“I See a Future Diplomat in Every Kazakh”: Head of the Portuguese Mission on His Lecture at MNU

Students of Maqsut Narikbayev University met with José Ataíde Amaral, Head of the Mission of Portugal in Kazakhstan, who delivered a guest lecture as part of the special course Applied Diplomacy.

During his talk, Mr. Amaral outlined the key directions of Portugal’s foreign policy and emphasised the importance of strengthening the partnership between Portugal and Kazakhstan. The diplomat paid particular attention to the role of cultural awareness, dialogue, and negotiation skills as essential competencies for future professionals in international relations. He also answered questions from students specialising in International Relations.

“Every time I come to MNU, I am constantly amazed by the level of questions asked by students. As a diplomat, I recommend that future colleagues show interest in everything. In general, the descendants of nomads know how to interact with many people. I think that Kazakhs also have a special ability to negotiate and ‘build bridges’ between two sides. That is why I see every Kazakh as a future diplomat,” emphasized José Ataide Amaral.

It is worth mentioning that earlier this month, MNU held an exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of renowned Portuguese guitarist and composer Carlos Paredes.