2025, April 18
Share this articleA delegation from Nazarbayev University (NU) took part in the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) Summit 2025, held at the University of Tokyo from April 16–20.
The NU delegation included President Prof. Waqar Ahmad, Prof. Atakan Varol (Director of ISSAI), and Prof. Prashant Jamwal (Director of CEMRR).
The summit brought together leaders from Asia’s top universities to discuss key priorities for regional collaboration, including financial sustainability, membership expansion, the role of AI in higher education, and the advancement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Throughout the summit, the NU delegation contributed meaningfully to working groups and strategic discussions. President Waqar Ahmad shared NU’s bold vision for internationalization, research excellence, and its evolving leadership role in the Asian higher education landscape. During the AUA Presidents Forum and plenary sessions, he emphasized the importance of sustainable financial models and inclusive academic partnerships.
A highlight of the summit was the AUA Presidents Forum Panel Discussion, “Promise and Risk of AI in Higher Education”, Prof. Teruo Fujii, President of the University of Tokyo, Prof. Luming Li, President of the Tsinghua University, and Prof. Jae W. Lee, Vice President of International Affairs of Seoul National University were among the distinguished panelists. After summarizing the accomplishments of NU at its 15-year anniversary, Prof. Ahmad noted the advances of NU in creating generative AI models tailored for the multilingual needs of the Kazakhstani society starting with Kazakh Language Model (KAZLLM) and expanding it with vision and audio capabilities with Oylan2 language, audio, vision model. He emphasized the responsible and ethical use of AI and the importance of cultural adaptation for each society. President Ahmad also called AUA members to intensify efforts in joint research, teaching, and innovation in AI and other fields.
Prof. Varol and Prof. Jamwal were actively involved in discussions on associate membership pathways and cross-border collaborations. They also engaged in productive exchanges with university leaders across the alliance, receiving strong interest in joint research and mobility initiatives that reflect NU’s strengths in interdisciplinary innovation.
The AUA Summit 2025 reaffirmed NU’s growing global engagement and its commitment to shaping the future of higher education through meaningful collaboration, innovation, and regional leadership.
