Over the course of the three-day event the students will exchange views and enhance their knowledge of security challenges, including terrorism and extremism, the situation in Afghanistan, water management, labour migration, corruption, human rights, gender equality, rule of law and freedom of the media. The participants will have an opportunity to network with students outside their own communities and improve their leadership skills.

Welcoming the students, Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana, said: "It is very heartening to see your strong interest in regional security issues. This seminar will allow you to become acquainted both with each other personally, and with your neighbours’ realities and challenges, which is a powerful means of strengthening confidence between Central Asian counties."

The OSCE Centre in Astana has invited experts from international organizations, local and international non-governmental organizations and universities to brief the students and facilitate discussion.

Habib Rahman, the Executive Vice-President of Kazakhstan’s Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research (KIMEP), said: "The focus of this seminar, ’Modern challenges to security in Central Asia’, can be effectively dealt with through mutual co-operation and mutual respect."

The seminar builds on similar OSCE events held in Charvak, Uzbekistan in 2004 and Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan in 2005. It was organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana and hosted by KIMEP.