AVRUPA TIMES (LONDON) -UNESCO Chair in Journalism and Communication (al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan) works in the scientific, methodological, educational areas in close cooperation with the UNESCO and ISESCO National Commission in the Republic of Kazakhstan, with the UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty, with international organizations, government, public and business structures. Within the framework of South-South and North-South cooperation, the Chair closely cooperates with the UNESCO Chairs from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Russia. What are the benefits of such cooperation?
Firstly, within the framework of the UN Project “International Decade for the Convergence of Cultures”, members of the Chair actively work in international and republican organizations. For example, Professor L.S. Akhmetova is a member of the Assembly of the Peoples of Eurasia, she is also an expert of the PF "Eurasian Commonwealth"; PF "World of Eurasia", project "Central Asia". Associate Professor A.A. Niyazgulova is an academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio (Russia). Professor N.T. Shyngyssova – current expert, member of the Council of “PF Center for Supporting Journalists "Minber", PF "Foundation of Turkic-speaking journalists”.
Lecturers, who have received an international educational scholarship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Bolashak" are working at the Chair. The availability of scholarships allowed them to complete one year and three-year internships at leading foreign universities: Oklahoma State University, Columbia University, Reading University, Boston University, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, University of Nottingham, A. Mickiewicz University. (Poznan, Poland), etc.
Improving the qualifications of teachers in the framework of the IPDC activities and on the basis of relevant UNESCO publications have begun activities to introduce gender-related topics and journalism into educational programs of universities on journalism. In 2018, Chair implemented an international project of the UNESCO / UN IPDC “Strengthening the curriculum on gender journalism in Kazakhstan” - November 2018. The experience and practice of the participating teachers made it possible to understand in what aspect and how deeply the discipline “Gender and the media” can be introduced in the journalism departments of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The project allowed teachers of journalism to reduce the stereotypical perception of the role of women and men in society, gender stereotypes and gender bias in accordance with international practice.
Secondly, such cooperation is always useful for students, undergraduates and doctoral students. For example, in 2018 students from al-Farabi Kazakh National University came to New York as part of the educational process, specifically the exchange program coordinated by Columbia University, SIPA. During the visit, they were engaged with leading practitioners and scholars in several disciplines.
Many workshops, brainstorming sessions, contests, student competitions were conducted at the Chair by well-known media professionals, employers, heads of government agencies, commercial enterprises, consulting structures, exhibition companies, as well as foreign teachers from Europe, USA, Turkey, winners of state and public awards and prizes, holders of the title "The best teacher of Kazakhstan." There is a constant correlation of educational practice with the latest global trends; academic mobility in the CIS countries and far abroad.
The Chair holds regular consulting meetings with international organizations and domestic partners: the UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty around Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the UN Department of Public Information, INTERNEWS, the international non-profit organization, the “Adil Soz” international fund for the protection of speech, the PF center support of journalists “Minber”, the Union of Journalists in Kazakhstan, the International Center for Journalism MediaNet, PF “Foundation of Turkic Journalists”, etc.
As practice has shown, such global and regional cooperation and maximum openness to innovations bring considerable results not only for the Chair, but also for the education system of Kazakhstan as a whole.
Shyngyssova Nazgul
Doctor of Philology, Professor, the Head of Chair of UNESCO,
International Journalism and Media in Society,
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University