I am very happy to welcome the delegation from Kazakh National Medical University to the Ministry of Education. I understand that you just arrived this morning. I hope you all had a very comfortable journey and that you enjoy your time here.

The Ministry has many policies designed to encourage our universities to strive for excellence, and many of our institutions are now ranked very strongly in the world. We also actively encourage our top universities to build strong networks of collaboration with each other, and with universities overseas.

And the Ministry is very active in this region helping neighboring countries strengthen their own tertiary professional education and training systems, and international exchanges and accreditation systems. We strive to put in place practical ways to make a significant educational difference in the lives of students.

This of course includes the very vital medical and public health arenas, areas of common interest. I understand that you will be visiting Taipei Medical University, the Environmental Protection Administration, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. I hope these visits are very productive and that they give you a better understanding of these interrelated areas.

I also sincerely hope that your visit to Taiwan will open up possibilities for mutually beneficial interaction with your university. I know that Kazakh National Medical University is the leading medical university in Kazakhstan. Such international interaction helps create networks that set the stage for successful outcomes and futures for our young people, and for our citizens.

Thank you.