PSU's Department of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan and Leiden Leadership Programme of the University of Leiden (the Netherlands) launched a joint international project aimed at strengthening intercultural dialogue among students around the world.

The idea behind the project was proposed by PSU's Department of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan and Leiden Leadership Programme (University of Leiden, the Netherlands).

Marlene Fler, a representative of Leiden Leadership Programme, noted the importance of this international project. “We want to strengthen inter-cultural dialogue, and we do this by sharing our views on a number of issues. This time we want to exchange opinions on how we see democracy,” she said.

Students from Kazakhstan and the Netherlands wrote essays about their understanding of the essence of democracy. Then there was an online meeting, where participants from the two countries discussed the issues presented in students' works.

In his essay “My Vision of Democracy”, Sander Van Diepen covers the key elements of a modern democracy that proved to be a turning point in the history of mankind. History has proved that prosperity is a prerequisite for a stable democracy. Jens Welling begins his essay “Democracy Ranking” with the following question: why do different people have different views of democracy? The answer, he believes, lies in the fact that democracy is the foundation for formation of different opinions.

Valeriy Yesaulkov, a first-year student majoring in Transport, Transport Equipment and Technology, believes that there are significant differences in culture and mentality between ethnic groups living in a country and that it is essential to take them into account. We must remember why people start wars thus hindering the development of their countries. We must think about the causes of the political, economic, cultural and environmental crisis of the modern world that we live in. “A thorough analysis of these issues should be made in the near future,” he said.

Kayr Zhakupov, a first-year student majoring in Computers and Software, stressed that the basis of our democratic state is the Constitution. It clearly shows the common values of the people living in Kazakhstan. “Living in peace with your neighbors is a problem of paramount importance, and it can't be solved if your country is being torn apart by internal contradictions,” he wrote in his essay.

Project participants from the Netherlands showed great interest in learning about the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, a democratic institution representing the interests of all ethnic groups to ensure equal recognition and exercise of rights and freedoms for all citizens of our country.