Embassy of India, Astana in collaboration with the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University organized the first International Regional Hindi Conference – “Hindi in Eurasia and India: Present & Future” at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty on 13-14 March 2024. The 2-day Conference was inaugurated jointly by HE Dr. T V Nagendra Prasad, Ambassador of India to the Republic of Kazakhstan and Prof. Zhanseit Kanseituly Tuimebayev, Chairman of the Board and Rector of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in the presence of prominent Hindi scholars from India, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Tajikstan and Uzbekistan. Mr. Ravindra Prasad Jaiswal, Joint Secretary, Department of Indian Languages, Interpretation and Translation represented the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India. 28 foreign scholars including 17 from India, 3 from Russia, 2 each from Armenia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and 1 each from Belarus and Azerbaijan attended the Conference. Conference coincided with the 90th Anniversary of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Hindi Department at its Oriental Studies Faculty.
Highlights of the Plenary Session were the remarks by HE Dr. T V Nagendra Prasad, Ambassador of India, Prof. Zhanseit Kanseituly Tuimebayev, Chairman of the Board and Rector of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Prof. YL Prasad, Padma Awardee & Member of the Central Hindi Committee headed by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Mr. Ravindra Prasad Jaiswal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, and Dr. Sunil Baburao Kulkarni, Director, Central Hindi Institute, Agra, India. Subsequently, 10-12 scholars deliberated during each of the four technical sessions on the topics - (i) Actual Problems of Hindi Linguistics; (ii) Historical Contacts of the Hindi Language; (iii) Hindi Literature in Historical Development; and (iv) Methodology of Teaching the Hindi Language. Conference ended with the Concluding Session addressed by Prof. Natalya Yem, Dean, Oriental Studies Faculty and Shri Sanjay Vedi, Director, Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Embassy of India, Astana.
