Kazakhstan is seeking to place science, higher education and innovation at the centre of its growing partnership with the European Union.
That was the key message from a roundtable held in Brussels under the “Shanyraq Dialogue” platform, hosted by the Embassy of Kazakhstan to Belgium and attended by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek.
The event, entitled “Kazakhstan’s Knowledge Economy: New Horizons for Partnership with the European Union”, brought together representatives of Belgian universities, research centres, the diplomatic community, experts and officials from the European External Action Service.
The discussion reflected Kazakhstan’s ambition to move beyond traditional areas of cooperation and develop a more knowledge-based partnership with Europe, focused on research, innovation, academic mobility and the training of specialists for the economy of the future.
Opening the debate, Karina Anguelieva, Executive Director of the International Science and Technology Center, highlighted Kazakhstan’s growing scientific and technological potential. She recalled that this potential was one of the reasons behind the ISTC’s decision to relocate its headquarters to Astana in 2015.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Belgium, Roman Vassilenko, said relations between Kazakhstan and the EU had made significant progress over the 33 years since diplomatic ties were established, and in the decade since the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
He noted that the European Union remains Kazakhstan’s largest trade and investment partner, with cooperation expanding in strategic areas including transport connectivity, critical raw materials, green transformation, digitalisation and innovation.
But the ambassador placed particular emphasis on education, science and technology, describing investment in human capital as one of Kazakhstan’s key national priorities.
Minister Nurbek used his keynote address to outline Kazakhstan’s priorities in science and higher education. These include modernising research infrastructure, developing research universities, internationalising higher education, supporting young scientists, commercialising research and expanding participation in international research programmes.
A particular focus was placed on Kazakhstan’s cooperation with the European scientific and educational community, including opportunities under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, which supports research and innovation.
“The knowledge economy is built on trust, open universities, strong science, and international cooperation,” Minister Nurbek said.
He added that Kazakhstan wants cooperation with European universities to be systematic and long-term, based on joint research, exchange of experience and the training of specialists for future economic needs.
Participants discussed a wide range of issues, including the development of Kazakhstan’s knowledge economy, academic mobility, joint research projects, workforce development for emerging industries and the potential for closer cooperation with Belgian and European universities.
On the sidelines of the roundtable, Minister Nurbek held bilateral meetings with the leadership of several Belgian higher education institutions, including the Universities of Mons, Liège and Namur, as well as the Brussels Diplomatic Academy.
Following these talks, the parties agreed to promote joint projects aimed at expanding academic mobility, student exchanges and split doctoral programmes.
The Brussels discussions come at a time when Kazakhstan is seeking to position itself as a regional education and innovation hub in Central Asia, while the European Union is looking to deepen its engagement with strategically important partners across the region.
For Kazakhstan, closer links with European universities and research centres offer a route to stronger scientific capacity, greater internationalisation and better integration into global innovation networks.
For Europe, Kazakhstan offers a stable and ambitious partner at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, with growing interest in education, digital transformation, sustainable development and advanced research.
The roundtable demonstrated that cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU is no longer limited to trade, energy and investment. Increasingly, it is also about people, skills, ideas and shared scientific progress.
As both sides look to the future, education and research may become one of the most important bridges between Kazakhstan and the European Union.
