László Horváth, Honorary Consul of Hungary to Kazakhstan, met with Minister Counsellor Kairat Karibzhanov at the Hungarian Agricultural and Life Sciences University (MATE), as well as with Dr. András Béres, Head of Campus and Dr. Csaba Gyuricza, Rector of MATE. The aim of the meeting was to promote the development of agricultural higher education in Kazakhstan, with a special focus on cooperation opportunities between the two countries. The country s leadership has set a strategic goal for Kazakhstan not only to become an exporter of raw materials, but also to become a major agricultural producer as the country with the fifth largest arable land in the world. But this requires training and supplying agricultural specialists, an area where there is currently a shortage. MATE is one of Europe s largest agricultural-focused, multidisciplinary education and research institutions. It currently has around 15,000 students, 20% of whom are foreign students. MATE in Azerbaijan has already successfully partnered with local universities and agribusiness actors. They see great potential in agricultural education and the development of the agricultural sector in Central Asia. The university is also involved in the technical management of a drought research centre with countries in Central Asia. Participants demonstrated how they can contribute to linking the above-mentioned opportunities and needs, thus laying the foundations for long-term cooperation. At the end of the meeting, the parties said goodbye to each other with confidence, hoping that the discussions would soon be translated into concrete steps.