Toqayev Meets Smithsonian Leadership, Highlights Cultural Diplomacy and Education Cooperation

During his working visit to New York, President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev held a meeting with the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution, Orda.kz reports.

Toqayev thanked Halle Batvin, Director of Special Projects at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, for her active efforts in promoting Kazakh culture in the United States.

The Kazakhstan Cultural Heritage Fund, established at the Center, promotes national culture and art and organizes joint research projects to study the history, traditions, and spiritual life of the Kazakh people, Aqorda’s statement said. 

The president emphasized that cultural diplomacy will play an important role in strengthening cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United States.

The Smithsonian Institution is recognized as the world’s largest cultural, educational, and research complex. It includes 21 museums and galleries, 14 research and education centers, multiple libraries, and the National Zoo.

Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek added that, under an agreement with ETS, a working group will be created to update the methodology of the Unified National Testing.

Leading international experts will contribute to the development of a new exam format aimed at aligning Kazakhstan’s knowledge assessment system with global standards.

Nurbek also highlighted that, within the framework of cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution and the Bolashaq program, Kazakh scientists, anthropologists, cultural scholars, and historians will have the opportunity to study at the institution’s research centers in the United States.

Original Author: Rustam Muratov