Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Visits OSCE Academy

On 17 September 2025, the OSCE Academy had the honour of welcoming H.E. Ambassador Terhi Hakala, Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, accompanied by H.E. Janne Heiskanen, Ambassador of Finland to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Ms. Annika Pelkonen, Senior Specialist in the Finnish OSCE Chairpersonship 2025 Task Force at the MFA of Finland, Ms. Seraina Petersen, Policy Support Officer at the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, Ambassador Dr. Volker Frobarth, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek (POiB), and Mr. Colin McCullough, Senior Planning and Coordination Officer at POiB.

The visit began with a meeting between Amb. Hakala, Amb. Frobarth and Dr. Pal Dunay, Director of the OSCE Academy, where they discussed matters related to the Academy’s mission, future development, its role in strengthening regional dialogue and the problems the OSCE Academy had to overcome in the last several months, as well as plans for the future. While this meeting took place, the rest of the delegation had a tour around the Academy’s building led by Ms. Victoria Orazova, Head of International Department at the OSCE Academy.

Following this, the delegation met with members of the Academy’s faculty and staff — Dr. Burulcha Sulaimanova, Head of Research and Training Department; Dr. Emil Dzhuraev, Senior Lecturer of the Politics and Security Programme; Dr. Sebastian Mayer, DAAD Associate Professor, and Ms. Victoria Orazova. The discussion focused on the programmes, training activities, ongoing research projects, and its growing alumni network.

The final part of the visit featured an interactive Q&A session with students. This exchange provided students the opportunity to learn more about the OSCE’s engagement in the region, as well as its role as a platform for peace and dialogue. Ambassador Hakala underlined that the Academy “builds on the OSCE’s core values”. The students raised several pertinent questions concerning the current international environment, and the potential of the OSCE to contribute solving conflicts, and eliminate sources of violence.

The visit reaffirmed the OSCE’s continued support for the Academy and its mission to provide high-quality education, research, and dialogue opportunities for the next generation of leaders in Central Asia and beyond.

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