Since 2011, a joint program with the Earth Institute of Columbia University and KazNU MDP/Global Classroom has been implemented, bringing together 24 leading universities worldwide. These are online courses that contribute to interdisciplinary collaboration and allow students and instructors from around the world to participate in collective assignments and practical learning. Based on this program, courses in English are offered for master’s and doctoral students at KazNU.

Professor Yanis Ben Amor, Director of the Earth Institute’s Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, lectures on sustainable development and global health within the MDP Global Classroom program, and Al-Farabi University students are also part of this online course.

In February 2020, Professor Yanis Ben Amor visited Al-Farabi KazNU. The visit was part of the MDP Global Classroom program and included a meeting of the professor with the university’s leadership, a campus tour, and a roundtable discussion on “Current Issues in Healthcare”. Professor Yanis Ben Amor, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute, delivered a lecture, shared his experience on current issues in medicine and healthcare, and answered questions from young scientists. At the end of the event, the parties exchanged views and agreed to strengthen cooperation on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including with the Center for Sustainable Development of Cities at the Earth Institute as part of the scientific and innovation project “Smart Cities on the Silk Road”.

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosting the MDP GLOBAL CLASSROOM