Kazakhstan and South Africa intend to intensify cooperation in the field of education.
As part of the development of cooperation in the field of higher education, in the 3rd quarter of 2019, a principle agreement was reached between H.E. Mr. Kanat Tumysh, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to South Africa, and H.E. Dr. Bonginkosi Emmanuel "Blade" Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology of South Africa, on scrutinising the possibility of concluding bilateral agreement between Kazakhstan and South Africa on cooperation in the field of higher education and science, as well as promoting further strengthening of ties among universities of the two countries, inter alia, through the exchange of students and the implementation of joint research projects in the field of advanced technologies.
The most important result of cultural and scientific cooperation was the publication in the Republic of Kazakhstan in Kazakh language of the works of H.E. Mr. Nelson Mandela, First President of South Africa, as well as publication in South Africa in English of some researches on outstanding scientist, philosopher and educator of X Century Abu Nasr Al-Farabi (870 AD – 950 AD), known in the West as Alpharabius, who was born in the ancient city of Farab (Otrar) on the Jaxartes (Syr Darya) river in Central Asia, territory of the modern Kazakhstan (he was renowned philosopher and jurist who wrote in the fields of political philosophy, metaphysics, ethics and logic. He was also a scientist, cosmologist, mathematician and music scholar. In Islamic philosophical tradition, he was often called "the Second Teacher", following Aristotle who was known as "the First Teacher". He is credited with preserving the original Greek texts during the Middle Ages because of his commentaries and treatises, and influencing many prominent philosophers, like Avicenna and Maimonides. Through his works, he became well-known in the West as well as the East).
In 2019, Kazakhstan has initiated a joint project with the South African side, in the framework of the ‘Ruhani Jańǵyrý’ Programme, regarding the publication in South Africa of the masterpieces of the literary legacy of Abai Qunanbaiuly (1845 AD – 1904 AD, famous Kazakh poet, composer, philosopher and cultural reformer towards European and Russian cultures on the basis of enlightened Islam), and the scientific legacy of Abu Nasr Al-Farabi.