Winners of QAIRU Inflection 2026 Awarded in Astana

August 20, the awarding ceremony for the winners of QAIRU Inflection 2026—a competitive selection process for talented youth to study at Qazaq AI Research University (QAIRU) — took place at the Alem.ai International Center for Artificial Intelligence, according to the "Modern Education" magazine, citing the press service of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Following the competition, ten winners received educational grants provided by Qazaq AI Research University for studies at the university.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, the leadership of Qazaq AI Research University, competition finalists, and invited guests.

QAIRU Inflection aims to search for talented and motivated young people across Kazakhstan who possess advanced analytical, adaptive, and out-of-the-box thinking, capable of working on complex technological tasks and creating new solutions.

The selection process took place in three stages. The first stage evaluated candidates' motivation through video self-introductions. The second stage included an online selection aimed at testing logical and analytical thinking. The final stage was a practical offline finale in Astana, where participants demonstrated teamwork skills, the ability to find unconventional approaches, and solve applied problems.

The competition sparked high interest among youth. A total of 675 applications were submitted, out of which 149 candidates were approved for participation. 51 participants advanced to the second stage. Following the competitive tests, the 20 strongest candidates reached the final, and ten winners received QAIRU grants to study at the university.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, noted the special role of human capital amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

The development of Qazaq AI Research University is part of systematic work to form a national artificial intelligence ecosystem in Kazakhstan and prepare a new generation of specialists capable of working at the intersection of advanced technologies, science, and entrepreneurship.

The name of the competition, Inflection, symbolizes a "trajectory change point"—a moment capable of determining the participant's further educational and professional path. For the winners, studying at QAIRU will become an opportunity to continue development in an environment combining education, research, industrial projects, and the creation of their own technological products.

The new personnel training model focuses on forming a generation of AI engineers, researchers, and technological entrepreneurs capable not only of effectively applying existing technologies but also of creating their own world-class competitive solutions.