Webster Athens, Kazakhstan Embassy Sign Academic MOU

The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Hellenic Republic, Timur Sultangozhin, left, and The Rector of Webster Athens, Vasilis J. Botopoulos, sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Greece and Webster Athens, strengthening academic cooperation and international educational partnerships.

Webster Athens and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Hellenic Republic have taken a significant step toward strengthening educational cooperation through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on May 5, 2026. 

The MOU was signed by Ambassador Timur Sultangozhin and Webster Athens Rector Vasilis J. Botopoulos, reaffirming a shared commitment to expanding international academic collaboration between Webster University and higher education institutions in Kazakhstan. 

The signing took place during Ambassador Sultangozhin’s visit to Webster Athens, where he delivered a lecture titled “Kazakhstan as a Middle Power in a Transforming Global Order.” The lecture highlighted Kazakhstan’s international initiatives, constitutional reforms, digital transformation priorities and its role in promoting international dialogue, multilateral cooperation and sustainable development. 

During meetings with Webster Athens leadership, including Vice Rector of Academic Affairs Susie Michailidis, discussions focused on developing partnerships in education, science and the humanities, as well as creating opportunities for Kazakh students to pursue studies at Webster Athens through academic exchanges, mobility initiatives and potential dual-degree programs. 

This dialogue builds on broader efforts by Kazakhstan and Greece to give new impetus to cooperation in education, with both sides emphasizing academic mobility, institutional partnerships and the internationalization of higher education as key priorities. 

The initiative also reflects Webster University’s global vision of preparing students to become engaged global citizens and catalysts for positive change through international education, intercultural collaboration and academic mobility. 

“We look forward to this cooperation through meaningful partnership with mutually beneficial educational programs that support global education, academic collaboration and student mobility,” Rector Botopoulos said. 

Sultangozhin has served as Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Greece since January 2025. He holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Wales and has extensive diplomatic experience across Europe, including senior roles within Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and postings with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE) and the European Union. 

Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Hellenic Republic were established on Oct. 6, 1992. Today, Kazakhstan and Greece maintain strong bilateral relations focused on education, energy cooperation, tourism and expanding trade, further strengthened by a Greek diaspora of approximately 10,000 to 12,000 people in Kazakhstan. 

About Webster Athens: Established in 2014, Webster Athens is the only fully owned and accredited U.S. university campus in Greece. Webster Athens offers globally focused, in-demand programs designed to equip students with the flexibility, skills and perspective to succeed in today’s interconnected world. For more information about programs and scholarship opportunities, contact Webster Athens Admissions.