Kazakh Startup Raises $500,000 to Expand in US Trucking Market
ASTANA – Kazakh startup Call2action.ai, founded by Yersultan Jussakinov, has closed a $500,000 pre-seed funding round at a $6 million valuation to accelerate its expansion in the United States logistics and trucking market, reported Digital Business news agency on Oct. 28. Call2action.ai is a generative AI-powered platform that enables companies to hire employees five times…
Critical Minerals Take Center Stage at Kazakhstan Investment Roundtable 2025
ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable (KGIR) opened on Oct. 31, dedicating one of its key sessions to critical minerals and the energy transition. The participants discussed how these resources are shaping global development as the world moves toward a sustainable, high-tech future. The speakers highlighted that critical minerals are becoming a major driver…
Türkiye Simplifies Hiring Rules to Boost Ties with Turkic Nations
ASTANA – Türkiye has simplified employment rules for Turkic-speaking foreigners, including citizens of Kazakhstan, by reducing bureaucracy and broadening opportunities for professional activity, reported Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Resmi Gazeti (Official Newspaper of Türkiye). President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a decree on Oct. 10, amending legislation that dates back to the 1980s, simplifying procedures to work in…
What Role Did Weapons Play in Nomadic Life
ASTANA – Weapons played a vital role in the life of nomadic peoples, serving not only in battle but also in rituals, social ceremonies, divination, oaths, and as symbols of power and status. They were used as rewards and even as payment for military service. Artist, ethnographer, and weapons expert Kaliolla Akhmetzhan, a member of…
Coat of Arms Author Reflects on Kazakhstan’s Declaration of Sovereignty
ASTANA – This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Declaration of State Sovereignty, adopted by the Supreme Council of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) on Oct. 25. The document became the starting point in Kazakhstan’s path to independence, affirming for the first time the country’s right to determine its domestic and foreign policy,…
Astana Think Tank Forum Calls for Renewed Trust and Dialogue in Polarized World
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosts the two-day Think Tank Forum on Oct. 15-16, bringing together leading scholars, diplomats, and policymakers across the globe, from the United States to Eurasia, to explore practical ways to rebuild trust and strengthen cooperation in an increasingly fragmented world. The event, organized by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies…
Kazakh Startup Uses AI to Redefine How World Takes Exams
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s TrustExam.ai transforms how the world takes exams with its advanced AI supervision technology. The independent startup, which has grown without outside investment, recently won a $25,000 prize at the Astana Hub Battle for its innovative approach to secure online testing. In an interview with The Astana Times, TrustExam.ai CEO and co-founder Nurali…
All-Female Crew Concludes Kazakhstan’s First Space Simulation Project
ASTANA – The National Space Center in Astana has completed SANA-1, a unique research project, marking Kazakhstan’s first experiment on long-term crew isolation in conditions simulating a space mission. The experiment studied the physiological, cognitive, and emotional adaptation of an all-female engineering crew. The team of engineers and researchers symbolizes Kazakhstan’s growing contribution to gender…
Hiking Ecotourism Emerges as Growth Sector for Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Hiking-based ecotourism has become one of the world’s most popular forms of travel, according to the UN World Tourism Organization. The trend reflects growing demand for sustainable tourism, which requires modest investment while offering significant social and economic benefits. Hiking, trekking, and backpacking offer value to both travelers and local businesses. In Kazakhstan,…
OECD Survey Shows Notable Progress in Kazakhstan’s Education System
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has seen positive improvements in its education system, according to the latest Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), published on Oct. 7. The survey assessed the educational environment, teachers’ working conditions, professional development, teaching practices and professional beliefs. More than 7,000 teachers and…
Kazakh Entrepreneur Drives Ambitious Mission to Build 100 Eco-Friendly Villages
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to launch a large-scale project to build 100 green villages, an initiative led by entrepreneur and BIRCH CEO Vladimir Rich, who calls it an effort to “set a new standard for autonomous and environmentally friendly housing.” “This project is not just the creation of new settlements, but an ambitious attempt…
Kazakhstan Travel Forum Highlights Safety and Growth in Tourism Sector
ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Travel Forum is taking place in Astana on Oct. 6-8, gathering major tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, airports, tourism associations, government agencies, and foreign partners to discuss key trends in the industry. The participants explored shifting consumer preferences, prospects for air transport development in Central Asia, and new standards for risk…
Scottish Bagpiper Marks Kazakhstan as 116th Country in Global Journey
