task, for example, to develop innovative and applied recommendations on narrow topics such as green energy development, improving urban infrastructure, digital transformation of the economy or strengthening cultural ties.
Thus, in the relationship between Kazakhstan and Hungary, the deep cultural roots, joint scientific projects and educational initiatives provide the basis for further strengthening of bilateral relations and allow building a long-term agenda focused on sustainable development in a spirit of mutually beneficial partnership.
The author is Head of the Asian Studies Department, Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS)