On May 23, 2023 Her Excellency Halimah Yacob, President of Singapore, visited Nazarbayev University, where she gave a lecture titled “From the Lion City to the Great Steppe”. In her speech, President Halimah Yacob spoke about the close and mutually beneficial 30-year-long cooperation between Kazakhstan and Singapore.

Within the framework of her visit, President Halimah Yacob met with current students and alumni of the NU Graduate School of Public Policy. Participants had the opportunity to pose interesting questions to her. Questions covered included topics on Kazakhstan’s cooperation with Singapore in the area of cybersecurity and countering cybercrimes; diplomatic strategies employed by Singapore to attract foreign direct investment, fostering international partnerships and stronger bilateral relations between Singapore and Kazakhstan particularly in the field of education and improving representation of women, people with disabilities and the disadvantaged groups in politics.

President Halimah noted in her speech the strong cooperation between Nazarbayev University and the National University of Singapore. Since August 2012, as part of a signed cooperation agreement, the Graduate School of Public Policy of Nazarbayev University (NU GSPP) and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore (LKYSPP) have been increasing academic exchanges, sharing best practices, and collaborating in joint research. As part of a strategic partnership, all NU GSPP students in the Master’s programs in Public Policy and Public Administration have the opportunity to go for the Singapore Component, a two-weeks experiential learning journey at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy under the guidance of faculty and senior policy practitioners from Singapore. Since 2016, 13 GSPP students have gone to study in Singapore on the one-semester exchange program, and 11 students from Singapore have come to study in Astana.