Chairman of the Executive Board - Rector of Kozybayev University, Yerbol Issakayev, joined the Kazakhstani delegation led by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, on a visit to the Discovery Centre (DISC), the largest research and innovation center of AstraZeneca. During the visit, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and AstraZeneca Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding, opening new areas of cooperation in science, research, and innovation. This new stage of partnership предусматривает practical support for the transformation of Kazakhstan’s scientific-educational and healthcare ecosystem. The parties agreed to develop projects aimed at strengthening scientific competencies, introducing technological solutions in medicine, and enhancing the resilience of the national healthcare system. Key areas of cooperation: development of data analysis tools to support scientific research, clinical decision-making, and the formation of an evidence base in healthcare launch of a project to prevent non-communicable diseases among young people, develop skills of responsible attitudes toward health, and strengthen the health of future generations joint projects in the field of ecology and “green” technologies early diagnosis and increased healthcare resilience: implementation of modern approaches to screening and early disease detection, training of specialists, and development of diagnostic infrastructure For our university, such cooperation opens new prospects. We foresee partnership in the areas of: advanced training of physicians social projects environmental projects AstraZeneca continues to invest steadily in cutting-edge science. In 2024, the company allocated more than USD 13 billion to research and development - about a quarter of its annual turnover. Today, its development portfolio includes 191 projects, with scientists working on them in Cambridge and nine other key scientific hubs around the world. More than 2,000 scientists from different countries work at the Cambridge center.

Within the framework of the “Law and Order” concept, in cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office of the North Kazakhstan Region and the Department of the Penal Enforcement System of the North Kazakhstan Region, a teleconference with students titled “Prevention of Offenses among Youth” was organized at Kozybayev University. During the event, students were able to ознакомиться with real-life stories of convicted individuals who had been held criminally liable for fraud and for planting (hiding) narcotic substances. The convicts shared their personal experiences, spoke about the reasons that led them to commit crimes, and about the severe legal, social, and moral consequences they had to face. According to specialists, young people are especially often pushed toward offenses by the desire for easy money and unemployment. Therefore, such meetings help strengthen the principles of law-abiding behavior among students. “In the region, compared to January of last year, the number of cases of fraud and illegal placement of narcotic substances has decreased by 30–40%. In most cases, offenses are committed by persons aged 18 to 45,” noted Rauan Tuganbay, Prosecutor of Petropavlovsk.   The event contributed to the formation of a responsible attitude among young people toward compliance with legislation, the prevention of unlawful behavior, and the strengthening of the principles of law-abiding conduct.

Kozybayev University has launched a Student Sports League for international students and master’s students. It is being held within the framework of the “Law and Order” ideology and includes four sports: table tennis, chess, volleyball, and basketball. The first competitions were in table tennis. Both young men and young women took up their rackets. As a result, in the individual category, 1st place was taken by Yegor Rokhin (group ISU (US)-24-2a) and Darya Demyanenko (group FL-m-25).   Congratulations!

A delegation of Kozybayev University led by Chairman of the Board–Rector Erbol Isakayev took part in the international educational technology exhibition Bett Show in London. The event brings together representatives of educational institutions, education authorities, teachers, IT specialists, and developers of digital learning solutions from around the world. At the same time, the international Bett UK conference was held, with the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, as one of the speakers. He spoke about reforms in the field of introducing artificial intelligence into university curricula. At the international exhibition, our university presented a number of digital solutions developed by students of the dual-degree program as part of projects aimed at developing the Smart City concept and the digital transformation of the university. Among these developments are applied IT products focused on increasing the efficiency of managing educational and urban processes. One of the key projects was KU Timetable - an automated system for generating class schedules that optimizes the work of academic services, reduces time costs, and minimizes the human factor in planning the educational process. KU Track was also presented - a corporate project management platform designed for creating roadmaps, distributing roles, and monitoring task execution among the university’s functional divisions. The solution contributes to increased transparency and manageability of internal processes. Particular attention was drawn to the District project - a mobile platform for managing condominium facilities, developed according to the technical specifications of the local executive body. The platform creates a unified digital environment for interaction between residents, APO/COC (homeowners’ associations), and the akimat, ensuring transparency of financial operations and improving the quality of housing and коммунal services. As part of the digitalization of the admissions campaign, the university presented the Scroll project - an intelligent admissions chatbot integrated into the official website ku.edu.kz. The service operates 24/7, automating consultations for applicants and significantly reducing the workload on staff during peak admission periods. The implementation of these projects clearly demonstrates the results of Kozybayev University’s international academic cooperation with the University of Arizona.

Kozybayev University demonstrated strong results in the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs’ Ranking of Educational Programs, confirming the competitiveness and practice-oriented nature of specialist training. According to the ranking results: For the second year in a row, 1st place was taken by the educational program “Technology of Livestock Production.” 2nd place was awarded to four of our educational programs: Biology (IP) Russian Language and Literature Special Pedagogy Agronomy 3rd place - Educational Program “Foreign Language: Two Foreign Languages.” Another 24 educational programs ranked between 4th and 10th place. One of the ranking indicators is the graduate employment rate. For 12 of our programs, it stands at 100%! These results testify to the high quality of educational programs, their compliance with labor market requirements, and the university’s active interaction with stakeholders. The Atameken NCE ranking is formed taking into account employers’ opinions, graduate employment indicators, and the relevance of educational content, which makes the achieved results especially significant. Kozybayev University continues systematic work on the development of educational programs, the introduction of modern learning technologies, and the strengthening of ties with industry partners, ensuring the training of in-demand and competitive graduates.

