Yessenov University hosted a delegation of the French Republic headed by the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Sylvain Guioguet. During the visit, the parties held a substantive dialogue on expanding bilateral cooperation in the fields of education, science, and advanced technologies.
Particular attention was paid to collaboration in the area of new technologies and artificial intelligence, as well as to the prospects for joint educational programs, research projects, and academic mobility. It was noted that France is one of the world’s leading maritime powers and ranks second globally in terms of the size of its exclusive economic zone, following only the United States. In this context, both sides expressed their interest in further strengthening cooperation with French maritime universities, including the development of partnerships with the Maritime Academy.
A significant part of the discussion focused on issues of sustainable development and green energy: the prospects for cooperation in green hydrogen, crop and livestock production, and the use of alternative energy sources. In this regard, special emphasis was placed on the potential for collaboration with CIRAD, the French agricultural research and international cooperation organization working in the field of sustainable agriculture and green energy.
As part of the visit, Yessenov University presented its work on implementing the innovative educational platform 01Edu — an international learning concept founded by Nicolas Sadirac, co-founder and former dean of École 42. This model is fully practice-oriented and project-based, built around teamwork and the active engagement of students in solving real-world problems. Yessenov University’s experience in adapting and applying this model sparked strong interest from the French delegation, both in terms of its effectiveness for training highly qualified specialists and its potential for further international academic cooperation and the scaling of best practices.
