HydroPlat project hopes to make hydrogen-powered cars more affordable
NUR-SULTAN – HydroPlat’s team project, the Clean Mobility Award winner at the ClimateLaunchPad Global Grand Final Nov. 19, could potentially make hydrogen cars significantly cheaper, providing a sustainable and affordable vehicle option, said team leader Aidana Toleshova. “Basically, we participated first in the national finals, which were held at Nazarbayev University. We became the winners…
Interference by relatives most common factor in divorce among Kazakh couples – study
NUR-SULTAN – Interfering relatives and a lack of moral restrictions were cited as the most common causes of divorce among Kazakh couples, a study published Nov. 28 by the Kazakh Institute for Equal Rights and Opportunities found. “Kazakhstan has a high divorce rate; however, there is also statistical data on high marriage rates. This means…
Friends of Denis Ten ice show comes to Nur-Sultan Dec. 14
NUR-SULTAN – The Friends of Denis Ten ice show will take place Dec. 14 in the capital, reported the show’s Instagram account @denistenshow. This event is slated to feature skaters such as Tatyana Volosozhar, Maxim Trankov, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Kaitlyn Weaver, Andrew Poje and Jeremy Abbot. The show started as Denis Ten and Friends, when the…
Kazakhstan plans seven new sports facilities to promote athletics
NUR-SULTAN – Training coaches, investing in regional facilities and a fair sports culture are important for developing Kazakh athletics, said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe during a Nov. 3 press conference in the capital. “There are two or three topics that we discussed. The first is the training of coaches, because this is a key…
Public discussion, maintenance and communication are key to saving Nur-Sultan’s architectural heritage, says prominent architect
NUR-SULTAN – Public discussion, building maintenance and communication are necessary to save the capital’s archeological heritage, said former Tselinograd (Soviet name of Nur-Sultan) Region head architect and SA Architects Creative Director Vasily Toskin at the Nov. 27 public discussion organised by the Fading.TSE project. “Well, the idea of this gathering has emerged, because recently journalists…
FC Astana beats Manchester United
NUR-SULTAN – Astana Football Club beat the U.K.’s Manchester United 2-1 Nov. 28 in a Europa League fifth group match in the capital. The win was Astana’s first in the Europa League. “People create an atmosphere, so we must win. Thank God that we were able to repay the debt. I want to say thanks…
Tokayev, Zheenbekov hold talks on wide-ranging cooperation, EAEU in Bishkek
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid an official visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Nov. 27 for negotiations with Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Zheenbekov. “We strive to find and develop new areas of joint work that are consistent with the spirit and nature of Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan relations,” Tokayev said after speaking with Zheenbekov, according to 24.kg. Regarding the…
Baikonur to be designated free economic zone
NUR-SULTAN – A free economic zone will be created at the Baikonur Cosmodrome to attract tourists to the world’s first and largest operational space launch facility, Kyzylorda Region Akim (Governor) Kuanyshbek Iskakov told KazInform news agency Nov. 22. “We have already developed the concept of a free economic zone. One of the aims of the…
Kazakh Tourism, Almaty announce new joint mountain tourism office
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Tourism company and the akimats (administrations) of the city of Almaty and the Almaty Region announced Nov. 22 that they will launch a unified mountain tourism project office. The office is meant to coordinate the implementation of the national tourism programme in Almaty’s mountains as well as help tourism companies implement…
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan begin construction of fibre-optic link under Caspian Sea
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin and Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov officially launched construction of a fibre-optic line between the countries under the Caspian Sea Nov. 19 in Aktau, Kazakhstan, reports primeminister.kz. “It will allow you [Azerbaijan] to reach a higher level of development of high-speed and secure data transmission infrastructure, join the…
Kazakhstan wins Davis Cup doubles match after sudden player change
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh tennis players Alexander Bublik and Mikhail Kukushkin won the first doubles match against the Netherlands at the Davis Cup in Madrid, Spain, Nov. 20, reports Olympic.kz. “It was a great match,” said Kazakh Davis Cup Team Captain Dias Doskarayev. “This is the Davis Cup, here any athlete can show a good result,…
Kazakh football team beats San Marino in EURO 2020 qualifying game, loses to Scotland
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh football team defeated the team from San Marino 3-1 Nov. 17 in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) EURO 2020 qualifying game. “First of all, I want to note the significance of this victory. The weather led to adjustments to the game by both teams. I liked how we played…
Kazakhstan has strong basis for new technologies, needs specialists for development, says Accenture executive
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has a strong basis for adopting new technologies, but there is a need for more specialists able to develop them, said Accenture Managing Director Anton Musin in an interview with The Astana Times. “The adoption of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in Kazakhstan is on the way, I would say.…
