Meeting with Ashita Mittal

The al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosted a meeting with Ms. Ashita Mittal, Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The regional office for Central Asia covers Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, as well as three countries of the South Caucasus - Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

In his welcoming speech, the First Vice-Rector of the Al-Farabi KazNU Mukhambetkali Burkitbayev, noted that the |University is the leading national Institution of the country, which celebrates 85 years Anniversary this year. According to estimates by the international agency QS WUR, it ranked 207 along with world Universities. Today, more than 70% of the university’s educational programs are taught in English.

KazNU actively cooperates with the UN agencies. The university has gained high UN confidence, for the third time status of UNAI Global Hub on Sustainable Development. The university has two UNESCO Chairs for Sustainable Development, the Resource Regional Center for UN Information, which activities are aimed at implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The result of the active work of the university was the opening in May 2018 of the Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development at Al-Farabi KazNU, which focuses on promoting partnerships for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-17) through educational, research activities and international cooperation.

Our scholars are involved in addressing the global challenges of the international community, both at the national and regional levels, and thematic seminars are held on countering global crime.

In this regard, international centers and institutions have been established at KazNU to work with the challenges of globalization.

Ms. Mittal, in her speech, thanked the University’s management for the invitation and noted the high educational and research potential of the KazNU, the innovation infrastructure and students as the main capital of modernity and the future.

The problems of transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking, including synthetic drugs, firearms, cybercrime and trafficking in human beings, remain relevant throughout the world, despite the numerous efforts of all countries, the UN and other international actors.

To solve these problems, it is very important to cooperate with leading scientific and educational institutions. It is necessary to interact and at the expert level, to develop research and scientific projects.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office (UNODC) for Central Asia can offer about 40 training courses for students and teachers in the field of countering transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, firearms, cybercrime and trafficking in human beings, trainings, projects and ready to share with relevant literature, ” - concluded Ms. Ashita Mittal.

Following the meeting, it was decided to develop multilateral cooperation between UNODC in Central Asia and KazNU, including the development of joint scientific research, educational programs, based on the potential of KazNU as the leading university in Central Asia, as well as taking into account the experience and mandates of the UN and UNAI principles.

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