ORHUN: HOW EAST KAZAKHSTAN UNIVERSITY IMPLEMENTS THE EXCHANGE PROGRAM BETWEEN BROTHERLY COUNTRIES

International cooperation plays a key role in the strategic development of the alma mater. In recent years, East Kazakhstan University has signed more than 200 memorandums worldwide with leading universities and research centers, which shows the priority of this aspect, because it directly affects the image of the whole country, sustainable development, as well as the economic progress of the state.

The university management pays special attention to international internships of teaching staff and academic exchange of students. Among the most relevant programs among young people is the academic exchange program “Orhun”, which aims to strengthen the relationship between the member universities of the Union of Turkic Universities of the Turkic Council. It includes Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Hungary and Kyrgyzstan. With each of these countries East Kazakhstan University strengthens close relations in the field of science and education through the effective implementation of the program “Orhun”, which is active in the university from 2022-2023 academic year.

Rector of the alma mater Mukhtar Tolegen regularly initiates research internships for foreign scientists.

– Today the university actively strengthens ties with leading universities and research centers around the world to offer its students and teachers unique opportunities for training, exchange of experience and joint research. This format of interaction allows the university to make education more attractive and prestigious, as it is a key factor of integration into the world educational space, – said Rector of S. Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University Mukhtar Tolegen.

Bülent Bayram, professor of Turkish Kırıklareli University, gave a course of lectures on Turkology and folklore studies at the Kazakh, Russian philology and journalism department. His classes gave an impetus to a deeper study of Turkology among students and teachers.

Within the framework of the academic mobility program “Orhun”, Professors Aigul Alimkhan and Aizhan Kartaeva went on a working trip to Ege University of Izmir. They gave lectures on Abay’s works for the 3rd and 4th year students of the specialty “Turkish Language and Literature” at the Faculty of Literature of Ege University. They made a report at the scientific seminar “Mukhtar Auezov and Turkic Literature” at the Research Institute “Turkic World”.

This spring guest lectures of Leyla Arif Hajiyeva, candidate of economic sciences of the State Economic University in the direction of applied economics are planned. This will give a new impetus to the established partnership.

It should be noted that education and accommodation are free of charge for the participants of the program. Only in 2023 more than 10 students and teachers of East Kazakhstan University went to foreign partner universities. In 2024-2025, four teachers and five students of East Kazakhstan University left under the Orhun program.