University of Athens and Kazakh National University Sign MoU as Workshop on Al-Farabi Concludes

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to mark the conclusion of the ‘Al-Farabi and Greek Philosophy’ workshop in Athens on February 24. The event was supported by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Greece. Sophia Papaioannou, Vice-Rector of the University of Athens, signed the agreement, while Professor Georgios Steiris, Chair of the Department of Philosophy, attended the ceremony.

Al-Farabi (870-950 CE) was a renowned philosopher from what is now southern Kazakhstan. He studied the works of Plato and Aristotle, producing detailed analyses that introduced Greek philosophy—and with it aspects of Greek culture—to the Islamic world.

His efforts helped shape and preserve the Aristotelian tradition in the East, earning him the title of ‘the Second Teacher’, following Aristotle.

Strengthening bilateral ties

In his address, Timur Sultangozhin welcomed the signing of the agreement between Greece’s oldest university and its Kazakh counterpart, noting that, beyond strengthening bilateral academic cooperation, it also marks a further deepening of cultural and educational ties between the two countries.

The ambassador of Kazakhstan to Greece described the MoU as ‘particularly significant’, saying it opens new prospects for ‘long-term bilateral academic cooperation and formalises the parties’ intention to join forces in conducting joint research, developing educational programmes, promoting staff mobility, and implementing initiatives in innovation and entrepreneurship’.

‘I am confident’, he added, ‘that today’s signing is far more than a ceremonial gesture; it is a concrete step towards stronger academic partnership between Kazakhstan and Greece’.

According to Sultangozhin, at a time when the world faces ‘complex global challenges and rapid transformations’, revisiting the ideas of the great philosophers ‘is not simply an academic exercise but an opportunity to reaffirm the universal values of reason, dialogue, tolerance, and the pursuit of truth’.

Constitutional reform in Kazakhstan

In this regard, the ambassador mentioned Kazakhstan’s ongoing constitutional revision process—the second since the 2022 amendment, which followed the violent uprising that year. A draft of the new constitution, just released and scheduled for a national referendum on March 15, 2026, was made accessible in print to workshop participants.

According to Sultangozhin, the new constitution ‘seeks to modernise governance, strengthen state institutions, and ensure a more balanced distribution of powers. Developed through extensive public input, the reform demonstrates Kazakhstan’s commitment to creating an effective, transparent, and sustainable growth model capable of addressing today’s challenges’.

He added that the proposed amendments reaffirm fundamental values—including human rights and the rule of law—while improving ‘governance mechanisms and promoting sustainable development, particularly in education, science and innovation’. ‘These reforms’, he said, ‘are designed to ensure Kazakhstan’s long-term stability, resilience, and progressive development’.

Al-Farabi and Greek Philosophy

The workshop, held at the ‘Kostis Palamas’ Cultural Centre of the University of Athens, featured a lecture by Professor Georgios Steiris on Al-Farabi’s study of Plato and Aristotle, as well as a presentation by Vice-Chair of the Department of Philosophy, Professor Giorgos Arabatzis, on Aristotelian philosophy in Byzantium and beyond.

For his part, Zhanseit Tuimebayev, Chairman of the Board and Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, gave a presentation titled ‘Ancient Wisdom and the Eastern Renaissance: The Legacy of Two Great Teachers’.

Also present at the event were ambassadors and foreign diplomats based in Athens, members of the Greek academic community, and representatives of the press.

Read the original story at: https://tomanifesto.gr/o-al-farampi-os-diakhroniki-ghefira-elladas-kazakstan-233799 [in Greek]