Three Days That Are Changing the Architecture of Higher Education
What the International Forum “Kazakhstan – Territory of Academic Knowledge” Has Shown
Today, on October 31, 2025, in Astana, the International Forum of Strategic Partners “Kazakhstan – Territory of Academic Knowledge” concluded its work.
The event was initiated by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MSHE RK).
Over the course of three days — from October 29 to 31 — countries and universities discussed how to move from conversations to an architecture of action: from industrial visits and technology transfer to new regulatory frameworks for transnational education and the ethics of artificial intelligence.
The Forum demonstrated a new style of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education —a style of knowledge governance through local initiative, accelerated decision-making, and global partnerships.
We saw the Ministry in a new light — as a coordinating intellect of the system, shifting focus from form to meaning.
A new philosophy of action is emerging, built upon four key vectors of reform:
Decentralization and trust in the regions. Universities are becoming decision-making centers rather than mere executors of instructions; regions are turning into testing grounds for pilot innovations.
Digitalization and technology ethics. The creation of the unified AI-Sana ecosystem, the introduction of academic integrity tools, and the use of AI to manage educational quality.
Transnationalization and global partnerships. Kazakhstani universities are entering a single global academic network, expanding campuses, laboratories, and joint programs with universities in China, Asia, the United States, and Europe.
Integration of science, education, and industry. Technology transfer, R&D alliances, and strategic visits to industrial clusters are now viewed through the lens of a new “university of action” model.
This approach allows the higher education system to be seen not as a collection of institutions, but as a living organism — responsive, dynamic, and capable of setting its own standards of development.
Scale and Multilevel Impact
The Forum was structured as a three-day roadmap of reforms, revealing the detailed architecture of Kazakhstan’s renewed higher education system. Each day represented its own level of transformation — its own dialogue between science, the state, and society.
October 29 — The Industrial Day.
The visit of university and research institute leaders to YDA Industrial Park symbolized the transition from theory to the production code of science.
It was not just a demonstration of partnership but the beginning of a new logic: when university research centers become part of the real economy, and industry integrates into the higher education ecosystem.
This is how the model of the “fourth mission university” is being shaped — one that not only educates, but also produces products, data, and technologies.
October 30 — The Day of Ideas and Decisions.
This day brought together the key topics of the future:
Artificial Intelligence and Student Expectations. A discussion on how AI is reshaping academic programs and quality benchmarks, compelling universities to rethink the very structure of education.
Transnational Education. A search for balance between national priorities and global academic standards; Kazakhstan is confidently asserting itself as a territory open to world-class campuses.
AI-Sana Leaders. A platform where technology gained an ethical dimension. Universities presented their AI products, and the digital agenda was infused with integrity, responsibility, and creativity.
Prevention of Addictions and Suicidal Behavior. A highly relevant and courageous track proving that reform is impossible without a human dimension — without caring for the human capital that drives innovation.
From Science to Market / Technology Transfer. A concentration of strategic thinking: how ideas become business models, how universities can act as accelerators for the national economy, not just centers of knowledge.
October 31 — The Day of Strategic Decisions.
The final plenary session and the meeting of the Council of Strategic Partners consolidated all these threads into a single system.
The discussions went beyond local achievements, focusing on the new role of Kazakhstani universities in the global educational architecture — digital maturity, international competitiveness, and a culture of ethics and innovation.
The agreements signed and joint initiatives launched became tangible proof of a new model — one in which the state not only defines direction but also creates an environment where universities act as autonomous centers of growth.
The Forum proved that Kazakhstan is forming not isolated solutions but a system capable of reproducing innovation.
That is why issues — from AI to mental health, from technology transfer to academic ethics — were discussed as parts of a single national project aimed at building the future through action, not words.
Those Who Set the Global Tone
If the first days of the Forum defined the trajectory of internal renewal, then the final day — October 31 — brought Kazakhstan into the global academic conversation.
In one hall, figures who shape the architecture of 21st-century education and global standards of academic excellence came together.
Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, articulated a defining idea:
“We are no longer just an education system — we are an ecosystem of knowledge, where every initiative becomes part of a national strategy.”
His speech became the conceptual centerpiece of the Forum, presenting Kazakhstan not as a participant, but as a generator of its own educational solutions, ready for international integration. Nunzio Quacquarelli, President and Founder of QS (United Kingdom), who reshaped the global map of universities, emphasized a new logic of evaluation — measuring not only performance, but also social impact. Peng Duan, President of Beijing Language and Culture University (China), spoke about the soft power of language and education as a bridge between regions and civilizations. Wendy Larner, President of Cardiff University (United Kingdom), highlighted how governance science and social innovation form the foundation of the modern university mission. Song Ki Kim, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Woosong University (Republic of Korea), shared a model where borders between countries disappear in the name of knowledge exchange.
Such a composition of speakers not only elevated the status of the Forum but also served as a test of maturity for Kazakhstan’s education model, which now stands as an equal partner among global leaders.
Behind every discussion was a shared thought: in the age of AI, success belongs not to those with the most data, but to those who can connect knowledge, purpose, and people.
Shakarim University — Winner in the AI Direction
Within the framework of AI-Sana Leaders, and among more than 200 contenders, Shakarim University won in the category “Best AI Project in Education – Academic Integrity” with its product Shakarim AI Check — an intelligent system for analyzing and preventing academic integrity violations.
This victory of a regional university among the nation’s strongest centers proved that the idea “act locally, think globally” truly works.
It showed that a region can be the source of national innovation, and a university can be a producer of technologies that define standards for the entire system.
What These Three Days Gave to Shakarim University
For Shakarim University, participation in the Forum was not just an opportunity to be among the best — it was a reaffirmation of its role within Kazakhstan’s new educational ecosystem.
Over these three days, the Forum became a mirror that reflected the university’s trajectory, strategic priorities, and, most importantly, the realization that a region can be a source of national and even global innovation.
First, the Forum solidified Shakarim University as part of the intellectual core of the country.
The victory at AI-SANA Leaders with the Shakarim AI Check project was not a coincidence but the result of a systematic approach to digital transformation.
Second, the Forum strengthened the university’s partnership network — opening new pathways for joint programs, academic exchanges, and participation in international AI and EdTech consortia.
Third, it became an intellectual impulse for faculty and researchers — to renew programs, create new interdisciplinary directions, and open laboratories where AI serves as a tool for human advancement, not replacement.
That is why the steps being taken today in the regions are becoming a launchpad for the innovative future of Kazakhstani science and education.
Because the future begins not only in the universities of megacities, but where ideas are strong, teams are bold, and belief in change is alive.
Shakarim University has proven that the region is not the periphery — it is a laboratory of progress.
And this defines the mission of the modern university: to create meanings that shape the country’s tomorrow.
Conclusion
The International Forum “Kazakhstan – Territory of Academic Knowledge” has become a point of bifurcation — the beginning of a new era in the development of science and higher education in Kazakhstan.
Over three days in Astana, a new model of universities took shape — as creators of products, ideas, and solutions.
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education set the vector of bold reforms;
universities demonstrated readiness to assume responsibility;
industry and international partners expressed their willingness to enter joint co-development initiatives.
Shakarim University is among those moving in this direction, developing its own technologies and new approaches to the education of the future.
And behind it all stands the strategic vision of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the personal attention of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who tirelessly directs the development of education, science, and innovation as the key foundation of the nation’s intellectual sovereignty.