On 26 June 2026, AlmaU hosted a working meeting with Professor Akhlaque Ahmad “Ahan”, Chairperson of the Centre of Persian and Central Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (India), one of the leading scholars in Indo-Persian Studies, the history of Central Asia, and the cultural heritage of the Silk Road.
The meeting was also attended by Zhaksybek Kulekeev, Member of the Board of Trustees of AlmaU, Adviser to the Chairman of the Management Board of NC KazMunayGas JSC, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University.
Representing AlmaU were:
- Assylbek Kozhakhmetov – President and Founder of AlmaU;
- Renata Kudaibergenova – Vice-Rector for Research and Commercialization;
- Sholpan Tazabek – Vice-Rector for Global Partnerships;
- Dulat Ilyassov – Research Fellow at the Great Steppe Research Center;
- Aizhan Sapargaliyeva – Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Transformative Humanities.
The meeting focused on prospects for strengthening academic cooperation between AlmaU and Jawaharlal Nehru University, as well as developing joint initiatives aimed at studying the historical and cultural heritage of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Particular attention was given to collaboration with AlmaU’s Uly Dala (Great Steppe) Research Center. The participants discussed opportunities for joint research projects, the identification, study, digitization, translation, and publication of Persian manuscripts and archival sources containing valuable information on the history of Kazakhstan, the peoples of the Great Steppe, and the cultural connections of Central Asia. They also explored opportunities for collaborative research, academic publications, faculty exchanges, and international conferences dedicated to historical heritage, steppe philosophy, and intercultural dialogue.
The meeting concluded with both sides expressing their mutual interest in expanding cooperation and implementing joint research and educational initiatives that will contribute to strengthening international academic collaboration and preserving the region’s rich cultural heritage.