ASSOCIATION OF LITHUANIAN UNIVERSITY GRADUATES

A meeting of graduates from Lithuanian universities who studied under the Bolashak program took place at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Astana. The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania, Egidijus Navikas, the embassy's economic affairs attaché, Julius Mite, the Consul of Lithuania in Astana, representatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Chairwoman of the Board of the Center for International Programs, Aliya Ospanova.

Opening the event, Ambassador Egidijus Navikas noted that currently, 17 scholars are studying at leading universities in Lithuania under the Bolashak program, and 52 Kazakhstanis have completed their studies and internships. Lithuanian universities, such as the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas University of Technology, and Vilnius University, have been long-standing partners of the Bolashak program and are interested in further expanding cooperation.

In turn, Aliya Ospanova, Chairwoman of the Board of the Center for International Programs, spoke about the ongoing transformation of the Center, the new approach to forming the list of universities for academic training, and the high level of graduate preparation. Aliya Ospanova also emphasized that many Lithuanian universities have strong medical training programs. Graduates Medet Makhambet and Almaz Tulegenuly shared their experiences of studying in Lithuania and their achievements in the field of medicine. Medet developed a unique surgical method for eardrum restoration, while Almaz is a leading cardiac surgeon at the National Scientific Medical Center JSC.

At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to explore the possibility of creating an Association of Lithuanian University Graduates.