On March 27, the Rector of the Academy, Arman Adilkhanyly, received a delegation of world-renowned scholars: Professor Milija Gluhovic (UK), Director of the School of Creative Arts, Performance and Visual Cultures at the University of Warwick and IFTR member, and Professor Bishnupriya Dutt (India), President of the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) and PhD of the School of Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The meeting was also attended by the Vice-Rector for Research, Kabyl Khalykov, and Professors Saniya Kabdieva and Yuliya Sorokina, who coordinate international scientific projects.

The Rector congratulated the delegation and the Academy staff on World Theatre Day, wishing for the continued global flourishing of Kazakh theatre art. Highlighting the strategic importance of this visit, the Rector noted several key pillars of cooperation:

Global Academic Integration: Under the 2025 Memorandum with the University of Warwick, the Academy’s doctoral students and scholars have strengthened their global presence through research internships and guest lectures in the UK.

International PhD Supervision: Professor Gluhovic emphasized that providing international supervision for the Academy’s PhD students significantly elevates the quality of theatrical research and dissertations to global standards.

The “Silk Road” Project: As a member of an EU research consortium involving 16 countries, the Academy is gaining opportunities to implement double-degree programs.

Global IFTR Conference: In collaboration with IFTR President Professor B. Dutt, plans were discussed to host a major international conference on theatre, performance, and visual arts in Kazakhstan, expected to draw 700–1000 scholars from around the world.

Summer School Program: It was announced that the Academy will host an IFTR-sponsored “Summer School” for young researchers, MA, and PhD students from Central Asia and beyond.

Rector Arman Zhudebayev emphasized that through these international partnerships, the Temirbek Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts aims to become the primary ACADEMIC HUB FOR THEATRE RESEARCH IN CENTRAL ASIA.\