Farabi University and UNISSA: New Opportunities for Research Cooperation and the Study of Al-Farabi’s Legacy

On September 9, 2026, a delegation from Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University (UNISSA), Brunei Darussalam, paid a working visit to Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

The delegation was headed by Siti Sara binti Haji Ahmad, Deputy Rector for Academic Affairs of UNISSA and Professor at the Faculty of Arabic Language. The delegation also included professors and lecturers from the Faculty of Usuluddin, as well as heads of several research and educational centers of the university.

As part of the visit, the Bruneian delegation met with Bekzhan Berikbayuly Meirbayev, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science at Al-Farabi KazNU; Ainura Durbelenkyzy Kurmanaliyeva, Head of the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies; and Samet Baizhuma, Senior Lecturer at the Department.

During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for expanding academic and research cooperation between KazNU and UNISSA, conducting joint research, preparing collaborative scholarly publications, implementing international projects, and developing academic ties among faculty members, researchers, and students.

During the visit, the UNISSA delegation visited the Al-Farabi Center and the Al-Farabi Museum, where they became acquainted with valuable materials related to the life and intellectual legacy of Abu Nasr Al-Farabi, known as the Second Teacher of humankind, his philosophical and scholarly works, as well as ongoing research at KazNU devoted to the study of Al-Farabi’s legacy.

Bekzhan Meirbayev, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science, emphasized the importance of systematically developing academic and research ties between the two universities. Particular attention was given to preparing joint scholarly publications, implementing international research projects, strengthening cooperation among researchers, and developing student exchange programs.

Ainura Kurmanaliyeva, Head of the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, noted the considerable potential for expanding scholarly cooperation between researchers from the two universities in the fields of religious studies, Islamic studies, cultural studies, and interdisciplinary research. The parties also discussed opportunities for the exchange of experience among faculty members and young researchers, the organization of joint academic events, and the publication of research findings in the international academic community.

Representatives of the UNISSA delegation familiarized themselves with the research activities presented at the Al-Farabi Center and Museum and expressed particular interest in contemporary scholarly approaches to studying the intellectual legacy of Abu Nasr Al-Farabi.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties expressed their mutual interest in further developing academic and research cooperation between KazNU and UNISSA, implementing joint initiatives, and strengthening sustainable professional ties between researchers of the two universities.