The international research internship took place from May 25 to May 31 at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU, Germany) within the DAAD programme «The Network on International Education in the South Caucasus and Central Asia: at the Intersection of Educational Spaces». The initiative is implemented with financial support from DAAD and the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.

From Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai, the internship was attended by the local project coordinator, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor U.M. Abdiqapbarova; project assistant, PhD, Senior Lecturer M.B. Moldagali; as well as second-year students Sh. Zhumabay and B. Raiymbek. The Kazakhstani team has been participating in this project for several years. According to project coordinator Ulzharkyn Abdigapbarova, since 2020 the university’s researchers have been actively engaged in research on key issues in education development, teacher training, and the internationalisation of higher education.

«For several years within the framework of DAAD activities, we have been addressing pressing issues in education and science. Thanks to this collaboration, an increasing number of faculty members and students of Abai University are joining the project. Over the years, an international team of like-minded researchers from Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan has been formed, united by a shared commitment to advancing pedagogical science. We regularly hold online workshops, seminars, and expert meetings», the coordinator noted.

The internship programme was intensive and included lectures by leading international experts, academic seminars, and discussion sessions dedicated to current trends in the internationalisation of education, academic mobility, and the development of international cooperation. Participants also became acquainted with the work of specialised institutions in the city of Erlangen, including the Youth Center Kinder-und Jugendhaus Pastorius, the German–French Institute (dFi), and the German–French Kindergarten.

The final stage of the internship was the international academic conference «International Education in the South Caucasus and Central Asia: Comparative Perspectives», where researchers presented the results of joint international studies.

In the future, Kazakh researchers plan to continue their work within the programme, further developing an international professional community of educators at Abai University and strengthening academic networking with international colleagues.

Media Center «Abai University»