Mons, 21 September 2026 – The University of Mons (UMONS) hosted a presentation of Kazakhstan’s “Kitap Oqityn Ult” (“Reading Nation”) project, aimed at promoting reading and fostering young people’s interest in knowledge, culture and national heritage.

The event was attended by Chantal Scoubeau, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management, who will take office as Vice-Rector for Sustainable Development and Community Life in October, along with university faculty members and more than 40 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students. Participants were introduced to the main objectives of the nationwide reading marathon and its new Parasat track, which provides an opportunity to join the initiative outside the competitive format.

Jade Charpentier, a University of Mons student who had previously visited Kazakhstan, noted: “An initiative aimed at promoting reading among young people helps broaden horizons, discover new ideas and cultures, and see the world around us from a new perspective.”

The presentation was complemented by a programme introducing contemporary Kazakhstan, its national traditions and language. Aigerim Akkulova (Qazaq Centre) and Ainur Kassenova, members of the Kazakh community living in Mons, spoke about Kazakh customs and their place in society. Students from the Department of Post-Soviet Studies at the Faculty of Translation and Interpretation showed particular interest in the Kazakh language. During an interactive session, they learned commonly used words and expressions and spoke their first phrases in Kazakh. The students also expressed interest in continuing to study the Kazakh language and in the possibility of introducing a full-fledged Kazakh language course at the Faculty.

A performance by Belgian students Angelika and Xavier, who played two traditional Kazakh küy compositions on the dombra, attracted particular interest. They had previously completed a six-month internship in Almaty, where they became acquainted with the country’s culture and everyday life and began learning to play the Kazakh national instrument.

The presentation at the University of Mons broadened the project’s international audience and offered Belgian students another opportunity to discover Kazakhstan through literature, language and music.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-brussels/press/news/details/1297744?lang=ru