International Relations Spring School in Central Asia: a first edition between immersion, diplomacy and fieldwork

Supported by Inalco and the Inalco Foundation, as well as Professors Catherine Poujol, Professor of Central Asian History and Civilization, and Sébastien Colin, Senior Lecturer and Director of the International Relations Department, this initiative is part of a broader dynamic of academic, institutional and economic cooperation between France and Kazakhstan. It also reflects the ambition of Inalco's International Relations department to offer training rooted in the realities of the field, at the crossroads of languages, cultural areas and major contemporary geopolitical issues.

This spring school thus extends the tradition of training in international issues carried on by Inalco for over two centuries, offering students an immersive experience combining academic expertise, diplomacy and direct understanding of Central Asian societies.

Understanding Central Asia differently

From Bishkek to Almaty, by way of Lake Issyk-Kul, participants discovered a region in the throes of transformation, at the crossroads of major contemporary geopolitical issues.

Through conferences, roundtables and exchanges with specialists from the region, students explored the political, economic and social mutations currently sweeping Central Asia. Diplomacy, regional recompositions, energy transition, artificial intelligence, strategic resource management and international cooperation fueled discussions throughout the stay.

But this spring school was not limited to an academic program. It was also based on direct experience in the field: observing territories, understanding local societies, meeting institutional players and confronting theoretical analyses with lived realities.

High-level institutional and diplomatic meetings

This first edition was also marked by several institutional and diplomatic highlights, illustrating the importance attached to academic dialogue and international cooperation around Central Asia.
 

Students had the opportunity to exchange views with numerous institutional representatives, diplomats, researchers and international experts throughout the program. These meetings enabled participants to gain a better understanding of the realities of the professions of diplomacy, international cooperation and geopolitical expertise in a profoundly changing regional context.
 

In Almaty, the official opening organized at the Institut Sorbonne Kazakhstan brought together university representatives, French diplomatic authorities and academic partners to discuss cooperation issues between France, Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
 

The Spring School benefited from the invaluable institutional support of the French Embassy in Kazakhstan and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in France, whose accompaniment played an essential role in the realization of this first edition.
 

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to all the institutional and diplomatic personalities who spoke or took part in the exchanges during the program, and in particular:

• S.E.M. Nicolas Faye, Ambassador of France to Kyrgyzstan;

• Prof. Bolat Anapiyauly Tilep, Rector of Abai University

• S.E.M Sylvain Guiaugué, Embassy of France in Kazakhstan;

• Mr. Maxime Gehringer, Consul General of France in Almaty;

• Mr. Sébastien de Courtois, Conseiller de coopération et d'action culturelle à
  l'Ambassade de France au Kazakhstan;

• Mr. Thomas Nadjar, Political Counsellor at the French Embassy in Kazakhstan;

• Mrs Aleksa Simkic, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic
  of Kazakhstan;

• and to the many academics, researchers and experts who contributed to the
  rich academic and professional exchanges.

A powerful collective experience

Over and above the lessons learned, this spring school was an outstanding collective adventure for the participants.
 

Informal exchange times, travel across the two countries, group work and shared moments of life all contributed to creating a particularly strong dynamic between students, teachers and lecturers. The immersion on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, the extended discussions after the lectures and the final presentations made this first edition an academic, human and intercultural experience.

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A seminal first edition

This first Spring School of International Relations in Central Asia marks the beginning of a dynamic that will develop over the coming years.
 

By offering an approach that blends academic expertise, field experience and institutional meetings, this program illustrates the desire of Inalco and its partners to train students in the concrete realities of the contemporary world.
 

A founding first edition, which is already paving the way for the program's future academic and international adventures.