Lead Coordinator Attends Summit in Astana-Kazakhstan

Lead Coordinator Irfan Shahzad visited Kazakhstan from November 27 to December 4, 2010. While the purpose was to attend the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held in Astana on December 1-2

Lead Coordinator Irfan Shahzad visited Kazakhstan from November 27 to December 4, 2010. While the purpose was to attend the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held in Astana on December 1-2, the visit also provided an opportunity to strengthen the contacts between IPS and Kazakh intelligentsia. He also established contacts with scholars and journalists visiting from OSCE member countries for the summit.

Mr. Shahzad met Dr. Akbota Zholdesbekova, Associate Prof. of IR and Director of European Information Center (EIC) at the Eurasian National University, Astana, who visited IPS earlier this year. Ms. Zholdesbekova reiterated interest to enhance academic linkages between the two organizations and work on joint projects with IPS.

A meeting was also held with renowned Kazakh scholar and head of President’s Cultural Centre, Myrzaty Zholdesbekov, who showed his keen interest in contributing for IPS on Pakistan-Kazakhstan cultural and historical linkages. Irfan Shahzad also had a chance of interacting with several Kazak students carrying out their research on themes related to Pakistan.