The Lumières Foundation, a new Franco-Kazakh platform dedicated to enhancing cooperation in higher education, science, and workforce development, was unveiled on May 5 at MaqsutNarikbayev University (MNU) in Astana, according to The Astana Times. Supported by the French Embassy in Kazakhstan, the opening marked the formal launch of an institutional initiative aimed at expanding university partnerships, promoting dual-degree programmes, and increasing student mobility between Kazakhstan and France.
French Ambassador Sylvain Guiaugué described the opening as a crucial step in bilateral educational diplomacy, with the foundation serving as a long-term tool for structuring and developing current academic cooperation.“Today, with the creation of the Lumières Foundation, we are opening a new chapter in this cooperation. We are moving to a new, more structured, ambitious and decisively future-oriented stage,” he said.
According to Guiaugué, the foundation will provide a uniform framework for promoting educational programs, co-financing scholarships, and reacting more directly to Kazakhstan’s economic and workforce needs via academic infrastructure.
Talgat Narikbayev, Maqsut Narikbayev University Chairman, described the effort as a practical extension of the broader political discussion between Astana and Paris, stressing that educational collaboration has emerged as a defining pillar of bilateral relations.