On November 15, 2023 KNU Rector Tolobek Abdyrakhmanov received a delegation from the Law Institute of Xinjiang University, headed by Deputy Director Mr. Wang Qingsong. At the meeting in the conference room of the Rector’s office, the parties discussed issues of further strengthening ties between the Kyrgyz National University and Xinjiang University in the field of academic mobility. The members of the delegation were introduced by Baytik Buzurmankulov, Associate professor of the Department of Criminal Procedure and Forensic Expertise of the Law Institute.

“We have heard a lot about the activities of your university and hope for fruitful and successful cooperation,” Tolobek Abdyrakhmanov began his speech, “As for our university, KNU is one of the oldest and largest universities in the Kyrgyz Republic. We train specialists in 40 areas and profiles. We have a gymnasium, secondary specialized education, bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, postgraduate and doctoral studies. Our university successfully cooperates with other universities of the People’s Republic of China, we have many Chinese partners. To say more, our university has 3 institutes that work jointly with the PRC: Silk Road Institute, Confucius Institute and Kyrgyz-Chinese Institute. In case you have time and opportunity, you can familiarize yourself with them, they are here, nearby.

- As for the legal field, we have the only and largest legal institute in Kyrgyzstan. It also interacts well with Chinese universities. In addition, we are a member of the SCO Association of Law Universities. Our colleague Baytik Buzurmankulov is its coordinator in Kyrgyzstan. In September this year, he took part in the Forum of this Association in Shanghai. There is also the Department of International Law, headed by Bolot Toktobaev, that begins to operate actively. Doctor of Law, Professor Kynatbek Smanaliev is now the head of the Law Institute, and I hope that it will be him to have close and active interaction with the Law Institute of Xinjiang University. Additionally, I can inform you that we currently have more than a hundred Chinese Master’s and PhD students studying with us. We have the opportunity and desire to work with you.

- The establishment of the Research Center you talked about and having it work would be a great step to undertake. This will be good for your graduate students too. I would especially like to note the joint publications of scientific works, articles, I mean, mutual publications with your articles in our scientific journals and vice versa. I think these days our colleagues will find the time and specifically talk about this.

- I would also like to offer joint training of specialists, i.e. 2-degree preparation. We practice this with our Russian and Kazakh colleagues. After studying for 2 years in the host country, our lawyers will know Chinese jurisprudence and the Chinese language, and yours will know Kyrgyz jurisprudence, as well as either the Kyrgyz or Russian languages.

- We should conclude specific, substantive agreements and work. So far we only have a signed memorandum. This is a general document. Now we need to work specifically. You could add other areas of cooperation. I would ask you and your colleagues and my colleagues to talk about these things these days. We will further coordinate what remains by email. We must prepare the Agreement and sign it. Director of the Law Institute, Kynatbek Smanaliev, and Director of International Cooperation Department, Bakyt Keldibekov will be in charge on our part.

Deputy Director of the Law Institute of Xinjiang University, Mr. Wang Qingsong, thanked the Rector of KNU for “explaining everything specifically” and briefly informed about his institute. “We came specifically to strengthen and develop our cooperation, since the rector of our university pays great attention to this issue,” concluded Mr. Wang Qingsong.

The meeting was also attended by Senior Lecturer of Law Institute of Xinjiang University Ms. Gulgina Idirish, graduate students of Law School of Xinjiang University Sun Jinglu and Lire Mahaishati, as well as Director of the Law Institute of KNU Kynatbek Smanaliev, Director of the Kyrgyz-Chinese Institute Sofya Apaeva, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Relations Bakyt Keldibekov, Head of the Department of theory and history of state and law, and international law Bolot Toktobaev, and Associate Professor of the department of Criminal Procedure and Forensic Science of the Law Institute Baytik Buzurmankulov.