Why did Kazakhstan award Lee Sang-kyun the Order of Dostyk?

The award recognized his contributions to expanding online education and promoting friendly cooperation between Korea and Kazakhstan. Tokayev personally presented the honor during his visit to Korea for the first Korea-Central Asia Summit.

What did Lee Sang-kyun say after receiving Kazakhstan’s Order of Dostyk?

Lee said he was deeply honored and that the award meant a great deal to him. He added that he would continue expanding educational and cultural exchanges and building cooperation for future generations.

What is Seoul Cyber University’s connection with Kazakhstan?

SCU has maintained deep ties with Kazakhstan through education and cultural exchange. The university installed a bust of Abai Kunanbaev on campus in 2021 and has built a smart campus and multiple regional campuses while promoting international cooperation.

Seoul Cyber University chairman receives Kazakhstan's Order of Dostyk

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Summary

Lee Sang-kyun, chairman of Seoul Cyber University, received Kazakhstan’s Order of Dostyk in Seoul on Monday during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit for the first Korea-Central Asia Summit. The award recognized Lee’s work in expanding online education and promoting friendly cooperation between Korea and Kazakhstan. Lee said he would keep working to expand educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries. SCU also highlighted its long ties with Kazakhstan, including an Abai Kunanbaev bust on campus and its role as Korea’s first accredited cyber university.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan’s Order of Dostyk is one of the country’s highest state honors and is given for contributions to peace, friendship, international cooperation and social harmony.
A bust of Kazakh national poet Abai Kunanbaev was erected on SCU’s campus in Seoul’s Gangbuk District in 2021 to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Kazakhstan.
Seoul Cyber University became Korea’s first accredited cyber university in 2000 and operates a 16,000-square-meter smart campus in Seoul, along with regional campuses in several other cities.

By Park Ung

Published Sep 16, 2026 11:57 am KST

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, right, shakes hands with Lee Sang-kyun, chairman of Seoul Cyber University, in Jongno District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Seoul Cyber University

Lee Sang-kyun, chairman of Seoul Cyber University (SCU), received Kazakhstan's Order of Dostyk, recognizing his contributions to expanding online education and promoting friendly cooperation between Korea and Kazakhstan.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who visited Korea this week for the first Korea-Central Asia Summit, personally presented the order to Lee on Monday. The Order of Dostyk is one of Kazakhstan's highest state honors, awarded to figures at home and abroad for contributions to peace, friendship, international cooperation and social harmony.

"I am deeply honored and it means a great deal to receive Kazakhstan's prestigious Order of Dostyk," Lee said. "I will continue working to expand educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries and to lay the groundwork for cooperation that allows future generations to grow together."

SCU maintains deep ties with Kazakhstan. In 2021, a bust of Kazakh national poet Abai Kunanbaev (1845-1904) was erected on its campus in Seoul's Gangbuk District to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Kazakhstan.

The poet is widely regarded as the founder of modern Kazakh written literature and one of Kazakhstan's most revered cultural figures.

SCU became Korea's first accredited cyber university in 2000 and was the first cyber university to build a state-of-the-art campus.

Through its graduate school, SCU offers master's and doctoral degrees in addition to bachelor's degrees. It operates a 16,000-square-meter smart campus in Seoul, along with regional campuses in Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Incheon, Indeokwon and Bundang in Gyeonggi Province, and Chuncheon in Gangwon Province.

SCU has received the top grade in the Ministry of Education's accreditation evaluation three times in 2007, 2013 and 2020, and was selected for the ministry's grand prize for distance education innovation support for two consecutive times.

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