Kazakhstan and China: Kozybayev University Embodies the President’s Course Toward Technological Partnership

In a new interview with Xinhua News Agency, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined one of the key directions of Kazakhstan–China cooperation — moving from traditional trade relations toward joint technological and industrial projects.

According to the Head of State, it is important for Kazakhstan to move from a predominantly resource-based model toward industrial and technological cooperation: establishing joint production facilities, developing deep processing, producing high-value-added goods, and ensuring the transfer of advanced technologies.

In his interview with Xinhua, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also emphasized that cooperation between the two countries is increasingly expanding beyond traditional areas to include manufacturing, deep processing of agricultural products, the digital economy, and modern agricultural technologies.

One example of such a partnership is already being implemented in Northern Kazakhstan. Kozybayev University, together with China’s Henan Agricultural Investment Group and with the support of the Akimat of the North Kazakhstan Region, is establishing a modern scientific and technological center and a demonstration agricultural park.

The project will be located west of the village of Mikhailovka in the Asanovsky rural district of Kyzylzhar District. Nearly 70 hectares of land have been allocated by the region for its implementation.

Trials of Chinese agricultural technologies and crop varieties are already underway. Experimental fields are being used to test 18 wheat varieties, 12 corn varieties, and 2 soybean varieties. The main objective is to determine how high-yield Chinese varieties perform under the conditions of Northern Kazakhstan and assess their potential for further commercial application.

The next stage is the establishment of a joint venture between Kozybayev University and Henan Agricultural Investment Group. The company will be responsible for project implementation, financing, construction, management, and the subsequent operation of the demonstration facility. The joint venture is planned to be registered within the jurisdiction of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC).

The agricultural park will include research laboratories, greenhouses, a plant breeding and seed production center, a training and practical complex, warehouse and production infrastructure with a total area of approximately 35,000 square meters, an irrigation system, smart farming solutions, and modern agricultural machinery.

The significance of the project goes beyond infrastructure and investment. The Chinese side contributes technologies and capital, Kozybayev University provides scientific expertise and personnel training, while the land of Northern Kazakhstan serves as a platform where these solutions can be tested under real-world conditions.

It is precisely this transition — from negotiations and agreements to joint research, technologies, production, and specialist training — that the Head of State identified as a promising direction for relations between Kazakhstan and China.