Representatives of Kozybayev University took part in the Horizon Europe information and networking session held at Nazarbayev University. The event was organized by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan in cooperation with the European Commission’s Global Service Facility and was dedicated to the opportunities for Kazakhstani universities and research organizations to participate in the Horizon Europe program - the EU’s key instrument for funding research and innovation. As part of the event, the opportunities of the Horizon Europe program for 2026–2027 were presented, along with practical recommendations on preparing project proposals and forming international consortia. Special attention was paid to networking and the search for potential partners, which made it possible to establish new professional contacts and discuss the prospects of Kozybayev University’s participation in joint projects with universities and research organizations. All of this contributes to strengthening positions on the international research stage, increasing the competitiveness of research projects, and expanding access to foreign funding.

A joint initiative of the Non-profit limited company “Manash Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University” and the Henan Agricultural Investment Group to establish the Kazakhstan - China Scientific Agricultural Center will give a boost to the development of agriculture in North Kazakhstan, where the agrarian sector plays one of the key roles in the economy. The project предусматривает investments in the development of the agricultural industry, modern infrastructure, transfer of advanced technologies, and training of specialists. This corporation is one of the largest agricultural investment companies in China, offering comprehensive solutions in the agro-industrial complex from production to processing and marketing. The relevant memorandum of cooperation was signed in the PRC in November last year during the visit of a delegation from the North Kazakhstan Region, and already this week Chinese colleagues arrived in Kazakhstan on a return visit. Speaking at the second Forum of Agricultural Workers in Astana, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the need for further development of the agro-industrial complex and set a number of tasks aimed at increasing the efficiency of the sector and strengthening the country’s food security. In this regard, the scientific community and agrarians of the Northern region face the task of attracting investments and improving the efficiency of the agro-industrial complex. The launch of the Kazakhstan - China Scientific Agricultural Center will make it possible to conduct research and demonstration projects with their subsequent commercialization in the breeding of cereals, oilseeds, legumes, and forage grasses. The goals also include adapting agriculture to climate change; introducing digitalization in crop monitoring and soil fertility; digitizing processes; using AI and UAVs to forecast yields; ensuring sustainable feed production and processing of agricultural products. Already now, for these purposes, the akimat of the North Kazakhstan Region has allocated a 30-hectare experimental plot; a laboratory complex of Kozybayev University is at the disposal of scientists; teachers and students of the university are involved in the project. The Henan Agricultural Investment Group is entering the project with its own investments (about USD 5 million), machinery, research and expert potential. Seed material has also been provided; modern dormitories will be built and laboratories will be opened. During the visit, the guests met with local executive authorities and agricultural producers, familiarized themselves with the university’s laboratory equipment, and visited agricultural enterprises of the region.   “It is a great honor for us to host representatives of one of the key investment partners of the PRC - a strategic partner of Kazakhstan and our university in the fields of education, science, and agricultural technologies. Our common goal is to build an effective model in which science, production, and investment work as a single system. The project envisages the creation of experimental fields, laboratories, modern infrastructure, and the involvement of university scientists and students. We expect that this will make it possible to form a sustainable export-oriented agricultural platform and expand seed-production acreage to 1,000 hectares. We view such cooperation as a long-term strategic partnership. We are confident that combining the potential of our countries will have a tangible effect on the agro-industrial complex of the region and strengthen Kazakh - Chinese cooperation,” noted Erbol Issakaev, Chairman of the Executive Board - Rector of Kozybayev University, at the meeting with Chinese partners.

The team of Kozybayev University took part in the Forum “Ensuring the Quality of Higher Education: Current State and Development Prospects,” which was held at Nazarbayev University. Our university was represented by Aigul Nurpeisova, Member of the Management Board for Academic Affairs; Mansur Alimkhanov, Member of the Management Board for Internationalization and International Programs; and Marina Pogrebitskaya, Director of the Department of Strategy and Development. The event became a large-scale professional platform for discussing key challenges and new approaches to ensuring the quality of higher and postgraduate education. At the plenary session, with the participation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, issues related to the adoption of the new Law on Artificial Intelligence and the associated changes in the system of higher education and science were discussed. The main focuses of the forum were: - International accreditation and export of educational services Within the framework of workshops by ASIIN, QAA, and NAAR, typical mistakes in preparation for international accreditation, best practices, and the role of external stakeholders in improving the quality of education were examined. - State regulation and academic quality Issues of improving the system of regulation of higher and postgraduate education, as well as modern mechanisms of internal and external quality assurance, were discussed. - Assessment of scientific and research activities Special attention was paid to new approaches to evaluating research outcomes, including in PhD doctoral studies, as well as issues of academic integrity and responsibility in conducting research. - Continuous quality improvement International experts from QAA emphasized the importance of moving from formal evaluation to systemic improvements aimed at the sustainable development of universities. - Digitalization and artificial intelligence The forum confirmed that the quality of higher education today is not a one-time assessment, but a continuous process based on international standards, responsibility, digital solutions, and partnership among all stakeholders.

We congratulate our student Erbol Khamitov on his successful performances at the World Cup stages in Germany! Erbol demonstrated a high level of skill and strong competitive spirit, winning a bronze medal in the 7.5 km event (class LW 12) and a silver medal in the 0.9 km sprint. These achievements represent an important milestone in his preparation for the XIV Winter Paralympic Games. Erbol still has two more World Cup stages ahead in Poland, and we wish him confident starts and new victories. We are proud of our student!