On November 19, Bishkek hosted a forum for graduates of higher education institutions from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the event, representatives from Osh State University engaged in discussions with officials from Taiba University, Jeddah University, and the Islamic University, paving the way for bilateral and multilateral agreements on cooperation.
The forum saw the participation of key figures from OshSU, including Zholdoshbek Botonoyev, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies; Eles Erkebaev, Head of the Department of Oriental Studies; and Sabyrbek Beknazarov, a lecturer from the College of International Educational Programs.
Saudi Arabian universities expressed a keen interest in collaboration with Osh State University, outlining plans to establish a Kyrgyz-Arabic faculty. This proposed faculty would focus on teaching Kyrgyz students and postgraduate scholars the Arabic language, along with Saudi culture and history.
As part of the discussions, it was announced that a delegation from Taibah and Jeddah universities will visit OshSU in early January. In return, the Saudi delegation invited OshSU representatives to visit their institutions in Mecca and Medina.
Zholdoshbek Butoneev highlighted the university’s ongoing efforts in academic mobility, stating: “A student from the Institute of Oriental Studies has studied at Al-Azhar University in Egypt, while another postgraduate student is currently pursuing studies in Oman and Jordan. Additionally, two students are preparing to study in Egypt, and another is set to study in Jordan.”
OshSU’s Institute of Oriental Studies currently has over 100 students and postgraduates studying Arabic. The university’s efforts to promote Arabic studies include the establishment of the Qatar-Arab Educational and Translation Center in 2018, funded by Qatar, and the opening of a royal center for Arabic language and culture earlier this year.