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, has been developing close ties with Kazakhstan for several years through a number of international agreements and student exchange programmes. Each year, several students from the FTI-EII have the opportunity to complete a semester of study at universities in Kazakhstan. The year 2026 is no exception: four students will be leaving as early as February to take part in a mobility programme at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KAZNU) in Almaty.

In Mons, Kazakh students from various universities who have been present since the beginning of the academic year are completing their studies at EII. They are currently taking part in the examination session, thus marking the end of a semester rich in both academic and intercultural experiences.

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.