D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University took an active part in the Kazakhstan–Belgium Rectors’ Forum held in Astana with the participation of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, King Philippe of the Belgians and Queen Mathilde. EKTU presented its research and promising projects across several Forum sessions.
The international event brought together ministers, as well as leaders of 18 Kazakhstani and 11 Belgian universities and research organisations. Participants discussed cooperation in education, research, artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan Sayasat Nurbek stressed the importance of moving beyond the acquisition of AI skills towards their practical application in education, research and technology projects.
EKTU Rector Saule Rakhmetullina presented the University’s model for advancing artificial intelligence in engineering education. It is based on the AI+X formula, in which AI becomes a practical tool for engineers. For EKTU, X represents transport engineering, metallurgy and critical materials.
Together with Qazaq AI Research University, EKTU has begun developing a master’s programme in AI, Transport Engineering and Technology. Practical training will be provided through Kazakhstan’s first international Luban Workshop, where students work with autonomous vehicle technologies.
More than 6,000 EKTU students have completed the AI-Sana programme and developed nine original AI solutions, three of which were presented at the national AI-Sana exhibition. Technologies for the real economy are also being developed at the World Bank-supported Industrial AI Competence Center. These include Smart Safety Monitor, a system that identifies hazardous situations in industrial environments and is currently undergoing pilot testing at Kazzinc.
The Forum also highlighted EKTU’s participation in TiBeRIUM, an international Horizon Europe project with a budget of EUR 8 million. The project focuses on titanium and beryllium resources and environmentally efficient processing technologies. Kazakhstan is represented by EKTU, Ulba Metallurgical Plant and Tenir Group, while the project is coordinated by TU Bergakademie Freiberg.
A significant outcome was the signing of a memorandum between EKTU, KU Leuven and the SIM² Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals to establish a Critical Materials Research Center. The center will combine Kazakhstani and Belgian expertise for joint research, academic exchanges and projects with industrial partners.
At a separate expert session held at Astana Hub, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan was represented by Vice Minister Gulzat Kobenova. EKTU was represented by Ruslan Chettykbayev, Head of the Industrial AI Competence Center at the School of Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence. His presentation focused on AI and multilingual communication, trust and the role of human expertise. He emphasised that AI can overcome language barriers and broaden access to knowledge, while responsibility for accuracy, meaning and decision-making must remain with people.
EKTU’s participation across several Forum sessions demonstrated the University’s comprehensive approach, extending from professional training and student innovation to industrial implementation and international research. The agreements reached create new opportunities for joint academic programmes, mobility, research laboratories and the introduction of university-developed technologies into industrial practice.
