The Ambassador of Kazakhstan visits UMONS to strengthen academic and scientific cooperation
International openness is not merely a stated principle at UMONS: it is also built through diplomatic meetings that lead to concrete projects. The visit of 9 January 2026 fully reflected this dynamic of academic dialogue and scientific cooperation.
On this occasion, Ambassador Roman Vassilenko was received by the Rector of UMONS, Professor Philippe Dubois, accompanied by the Vice-Rector for International Relations, Laurence Ris. The discussions also brought together the Dean of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting – EII, Christine Michaux; the mobility advisor, Marta Bonet; the mobility coordinator of the SEPSOMS service, Daria Balandina; as well as representatives of the International Relations Office. This meeting provided an opportunity to review ongoing collaborations and to identify avenues for future development.
UMONS, and more specifically the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting – EII, already maintains close ties with Kazakhstan through several international agreements and student exchange programmes. From February 2026 onwards, five UMONS students will complete a semester of studies at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, where they will follow language and culture courses and take part in inter-university academic programmes. At the same time, Kazakh students are currently being hosted at UMONS within the Faculty of Languages.
During the discussions, Ambassador Roman Vassilenko emphasised Kazakhstan’s desire to develop an open and attractive academic environment, recalling that the country currently hosts around forty foreign or joint universities, as well as numerous double-degree programmes. For his part, Rector Philippe Dubois expressed UMONS’s interest in expanding these collaborations.
The discussions focused in particular on opportunities for broader cooperation in both education and applied research, highlighting the potential for joint initiatives that could benefit the entire university community while contributing to UMONS’s international profile.
The visit concluded with a tour of Materia Nova, the applied research and technology transfer centre integrated within UMONS. This visit provided a concrete illustration of the impact of international collaborations on the research activities carried out in Mons.
Finally, both parties expressed their shared interest in further developing cooperation in the fields of academic mobility and applied research, also mentioning the possibility of a future visit by UMONS authorities to Kazakhstan to meet partner universities and scientific institutions.
