XI’AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY – SHAKARIM UNIVERSITY: DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS. ENERGY OF SCIENCE. SPACE OF TRUST.

Within the framework of the strategy of the President of Kazakhstan and the initiative of the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China

The modern partnership between Kazakhstan and China in the fields of science and education is developing within the logic of two mutually reinforcing strategies — the course set by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to build an intellectual nation and new centers of academic leadership, and the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping.

In his Address to the People of Kazakhstan, President Tokayev emphasized:

“The key to sustainable development is strong science, new technologies, and universities capable of becoming intellectual drivers of their regions.”

These principles have formed the foundation for joint Kazakh-Chinese academic initiatives, which are now taking shape in concrete projects — scientific laboratories, cultural centers, and research alliances.

Xi’an: A Space of Trust

On November 6–7, 2025, in Xi’an — the ancient capital of China where East meets West, culture meets science, and the past meets the future — the Shakarim Kudaiberdyuly Center for Cultural Studies was inaugurated, alongside the ceremony for the transfer of equipment to the Joint Chinese-Kazakh Laboratory for Electrification and Automation at Shakarim University.

The working delegation of the Republic of Kazakhstan was led by Vice Minister of Science and Higher Education Gulzat Kobenova and Rector of Shakarim University Duman Orynbekov.

The program of the visit took place at Xi’an Jiaotong University, one of China’s oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher learning — a flagship of the scientific and innovation cluster of Western China.

Science and Technology: From Ideas to Real Projects

As part of the visit, a ceremony was held to present a commemorative certificate marking the transfer of the first batch of equipment for the Joint Chinese-Kazakh Laboratory for Electrification and Automation, which is being established at Shakarim University.

The laboratory is the result of an agreement signed in June 2025 during the China–Central Asia Forum.

This project is designed to become a model of a transnational engineering ecosystem, where applied science, education, and future-oriented technologies — such as green energy, automation, and intelligent transport systems — come together.

The infrastructure of the laboratory will be fully integrated into the regional innovation platform of the Abai Region.

Strategic Partnership Between Universities

Xi’an Jiaotong University has long been a key academic partner for Kazakhstan, actively collaborating with the country’s leading national universities.

Shakarim University has now become a new link in this system of international cooperation, demonstrating that regional universities of Kazakhstan are capable of operating at the level of world academic centers and making a meaningful contribution to strengthening the scientific and humanitarian dialogue between the two nations.

Meaning for a Shared Future

The opening of the Shakarim Center and the launch of the Joint Laboratory for Electrification and Automation mark a unified line of strategic cooperation, where humanitarian culture and technological science complement one another, creating shared growth points and a foundation of intellectual trust between Kazakhstan and China.

These initiatives embody President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s vision for innovative development and open knowledge, and President Xi Jinping’s ideas of partnership among civilizations — proving that the 21st century is the century of science, culture, and trust.