Last week, Professor Bruno Mezzetti from Italy attended the opening of the offsite location of Le Marche Polytechnic University at Zhetysu University in Taldygorkan, Kazakhstan. Taldygorkan is located about 300 kilometers southeast of Almaty, the capital of the Zhetysu agricultural region. Those in attendance included the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Nurbek Sayasat; the Governor of the Zhetysu Region, Beibit Issabayev; the Rector of Zhetysu University, Yermek Buribayev; and all of the department directors from Kazakhstan University.
Photos kindly provided by Professor Bruno Mezzetti
Sayasat emphasized the importance of cooperation agreements between universities based on research-intensive activities, as Kazakhstan aims to transform its public universities into international research centers rather than merely teaching centers.
"The Polytechnic University of Le Marche (Italy)," Mezzetti explains, "has signed three cooperation agreements with Zhetysu University, which has a solid reputation in agricultural sciences, agronomy, genetics, and engineering and state-of-the-art laboratories for genetic research: (A) Memorandum of Understanding (June 2023) aimed at student and staff exchange, as well as joint teaching and research; (B) Double Degree Agreement (July 2024) aimed at creating a double degree program comprising the Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science and Technology in Italy and the Bachelor's degree in Agriculture and Bioresources in Kazakhstan; (C) Branch Agreement (September 2024) aimed at opening a branch or detached section at Zhetysu University to promote Le Marche Polytechnic University's study programs and implement joint educational and research initiatives, starting with the realization of the Double Degree Agreement."
Photo provided by Professor Bruno Mezzetti
Financial resource allocation agreements have been signed, including full scholarships for up to 40 Kazakh students per year to study in Italy. Currently, only six Kazakh students are enrolled in courses at UNIVPM. The goal is to increase enrollment to two classes of 15 students each and maintain consistent enrollment in the coming years. This collaboration will be strengthened through research projects on significant topics, such as genetic resources and biotechnologies to enhance local production (with a focus on wheat, fruits, and vegetables), environmental sustainability, precision systems, and food safety.
"The third action," Mezzetti concludes, "will be to promote meetings between local and Italian companies to facilitate the transfer of technologies and materials." The fruit and vegetable sector, in addition to cereals, is a priority, given the continuous increase in consumer demand for fresh produce, even during periods of extreme weather. In this regard, exploring local germplasm is of particular interest. The study of the center of origin of the ancestral apple tree, Malus sieversii, is of scientific and cultural relevance. Additionally, there is interest in developing and transferring new precision technologies for cultivation in environments with extreme winter and summer conditions."
For more information:
www.d3a.univpm.it