ASTANA – Kazakhstan became the 116th country for Ross Jennings, a Scottish traveler and musician on a mission to play the bagpipes in every nation. Dressed in a traditional kilt, he performed the Kazakh folk song “Dedimai au” in Astana, where local audiences warmly received him. “In 2014, I decided I wanted to play the…
PwC Study Highlights Risks in Central Asia’s Push for Green Energy
ASTANA – Coal is projected to remain Kazakhstan’s dominant energy source through 2035, accounting for more than 40% of the country’s energy mix despite ongoing decarbonization efforts, according to a September study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The report, Energy Transition in Eurasia: Who Sets the Pace – Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, said renewable energy is expected to…
Kazakhstan’s Migration Flows Lean Strongly Toward Cities
ASTANA – Cities in Kazakhstan are expanding at record speed, reshaping the nation’s economy and society, but straining infrastructure and deepening the divide between booming megacities and shrinking small towns. In his state-of-the-nation address, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev warned that the absence of a centralized system to track migration is complicating labor market regulation and social…
Congress in Kazakhstan Highlights Youth Voices in Global Peace
ASTANA – The second day of the Eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on Sept. 18 featured a series of panel sessions addressing urgent global issues, with the spotlight on the Second Forum of Young Religious Leaders. The forum explored the role of young faith leaders in advancing sustainable development and the…
Religious Leaders Call for Dialogue, Solidarity at Congress in Astana
ASTANA – The eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions opened Sept. 17 in Astana, drawing 100 delegations representing major world faiths, religious and civic organizations, and senior officials. The gathering once again positioned Kazakhstan as a global hub for interfaith dialogue at a time of growing geopolitical tensions and crises. The first…
Inside State Structure that Shaped Kazakh Khanate
ASTANA – The Kazakh Khanate, formed around 1465 in the Semirechye Region, was the first national state of the Kazakhs. It emerged after the migration of Kerei and Zhanibek’s tribes from the khanate of Abulkhair and laid the foundations of modern Kazakh statehood. Over time, it played a decisive role in unifying the Kazakh people,…
Kazakhstan Hosts Space Days Forum to Boost Aerospace Cooperation
ASTANA – The international forum Space Days Kazakhstan took place Sept. 8-9 in Almaty, serving as a key platform for discussions on the future of the global aerospace industry, reported the forum’s press service. The event underscored Kazakhstan’s ambitions to strengthen its role in the international space arena and attract foreign investment into its space…
Experts Reflect on Tokayev’s Digital Vision
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his state-of-the-nation address on Sept. 8, focusing on digitalization and the full-scale adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to modernize the economy. Tokayev announced plans to establish the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. Experts from various sectors shared their insights on the President’s speech. Strong industry reactions…
Kazakh Innovation Turns Public Toilets into Model for Future
ASTANA – Public toilets rarely make headlines. However, in Shymkent, a new project is doing just that, attracting international attention for its creative use of technology and design. On the city’s streets, newly installed toilets open with a QR code or facial recognition scan. Once a person steps inside, the glass walls immediately darken for…
Almaty Museum of Arts Marks New Era for Culture in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The Almaty Museum of Arts will open Sept.12 as Kazakhstan’s first museum built to international standards and capable of hosting major global exhibitions. The institution is expected to play a central role in Almaty’s cultural infrastructure, attracting tourists and art enthusiasts from around the world. In an interview with The Astana Times, Meruert…
Kazakhstan Emerges as Global Hub for Interfaith Dialogue
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s unique experience in fostering dialogue among religions and cultures is gaining global attention amid rising interethnic and interfaith conflicts, said Bulat Sarsenbayev, Ambassador and Advisor to the Chairman of the International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue, in an interview with The Astana Times ahead of the eighth Congress of Leaders of…
Book on Turkic Art and Heritage Presented in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosted the presentation of “Altyn Aymaq. Uly Dala Onerinin Tarihi” (Golden Belt. The History of the Art of the Great Steppe) on Aug. 29. The book, co-authored by renowned archaeologist and doctor of historical sciences Zainolla Samashev and Kazakh National University of Arts professor and artist Leila Makhat, offers a sweeping…
Kazakhstan, Poland Build Bridges from Central Asia to Europe
ASTANA – Poland has long been among its most important partners in the E.U for Kazakhstan, ranking as its eighth-largest trading partner. With cooperation expanding in mining engineering, pharmaceuticals, IT and financial technology, the relationship between the two countries continues to grow. Michał Labenda, the chargé d’affaires of the Polish Embassy in Kazakhstan, has a…
