The 3rd International Summer School "Global and Regional Dimensions of the European Union's Soft Power" was successfully held

In the period from June 15 to June 26, 2026, the III International Summer School "Global and Regional Dimensions of the Soft Power of the European Union" for 150 participants representing experts, the academic community of the countries of Central Asia and Europe (professors of universities, colleges, secondary schools, as well as young researchers (master's and doctoral students) was held in a hybrid mode. The holding of this school is envisaged by the implementation plan of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence "EUROSOFT" project and is co-financed by the European Commission within the framework of the Erasmus+ program. Speakers at the summer school are high-ranking representatives of embassies of EU member states, employees of the diplomatic service of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and academic experts from Spain, Poland, and Argentina.

Mr. Aaro Ylitalo,  Chargé d'affaires a.i., Head of Political, Press and Information Section Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan paid his attention to the Summer School and in his speech at the closing of the school, he noted the progress in relations between the EU and Kazakhstan, with other Central Asian states, in which soft power plays a significant role.

José Ataíde Amaral, Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Portuguese Republic to the Republic of Kazakhstan, honored the audience by sharing his perspective on Portugal's soft power in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

The summer school participants had the opportunity to hear a lecture by Ms. Greta Comor Thiloua, Attaché for Education and University Cooperation at the Embassy of France in Kazakhstan, on the role of European textbooks in shaping France's soft power and that of the EU as a whole.

In her lecture, "Erasmus+ EU as an Effective Tool for Developing Partnerships in Education and Science," Laura Paluanova, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in the Republic of Kazakhstan, detailed the opportunities provided by the European Union for expanding academic mobility for students and faculty, joint projects between European and Central Asian universities, and for improving Kazakhstan's higher education system.

The audience s had a chance to hear from European researchers themselves about the potential and limitations of the EU's soft power. Professor Juan Luis López Aranguren (Spain) examined the spread of Europe's soft and hard power in the Indo-Pacific region in his lecture. Szymon Kardaś, Senior Research Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Warsaw, Poland, analyzed the EU's path to energy independence, providing a deeper understanding of the state of the economic foundation of soft power for both individual countries and the EU as a whole.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Georgia David Aptsiauri shared valuable, relevant information and data on the topic "The EU and China in the Current Geoeconomic Situation."

A lecture by Manarbek Shakirovich Kabaziyev, PhD, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Foreign Policy Studies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on the soft power component of Kazakhstan's foreign policy, which is a necessary indicator for a state positioning itself as a middle power, generated considerable practical interest among participants. Veteran of the Kazakh diplomatic service, Iskakova Maira Sungatovna, vividly described the role of historical and cultural issues as soft power in Kazakh-French relations.

Secretary of International Relations National University of La Matanza Professor Lucas Roberto Fenoglietto with his lecture “The Impact of Educational Trends and Innovations on the Argentine Higher Education System” opened new horizons of knowledge in both geographical and conceptual aspects for the school participants.

The lectures of young researchers Mukasheva Zarina and Segizbayeva Banu analyzed the perception of the EU's soft power in Central Asia, the impact of digitalization and cybersecurity issues on the EU's geostrategic position and capabilities.

The lectures of the coordinator of the project group "Jean Monnet Center of Excellence "EUROSOFT", Professor Zh.M. Medeubayeva, and the group members Professor R.M. Tashtemkhanova, PhD G.Zh. Kenzhalina, PhD R.S. Zhanbulatova, comprehensively discussed the geopolitical and geoeconomic themes of the EU's soft power, as well as issues of partnership between Kazakhstan and the EU.

Following all the lectures, a question-and-answer session and lively discussions on the issues highlighted were held. Participants expressed their gratitude both verbally and via chat, both online and offline, noting that the school had done a great job.