Russian-Kazakhstan Cooperation in the Field of Education: Legal Framework, Modern Challenges, and Prospects

The article examines the features of Russo-Kazakh relations in the humanitarian and educational spheres as key areas of bilateral cooperation. Special attention is paid to the historical prerequisites for the formation of interactions, as well as the legal framework that ensured the progressive development of integration after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The main stages of the normative and legal framework for educational cooperation are analyzed, starting from the first intergovernmental agreements of the 1990s and concluding with modern initiatives within the Eurasian Economic Union and bilateral treaties of the 2020s. The paper emphasizes the role of higher education institutions, academic exchanges, and joint projects in strengthening the scientific potential of both countries. It also discusses in detail the foreign policy and economic factors complicating relations between Russia and Kazakhstan and their possible impact on educational interaction. The methodological foundation of the study is based on a combination of historical-comparative analysis, which reveals the dynamics of bilateral relations at different stages, and an institutional approach focused on studying the role of the regulatory framework and international organizations in shaping cooperation. The novelty of the research lies in the comprehensive examination of educational cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan as a sustainable element of bilateral relations, which maintains a positive dynamic even amidst geopolitical instability and political disagreements. The study demonstrates that humanitarian interaction, primarily in the field of education, can perform a stabilizing function in the system of international contacts. The conclusions of the research confirm that the establishment of university branches, the expansion of academic programs, and joint scientific projects lay the foundation for long-term partnerships and contribute to the preservation of cultural closeness between the two nations. At the same time, the prospects for cooperation directly depend on the ability of the parties to adapt to new challenges related to changing international contexts, while also balancing national interests and alliance obligations.