Kazakh Science Minister Sayasat Nurbek says AI is a basic competence; 706,000 students trained
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Kazakh Science Minister Sayasat Nurbek said at the National Think Tank Forum in Astana that artificial intelligence is becoming a basic competence for students, teachers and researchers in all professional fields. More than 706,000 students have completed basic AI training under the AI-Sana programme, and the ministry has designated 27 anchor universities to scale the rollout. Kazakh Research University of Artificial Intelligence is to start training in 2026, while 235 education programmes are being updated and R&D spending has risen to 173 billion tenge.
Key Facts
- Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek said at the National Think Tank Forum in Astana that AI is becoming a basic competence, not a separate speciality, for students, teachers and researchers in all professional fields.
- More than 706,000 students have completed basic AI training under the AI-Sana programme.
- The ministry has designated 27 anchor universities across all regions and integrated more than 2,000 AI courses at 95 universities.
- ChatGPT Edu is being introduced with OpenAI, Freedom Holding Corp. and KazakhTelecom to give faculty access to AI tools.
- The Kazakh Research University of Artificial Intelligence is to begin training students in 2026.
The AI-Sana Rollout
Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek announced at the National Think Tank Forum in Astana that artificial intelligence is becoming a basic competence, not a separate speciality, for students, instructors and researchers in all professional fields. Under the AI-Sana programme, more than 706,000 students have completed basic AI training. The ministry has designated 27 anchor universities across all regions to scale the programme. More than 2,000 AI courses have been integrated into educational programmes at 95 universities. ChatGPT Edu is being rolled out with OpenAI, Freedom Holding Corp. and KazakhTelecom to give faculty access to AI tools.
Kazakh AI Research University
The next stage is the launch of the Kazakh Research University of Artificial Intelligence, which will begin training students in 2026. The new university will focus on training specialists and conducting research at the intersection of AI and key sectors of the economy. The digital transformation of higher education is moving from individual initiatives to systematic introduction of AI technologies.
Education and Science Reform
The higher education system is being restructured to meet the demands of the new economy, with 235 educational programmes undergoing content updates. Workforce demand maps have been formed in all 20 regions, and dual education and industrial placements are expanding. Ten universities are implementing an "industrial PhD" model jointly with industrial companies. Internal R&D spending rose from 121 billion to 173 billion tenge, and the share of commercialised scientific projects reached 31%.
2 sources
Kazakh Science Minister Sayasat Nurbek says AI is a basic competence; 706,000 students trained
