Today, Dr. Licia Bagini, an Associate Professor at the University of Poitiers (France), was awarded the title of "Honorary Professor". Bolat Tlep, Chairman of the Management Board and Rector of Abai University, presented the high award to the foreign scholar and invited her to lecture students starting from the new academic year. The prestigious title was granted by the decision of the university's Academic Council.

Professor Licia Bagini is a distinguished academic who has established an extensive pedagogical and professional career in the French Republic. Having dedicated her entire professional life to the University of Poitiers, she has significantly contributed to the advancement of international cooperation. Among her outstanding achievements is her work in promoting the French language across Kazakhstan and Central Asia, as well as building a strong professional community of French language educators teaching at regional universities. Furthermore, with the direct support of Dr. Bagini, several French students are currently pursuing their studies at Abai University.

This year, the foreign scholar organized professional development courses for local university instructors, introducing them to the operational standards of French research laboratories. As an Erasmus+ program coordinator, she has played a pivotal role in strengthening ties between the University of Poitiers and higher education institutions in Central Asia. Thanks to her initiatives, joint educational programs, dual-degree projects, research internships, and traditional spring and summer schools are being successfully implemented at Abai University and other Kazakhstani universities.

Dr. Licia Bagini expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the university leadership and staff for the high honor and warm Kazakh hospitality. She emphasized that continuing her professional journey at the country’s historic university is a profound privilege. She also shared upcoming plans for expanding dual-degree programs and launching collaborative research projects.

In addition, a roundtable discussion featuring Dr. Licia Bagini was held at the Sorbonne-Kazakhstan Institute. The event brought together leading research scholars from other prominent universities in Kazakhstan. During the meeting, the participants discussed the current state and development prospects of French language teaching in the country, alongside modern methodologies in foreign language education.

Abai University Media Center