On July 11, 2025, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS) hosted a meeting with H.E. Nico Schermers, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Mr. Ron Ton, Director of the Clingendael Academy.
KazISS Director Zhandos Shaimardanov welcomed guests and emphasized the importance of a sustainable expert dialogue between Kazakhstan and the Netherlands. He noted that the Netherlands’ analytical community possesses one of the strongest research capacities in Europe, with Clingendael Academy recognized as a leading center for strategic studies and diplomatic training.
The Dutch side has received an invitation to the upcoming Astana Think Tank Forum, scheduled for autumn 2025 and organized by the KazISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as to the forthcoming Astana International Forum.
Special attention during the meeting was given to enhancing cooperation between the analytical institutions of the two countries. The parties discussed the possibility of organizing joint events, preparing academic publications, and establishing a specialized expert platform within the framework of the EU–Central Asia dialogue.
Ambassador Nico Schermers, in turn, expressed his interest in expanding academic and expert cooperation, highlighting the importance of regular exchanges of views to strengthen mutual understanding and trust.
Director of the Clingendael Academy, Ron Ton, spoke about the history of the institute’s establishment and its current areas of activity, including applied research, professional development programs for diplomats from the Netherlands and other countries, and engagement with civil society to explain the objectives and priorities of Dutch foreign policy.
After hearing his colleague’s remarks, the Director of KazISS expressed interest in having KazISS staff participate in internships at the Clingendael Academy.
The Clingendael Institute of International Relations is the Netherlands’ leading think tank, established in 1983 and based in The Hague. It specializes in foreign policy, international security, diplomacy, and conflict studies.
Cooperation between KazISS and Clingendael began in 2024: in April, researchers from the Academy visited Kazakhstan, and in January 2025, Clingendael published an analytical report titled “Central Asia Steps Out of the Shadows: EU–Central Asia Relations in a Shifting Eurasian Geopolitical Landscape”.
