A delegation from the Kazakh Ministry of Science and Higher Education attended the China-Central Asia Cooperation Conference

A delegation from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, led by Vice Minister Gulzat Kobenova, participated in the China–Central Asia Conference on Industry-Academia-Research-Application Collaboration held in Urumqi, People's Republic of China, 'Modern Education' magazine reports, citing the Ministry's press service.

The conference brought together representatives of government agencies, universities, research organizations, and enterprises from China and Central Asian countries.

In her address at the conference, Vice Minister Gulzat Kobenova shared Kazakhstan’s experience in advancing higher education, science, and innovation. She also presented key initiatives aimed at strengthening scientific and educational cooperation with the People's Republic of China.

Special attention was given to the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, announced at the Second "Central Asia – China" Summit, to declare 2026 the Year of Education and Research. It was noted that this initiative is already being put into practice today through the implementation of joint educational and scientific projects between Kazakhstan and China.

During the speech, the key results of Kazakh-Chinese cooperation in higher education were presented, including the opening of branches of leading Chinese universities and the creation of a network of Lu Ban Workshops in Kazakhstan.

Furthermore, the Vice Minister visited Urumqi Vocational University, where she learned about the institution's activities, its modern educational, training, and production infrastructure, as well as its experience in training engineering and technical personnel.

Special attention was given to the joint project between Urumqi Vocational University and ALT University named after Mukhamedzhan Tynyshpayev to establish the third Lu Ban Workshop in Kazakhstan.

Representatives from more than 10 Kazakh higher education institutions also took part in the conference. Following the event, universities from Kazakhstan and China signed a number of cooperation agreements aimed at expanding inter-university collaboration.

The participation of the Kazakh delegation in the conference reaffirmed the commitment of Kazakhstan and the People's Republic of China to further strengthening their strategic partnership in higher education, science, and innovation, implementing joint educational and research projects, and training highly qualified personnel for economic and technological development.