Opportunity for Shared Future Based on Science

Kazakhstan considers the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) a key platform for strengthening international scientific cooperation. In response to a question about Kazakhstan's expectations for future scientific cooperation within the BRI, Dinara Shcheglova gives her answer to S&T Daily:

Kazakhstan considers the BRI a key platform for strengthening international scientific cooperation. We expect that future scientific exchanges under this initiative will foster deeper joint research, advance technological development, and lead to the creation of shared scientific infrastructure that supports sustainable progress. We firmly believe that science and technology must become central elements of the next phase of the BRI, and Kazakhstan is ready to take an active part in this process.

We are particularly interested in collaborative research aimed at addressing common challenges such as water resource management, food and energy security, environmental protection, AI development, and advanced materials. For example, Kazakhstan has initiated a Water Research Center in partnership with the Northwest A&F University of China and the University of Arizona (USA). This project focuses on sustainable agriculture and efficient water use.

Rather than emphasizing funding or personnel exchange, our focus is on institutional partnerships. Kazakhstan supports the creation of a Belt and Road Research Alliance that would unite leading universities and scientific institutions. Kazakhstan has already signed strategic agreements with more than 30 foreign universities, including institutions from China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These partnerships include the establishment of joint laboratories and applied research centers in areas such as biotechnology, green energy, and space technologies.

I would also like to highlight the AI-Sana program, launched in 2024 at the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan. This national initiative aims to equip all students in Kazakhstan with skills in AI. The program covers students across all fields — from IT and agriculture to medicine, pedagogy, and energy. Training is delivered via localized platforms such as Coursera and Huawei, all fully available in the Kazakh language. More than 350,000 students have already completed the foundational AI course and received certificates.

Kazakhstan is the first country in the world to introduce a mandatory national standard requiring all higher and postgraduate education programs to include a course in AI. This is a powerful example of how Kazakhstan is implementing large-scale digital and scientific programs, a model that can be adapted by other countries.

Overall, Kazakhstan is committed to building an open, inclusive, and forward-looking scientific ecosystem within the BRI. We see it as an opportunity for joint technological advancement and for shaping a shared future based on science, sustainability, and mutual respect.

Dinara Shcheglova is the vice Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan.

Source: Science and Technology Daily