News archive 2006

Visit by the Kazakh Ambassador

10 November 2006, PR 147/06

His Excellency Erlan Idrissov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom, visited King's yesterday (9 November) and gave a lecture on foreign relations and domestic developments entitled Kazakhstan – the regional hub for Central Asia.

The event was chaired by Professor Rein Mullerson of the School of Law, who took a sabbatical from King's in 2004 when he worked as UN Regional Adviser for Central Asia in Kazakhstan. Professor Mullerson and the Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, welcomed the Ambassador to King's.

In his speech to a packed lecture theatre of staff and students, the Ambassador spoke of the history of his country and its post-Soviet development. Issues of regional integration, and relations of Kazakhstan with China and other world powers were also discussed, with many questions taken from the audience.

Ambassador Erlan Idrissov, a graduate of the prestigious Moscow Institute for Foreign Relations, has been the Ambassador to the UK since 2001. Before that he was Foreign Minister of his country and held various diplomatic posts, including one at the Kazakh Mission to the UN in New York.

Professor Rein Mullerson commented: ‘We are delighted to welcome the Ambassador to King's. Kazakhstan has an ancient and rich culture and is enjoying a renaissance since the country gained independence in 1991. Not much is known or appreciated by the West about Kazakhstan but the London Embassy, headed by Ambassador Idrissov, is doing great work to promote this fascinating country.'

Notes to editors

Professor Rein Mullerson is the author of a forthcoming book: ‘Central Asia: A chessboard and player in the new great game'

King's College London
King's College London is the fourth oldest university in England with more than 13,700 undergraduates and nearly 5,600 graduate students in nine schools of study based at five London campuses. It is a member of the Russell Group: a coalition of the UK's major research-based universities. The College has had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5* and 5 for research quality, demonstrating excellence at an international level, and it has recently received an excellent result in its audit by the Quality Assurance Agency.

King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, international relations, medicine, nursing and the sciences, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to four Medical Research Council Centres – more than any other university.

King's is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings, with income from grants and contracts of more than £100 million, and has an annual turnover of more than £363 million.

Further information
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Tel: 020 7848 3202 Email: pr@kcl.ac.uk

 

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