SIPRI Director: Water management must take priority in Central Asian cooperation
NUR-SULTAN – Water management should be the focus of Central Asian cooperation, particularly in the face of climate change, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Director Dan Smith said Nov. 12. “Climate change is happening and it will have a different impact on different places in the world… For countries like those in Central Asia, the…
IMF statement notes continuing Kazakh economic growth, need for strengthened monetary policy
NUR-SULTAN – While Kazakhstan’s economic growth remains strong, its fiscal framework, monetary and exchange policy should be strengthened, reported the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 2019 Article IV Mission Staff Concluding Statement on Nov. 13. “Growth remains strong, fueled by supportive fiscal policy, oil and gas sector investment and retail lending. Risks to inflation have increased…
Digital Bridge start-up competition judges impressed with Kazakh start-up ecosystem
NUR-SULTAN – Although they face financial challenges, the future of Kazakh start-ups is bright, noted judges at the Digital Bridge start-up competition. The panel included Angel Labs investor accelerator founder Tugce Ergul and ACME Capital principal Alex Fayette. “Kazakhstan’s tech is still maturing, but it is much better than it was three or four years…
Astana Club discusses Eurasian region’s role in future of global security
NUR-SULTAN – The fifth annual Astana Club meeting started Nov. 11 with the “World (Dis)Order: Who writes the history of the future” discussion of international politics and Eurasia and Central Asia’s place in it. “If you look at the geography of the most acute global conflict nodes of recent times, you cannot help but see…
From Sultan to Nur-Sultan: public talk series on Kazakh capital history kicks off with Altynov lecture
NUR-SULTAN – A series of capital history public talks, organised by the Fading.TSE Nur-Sultan history project, started Oct. 25 with a guest lecture by regional historian Assylbek Altynov. “We thought about the topic of the debut Talking.TSE talk for a long time and decided that it should be connected with the history of the capital.…
Kazakh entrepreneurs produce innovative product that clears oil from soil and air
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh entrepreneurs have produced an innovative product that clears oil spills from soil and air, reported Forbes.kz Oct. 30. The product was developed by Kazakh National University Biology Department Chair Togzhan Mukasheva and her former student and current KazEcoSolutions Technical Director Olzhas Dyussenov. The Kazakh government and World Bank showed interest in the…
Nur-Sultan hospital to upgrade facilities, medical equipment
NUR-SULTAN – Nur-Sultan general purpose public hospital No. 2 will be augmented with building connectors, a parking lot expansion and additional medical equipment, said city Akim (Mayor) Altai Kulginov during a Nov. 4 visit. He has requested design estimates and issues raised have been addressed. “The connection (between buildings) will allow the doctors and patients…
Kazakhstan adopts open skies regime at 11 airports starting Nov. 1
NUR-SULTAN – Eleven Kazakh airports adopted an open skies regime Nov. 1, reported the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development press service. The open skies regime allows more foreign carriers and more flights to operate at Kazakh airports. “This mode is introduced at the airports of Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau, Karaganda, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar, Kokshetau, Taraz,…
Kazakh-Lithuanian relations are strong with potential to grow, says Lithuanian ambassador
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh-Lithuanian relations are on a positive course, with growing economic and cultural cooperation between the countries, said Lithuanian Ambassador Gintautas Vasiulis. “I would say that we are on the right track. Bilateral relations between Lithuania and Kazakhstan are developing well and we should do our best to continue moving forward in the same…
Akmola Region experiences 106 percent economic growth in first three quarters of 2019
NUR-SULTAN – The Akmola Region achieved 106 percent in economic growth in the first three quarters of 2019, said Akim (Governor) Yermek Marzhikpayev at the Oct. 28 Central Communication Service press conference. “In the region in many areas of activity, according to the results of nine months of this year, positive results were achieved. The…
Kazakhstan to increase mandatory schooling from 11 years to 12 by 2021
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan plans to gradually introduce 12 years of mandatory schooling, said Minister of Education and Science Askhat Aimagambetov Oct. 20, reported tengrinews.kz. “We have an 11-year education today, both de jure and de facto. Updated programmes were approved in 2015 and then the programmes of an 11-year-old school were approved. Currently, updated programmes…
Kazakh start-up makes innovative portative preamp and amplifier to sell on Amazon
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh entrepreneur Temirlan Aigozhin’s Champloo start-up is set to produce an innovative portative preamp and amplifier. The device is made to sell in Kazakhstan and the U.S., where an agreement has been reached with Amazon reported Forbes.kz Sept. 26. “It is important for me to create a Kazakh audio brand that will be…
